The Washington times., 1901-12-20
!! MANY FALLS AND
MANY LAUGHS.
INCIDENTS OF REAL WINTER DAY.
ComicaI Mishnps Ynrk the Progress
of Man and Bcnst-Autos Cheer
fully Defiant Of Snow nnd
CoId-Tuuch of Old Borcas-

The advance agents OF the North King S
winter show arrived yesterday morning
and covered the city with their posters
in white.
As a result Of their labors Washington
was nocturne in grey skies and white
earth all day long, until the sunset died,
when the clouds skurried southwark and
their curtains of pearl arose on blue gar
dens of stars, shining with ali the bril-
liancy of December night.
As evening came on the rawness of the
| afternoon softened the wind to the lambs
who were being shorn as Christmas shop
pers.
Many Shooting Stars.
Beautiful as was the landscape in the
meadows of the gods, twas rather a
| dangerous experiment admiring them, for
the pavements were like unto the pro-
verbal eel in slipperiness, and to rubber
neck at the sky too often meant loss
af both dignity and gravity.
a young woman on F Street. in Bur-
gundy colored raglan, trying to point out
Andromeda TO her bored looking escort.
slipped on her French heels, and after
making a frantic effort to find support
in the vacuous air. fell in a dazzling
heap of white lingerie, es the man
grabbed for her a moment too late.
CIutchipg the Ambient
Similar mishaps we're current all
through the shopping district, evoling
plenty of laughter, which is coined the
most during this season of holiday cheer.
II was the horse who really suffered
from such conditions, for he could not
pick himself up with a laugh and hurry
on. but had TO depend upon human aid
TO get him on his legs. and at times that
aid was brutally given. but in the ma
jority of cases the drivers were patient
with their much enduring beasts.
Difficult Pedcstrinnism
Travel was tough enough on Belgian
blocks, but on asphalted streets it was
almost suspended, for the snow had
melted slightly and then frozen into
cart horse and blooded Hambietomian
alike
Standing on the west plaza of the Capt.
tol yesterday afternoon and looking
toward the ionic facade of the Treasury,
the white stretch OF avenue was blurred
from First to Fifteenth Street with lit
tie groups surrounding some horse who
had taken a tumble, and it required the
agility OF an equine Blondin to walk
block without slipping.
Almost n Horse Carnival.
As the day went on and the. condition
of the streets grew worse, the horses
presented most ludicrous appearance
in the bandages swathing their legs and
feet to aid them in making headway. Jute
bagging. frayed carpets. and cast-on gar
ments OF all descriptions were impressed
into the good cause.
One darky had his mules legs. fore and
aft, tied up in old breeches. and, rs the
animal walked along in safety. h.s long
ears wagging sa gaciously. the driver was
envied by more than one "Jeames" on the
box OF a crested carriage handling their
ribbons over the backs of thoroughbred5
that could not stand on their aristocratic
hoofs.
HorseIess Defiance
II ever there was an occasion demon
strating the superiority of the automobile
as a carrier it was yesterday. for when
teans made a snail's pace the "choo-
choos" sailed by on roughened tires. ap-
parently obliyious to weather conditions
On Fourteenth Street, where it follows
a hill from the Avenue to + Street. two
express wagons. surmounted by colored
drivers and going in opposite directions,
were stalled during the forenoon.
lie er feered | can't go down" said
one Of them
En- can't go up" returned the other.
as the automobile OF big department
store shot up the hill with as much ease
as ever Jacobs angels mounted the gold
en- ladder
'Gentermen," whistled the first darky
when his horse pricked up his ears at a
volley of steam puffs shot in his face.
'dats de firing. Dey's done sot de mig
gers free and now dey's er gwine L free
de hosses" !"