The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-04

ridden, escorted the PreSldent on the oc-
casion of his first Inauguration, and were
invited to do so again when he was re-
elected.
Many of the militiamen from Massa-
chusetts discard their hea.y oVercoa is
when they reached Washington, end have
since gone about only with a cape. When
they left the Bay State the mercury was
lowering close about the zero mark ana,
what appears to WashingtOnllns to be
ordinary March weather, is to them de-
liEhtfully springlike.
The colored portion Of Washington
population is of an emotional nature ana
the sight of so much festivity has had an
- -eXhilarating effect on it. Every time
band marched along the street playing a
rlively air yesterday there was dusky
wake of colored boys in the rear. dancing
and prancing in time with the cadences
. of the music. In the course of an i'm
promptu concert in front of one of the
big hotels last night band struck up a
cakewalk and Immediately a half dozen
small colored boys executed a clever
walk" much to the delight of large
crowd of spectators. The callewalk vas
followed by a lively jig and then Guin-
tette Of newsboys doubles themselves into
all the figures of buck and wing
dances.
The posture most affected by the Wash
ington police yesterday was one with arm
outstretched, pointing the way to some
distant point in reply to the question of
some visitor. The modern axiom. Ieil
your troubles to a policeman was fol-
lowed to the letter by the strangers. REQ
pie who looked as if they might live in
Washington were also frequently appeal
ed to ty visitors who wanted to find their
way Ii various points of interest
But even the resident population OF
Washington is in a sense transient and
the average Washingtonian found 1t diifl-
cult to answer many of the queries. Prop
ably the greatest number OF questionS
concerning one thing were interrogatlons
regarding the location of the Congress
/. sional Library and the quickest way OF
getting there. The Navy Yard, with the
vessels which form portion of the IN
auguration fleet was another Mecca for
the visitors. and many were the compil-
cations which resulted from ignorance of
the intricate rules governing the issuance
of transfers on the street cars
MINED BY THE STREET CARS.
The street car arrangements here are
unlike those of any other city in the coun-
try, and the wheel-like plan on which the
streets are laid out caused more than a
little confusion to visitors who were I'M
familiar with the city. A sailor from the
monitor Puritan approached policeman
who was on duty in Georgetown yester-
day afternoon and enquired the shortest
way to get back to the Navy Yard. He
said that he had got past Dupont Circle
on the cars to visit relative ana started
to walk back after completing his call. II
got down to a place" he explained to the
officer, where a lot of streets ran into
1 i
supposed the downtown section lay. but
must have got way off my course. Just
then car came along and the policeman
put the sailor on board and he Went back
TO the Puritan very much confused
The militiamau who comes to Washing
ton generally has a good bit of money to
spend and he does it without hesitation.
II was a common thing yesterday to see
soldiers in private uniforms rolling about
the streets in automobiles, while captains
and majors rode on street cars. The de-
mocracy OF the militia is responsible for
this In the Twenty-third New York Reg
iment there is an interesting instance in
this connection. A well-known Gotham
broker is a private ir one of the com
panies. OF which his bookkeeper is the
commanding officer. The conditions that
prevail in the New York business office
are reversed. and the broker obeys the
commands of the man whom he usually
directs to balance his accounts.
CHARGED THROUGH THE CROWD.
In their pilgrimages about the down
town streets the soldiers of the various
regiments and companies of those regi-
ments generally kept together, and some
of the parties were so large as to resem-
BILE entire companies. At Pennsylvania
Avenue and Thirteenth Street last night
the crowd was so dense that it was diff
cult for person to make any progress in
getting through the solid mass of hu-
manity. A number of cavalrymen from
some visiting troops tried in vain to pen
citrate the crowd at this point. They
could make no impression. Finally
youngster with the cheyrons Of bugler
on his sleeves, unswung his bugle and,
placing il TO his lips, sounded the charge
His comrades took the cue. and. with a
rush. charged straight at the crowd and
went through without difficulty. Peace
loving citizens and soldiers who were not
peace-ioTing were brushed from the side
walk Everyone took the affair good
naturedly. however. and those who saw
g1t-r-.1 HrriH4 ifa,se
when they met them on the sidewalks.
Street fakirs were in full bloom yester-
day. Probably the most popular souvenir
was 4 walking stick of red. white, and
blue with a flag on the end. At every
street corner there were a number of
vendors Of these articles, and the business
they did was of the land office order:
Many of the street merchants had huge
boards on which were displayed all man
ner Of souvenirs. There was the cam
paign hat badge, miniature grey cam
paign hat. There were also tiny canteens.
some of which were said to contain per-
fumery. There were all kinds of medals
Of bronze ard brass and other metals. and
nearly every one had patriotic tiHge by
virtue OF the bit of red white, and blue
ribbon attached.
One soldier in company with a party OF
friends near the Botanic Gardens spied
one Of the street fakirs with a large stock
Of souvenirs and straightway announced
his intention of buying one of each kind
some article was purchased from nearly
every merchant encountered. When the
soldiers reached the Treasury the valiant
purchaser had string of medals which
would have been credit 10 Il French
field marshal.
ALL EYES on THE PORTO RICANS.
The battalion Of Porto Rican voIun-
teers, composed of natives of the island.
We're conspicuous figures about the city.
They were easily distinguished by their
dark complexions and the constant look
OF wondernent which their faces wore
as they viewed the sights of Washington.
= far larger city than they had ever seen
before. Il is doubtful If anything in the
city, not excepting the Washington
Monument, or the Congressional Library.
or the huge crowds. excited their wonder
TO the extent that did the mig baiIoons Of
fere1 for sale by the street falzirs These
balloons are the familiar 'sduaEkers"
which can lee inflated with the breath.
They take the form of a pig and when
the air is released let out "A very pig-
like squ-.al. The Porto Ricans regarded
this lifelike action with the greatest
arGaZemcnt, and examined the toys in a
most solemn manner.
While the Massachusetts soldiers were
going about without overcoats, the poor
Porto Ricans were shivering in what they
considered frigid climate. Doubles
they VIII go back to the isla- -Ir.
wonder in their minds a"f s.Hr
wonderful tales Of IL -l3
No milita~- 1H 5000
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