El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-11
THE INAUGURATION.

Washington inauguration weather is
always the chief topic; that is more
people talk about it more of the time
than about any other topic. The wealth
| er can be so perfect on that date: one
fourth of March afternoon will bloom
forth as fair as n flower. with blue
skies. gentle warm winds. smiling
days; of a poets dreams. no soft or
gentle phrases can quite describe the
tender beauty of some fourths of
March, On the other hand there come
fourths of March when rain. pelting.
1renching cold rain, changes back
and forth from rain to n driving sleet
that gets down ones collar and inside
of the shoes. and leaves not part of
the anatomy unchilled. With these
possibilities of extremes of balmy and
| bleak weather it is no wonder that Nc
kinley and even Roosevelt came second
or third in the choice of inauguration
conversation topics.
McKinley's second inaugural day
dawned gray and damp and chilly to
| the bone BY ten o'clock a wan sun
peered through the mists at the city, at
twelve the gray clouds thickened and
dropped rain by the bucket while Nc
KiEley took the oath of Office. By half
past two the rains stopped but the after
noon of the parade was damp, gray and
cold. The president, vice president.
governors and generals all showed their
good manners by smiling and bowling
acknowledgements to the huzZaing
crowd as though everything were per-
feet and as though the cold winds and
bald heads We're the best of friends. The
soldiers looked more soldierly than ev-
er in the rain and the crowd
gave a good evidence that We are
a good humored nation, by cheering as
enthusiastically and taking as much in
terest as if their feet were not cold and
wet 1t proved both the manners and
temper of our country pretty we'll
The diplomats looked little draggled:
but they too drowned criticisms of our
/, weather in praises for the splendid pa
geant-
Mckinley was escorted to the cap
itoI by troop A. of Cleveland's cavalry a
swell troop of young men. perfect
horsemen on the most splendid lot of
coal black horses that ever stepped to
the music of the drum and fife. The
troopers wear a brilliant uniform and
their lines flashed like jewels as the
gold and scarlet nodded and cleaned
out: the horses curvetting and pirOuet-
| ting in a company front that was a
| perfect line but one of never ceaSing
motion Mckinley is very proud of the
Cleveland troopers and at the review
/ afterwards while Roosevelt was scan
ming the troops to see those whose SER
vice he knew. Mckinley pulled his
| sleeve and made him look at the dash
| ing troopers.
| The Old Soldiers
The veterans of the Grand Army OF
the Republic acted as z part of the per
soral escort of the president. Several
thousand turned out, many marched
| with canes. many were bent. all were
| gray. They were as n rule not in the
c. A. r. blue uniform, but they kept
soldierly line and the crowds all aons
the route from the white house to the
capitol, recognized them as the old sol
diers. the soldiers who fought a gen.
Grafton ago and taught the world new
lessons IN soldering and new lesson!
in endurance and vigor in fighting tt
the finish. until victory was won. TIL,
line looked pathetically aged, crippled
and thin and yet every fourth or fiftl
man would gladly step out at tn
bugle's call and fight for his flag if hi
country needed him. Most are willing
to give the boys a chance" but it i
necessary that they show the boys hoy
to march, how to convert coffee an
bacon into meal fit for the Gods an
how to take the Bullets aud scars an(
rewards of war, with equal thank:
Their patriotism, their soldier spirit