The Portland daily press., 1901-02-08
PEOPLE REAP HARVEST.
Take Advantage of
Inaugurations.
Washington Folks Lay Out to Rob
Visitors.
Highest Prices for
Everything.
This Year viii Be Great Spec
tacular Event.
ESPECIAL TO THE rREss.l

Washington, Feb. z, 190l-For the first
time In a quarter OF a century, In 20 years
In fact, will the people of the United
States see President inaugurated for
his se.ond continuous term. Gen. Grant
was the last one and his second inaugura-
tion was marked by the coldest weather
the District OF Columbia ever saw on the
4th OF March. 1t is to he hoped thai
the similitude between President MoKin-
ley second term and President Grants
second term will not be carried ont in
the weather at least. On that March day
2S years ago, the mercury in the tube
showed but four degrees above zsro ct s
O'Clock in the morning and only l6 above
when Gen. Grant faced the mort Invest
gale which blew 2S miles an hour at noon
There are a lot of funny things about
inauguration in Washington. The frat
is that the Inauguration propsr is con-
fined to a very short period of time and
this period is generally controlled by the
United stat sS Senate, the House OF Rep
resentatives being guests out OF oourtey
But this year the House has insisted that
Joint committee make arrangements.
The tradespeople of Washington really
runsAIi the affairs connected with the
inaugural, except the swearing in of the
chief magistrate at noon.
Complaint is being made that the strong
suit of Washington as a business place
seems to be the ability of its tradesfolks to
rattle as much money, certainly. out OF
the pocket OF the pilgrim and wayfarer,
for the same amount OF accommodation
as any other townsmen in this country.
The other long suit OF the Washington
people is their ability to get the general
government to pay half OF all the general
taxes IN tie District, which includes half
the pay OF ths fire department, the police
department and every other function oi
city government. They do this because
they have no voice in saying what i'm
provements shall be carried on, all local
legislation being done by the two houses
of congress.
Every day of every year Washington is
not behind other cities In getting lot OF
money out OF visitors for what it gives
them In return, but It really outdoes
itself in this regard when the Inaugural
ton comes along.
Three months or so before the fourth
of March a number of the prominent citi-
zsns get together ana appoint a chairman
and committeeman TO provide funds and
lay out the program for this event. These
appoint the marshals OF parade, they lay
out the program for the ball and run II
at live dollars ticket. Business places
on the streets past which is arranged the
route of the procession, are able to get a
little pin money by letting windows to
slghtssers. Frequently these windows
rent for as high as $500 day.
Having rIised all the money they can
get by subscription from the hotel keep
ers, railroads and others who expect to
profit by the influx of visitors, they go
to Congress and ask for 81 900 or SO. for
extra police duty
For a number of years the hotel keep
ers were really much abused lot In this
regard, inasmuch, as the authorities
allowed the railroad companies to run
long trains Of slseping cars upon their
| side tracks and permit people to SLEEP
there OF course these people did moi
put up at the hotels and then innkeepers
were thus deprived of SO much legItimat:
prey, but ths ho+elkeepers have con-
quered this, as they learned that 1t was
very unsanitary to permit the use Of thest
cars without sewer and water connec
tions, and they had the authorities pro
hibit such use OF cars. Thus the popu.
lace that comes to Washington wsre
driven TO the hotels
An official of a certain State came
down here, the other day, TO arrange for
proper quarters for the Governor and
staff. He wanted small sitting room,
! bedroom and bath for thu governor. He
was finally able 10 negotiate for such a
suite OF apartments at leading hotel,
the very modest charge being $40 day
for the rooms without board. There are
other people who will pay more than this.
The governor did not want the room for
more than two days, but the oitioial
found he could not secure it for that
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