The age-herald., 1900-12-15
WASHINGTON ENTERS
 ITS SECOND CENTURY

Washington. December 14-(special )-The city of Washington has now entered it's second century as the capital of the nation. The ceremonies commemorative of the cen tennial were impressive the parade being especially fine, marred by only one acei- dent the unseating of Lieutenant-General Miles at the reviewing stand in the pres ence of the President and the distinguished guests who had assembled. General Miles horse was unruly and as 1t reared it lost it's balance and fell over, throwing General Miles heavily on his right shoulder. For tunately the general was uninjured and re- mounted Such an accident was humiliat- ing to the lieutenant-general, but any good horseman might have a similar one without loss of reputation good rider. Perhaps the centennial was sufficiently important to justify Congress and the government de- partments in giving up day to it. but it seems unfortunate that in a short session of Congress with so much work yet to be done a day should have been lost.
 For the first time in the knowedge@of any one in Washington the hall of the House of Representatives, where the chief services of the day were held, was decorated with flags and this caused a regrettable incl dent. sensitive Englishman or a yellow journalist might assume that Great Brit ain had been insulted in consequence, but the matter Is really not worthy the im- portance that has been attached to it. Flags being wanted for decorative purposes official of the House of Representatives asked the Navy Department to loan some and from the navy yard in Brooklyn a lot of American and other flags were shipped and tackles from the United States steam ship Dolphin draped them appropriately. Among these flags were those of France, Germany, Great Britain, Russia, Nicara- qua, Greece, Turkey and other nations. These were hung gracefully on the walls of the house beneath the galleries, Ameri- can flags separating each foreign flag. On the wall to the left of the speaker Brit ish flag was hung, and certainly not so conspicuously as that of Russia France.
 A funny feature of the incident Is that very few members of Congress and officers of the House appreciated that the flags were foreign flags. The idea seems to have prevailed at first that these flags were signal" flags, and they were "signal' flags in the sense that they are used aboard ship on. ceremonial occasions Little atten- tion was paid to the flags except in the way of comment on the innovation and on the artistic way in which they were draped until Representative Rives of Illinois dis covered the British flag and evidently did not see or recognize the other foreign flags. He was angry at this display of the Eng tl.a demanded that it be removed. It was too late to do that, but the speaker ordered that 1t be hidden by another flag as much as possible. Then, just before the House assembled to greet the distinguished guests some one with more knowledge went to the speakers room and told him there were other flags there, but the speaker thought a encouragement of the flags would be more conspicuous than if things were permitted to remain as they were. The speaker has bsep~too busy in his room >to go out and make a personal investigation, hence the incident that has been used with great ef- feet by the sensationalists.
 Another funny incident of the services was the drowsiness of the Chinese minister. Now Mir Wu is a character, always inter- ested in everything American, and anxious to meet public men, He was introduced to A number before the ceremonies began, and during Representative Richardson's speech was alert and attentive. But when Rep resentative Payne in his generous voice began to make a speech quite similar to that of Richardson-the committee had very carefully given them subjects very simi- lar-Nfr Wu dropped his head on his chest and slept peacefully for time. Then re- membering himself, he awoke and listened and watched everything with as much in- terest as boy at a circus.
 From the press gallery one thing was very noticeable, and it was the increasing thinness of President McKinley's hair The scalp is beginning to show and the hatr looks increasingly scarce. The President, however, has never appeared in better health His color is splendid, and his step elastic He is always dressed with scrupu- lous care, and makes an impressive ana dignffied picture. Governor Roosevelt or New York the next Vice-President, was looking in good health and he has lost the worn appearance that was so noticeable toward the end of the campaign. Next to the President, he was the greatest object of curiosity to the visitors in the gal lery. ALBERT HALSIEAO.