The times., 1901-04-08
THE EASTER EGG ROLLING
Children to Hold High Carnival on
the White Lot Today.
The Music to BE Provided by the
Fourth Artillery Band From Fort
Monroe - History of Custom Both
i'm Washington and Elsewhere

i'm Washington and Elsewhere.
Children and grown people will gather
TODAY, if the weather is fine, in the lot
behind the Executive Mansion and con-
tinue a custom the origin of which goes
back to pagan antiquity. The egg rolling
as a part of the Easter celebration in
Washington is thing distinctively
Washingtonian. and the custom has its
counterpart in no city of the United
States.
With the usual Presidential generosity,
orders have been issued for opening the
grounds to the public without restriction
on Easter Monday for the egg rolling ana
the other games and pastimes peculiar
to the day The Marine Band, the music
of which makes so great part OF the
cheer is now on tour in the West. Ihere
are no other Government bands In the
city. either at the Washington Barracks
or at Fort Myer, and at first it was feared
that the children would have to forego
their music. But the disappointment VIII
be avoided. for the Fourth Artillery Band
has been sent from Fort Monroe, ana
will provide the customary music. The
band arrived last night, will play all day
today. and will take part tomorrow in the
ceremonies attending the unveiling of
the Logan statue.
For several days, the Presidents garde-
ner. Henry Pfster, has been at work ar
ranging for the protection of his plants
and flowers. In all parts of the grounds
are shrubs and young trees which are OF
great value and could not be replaced
easily if they were destroyed. Each year
| Gardener Pfster has a larger and still
larger crowd to handle. The children
| romp and play more, and there is more
| and more danger of the shrubs and bulbs
! being destroyed. By a system of wire
netting and small snake fences he hopes
| TO keep the little feet off his precious
| plots, and to keep the eager little hands
| from plucking the blossoms and leaves
which have just begun to appear Even
at the best he can do, a great deal of
| damage is done and much is ruined be-
yond hope of being replaced. The grass
! especially suffers the most and months
will pass before it fiourishes again
| The egg rolling custom has existed in
| Washington for forty odd years, as plenty
| Of men now in the decline of life can
| testify 1t appeared first on the grounds
| of the Capitol and those who remember
| it, forty years ago, remember it as being
| held there The Capitol was then only
| partially completed, but the grounds had
| been laid out On the lawns that extend
/ ed from the west front were several ter
| races covered with soft grass and quite
| steep Here it was that the youngsters
| of Washington went for their Easter
| celebration. There was the usual egg
rolling down the grassy terraces which
were admirably adapted TO such a pas
time. and the children who rolled the
eggs to the bottom Of the incline usually
rolled themselves after. There were other
| old 70 ach
around-the-rosy, drop-the handkerchief
and many others which have long since
! gone out of fashion.
! At the brow of the hill stood foun-
tain, and the games Of the day, the Iner,
ry-Inaking. music. and the rest centred
| around this. Even in those days the
! custom OF egg picking was common
! among the boys. and the gulnea-keet Ses
! was Drized as the victor over all other
eggs and brought many cracked victims
10 its owners pockets;
The egg-rollers at the Capitol srouhd5
| were few at first. and forty years ago
| did not number more than hundred or
| more. But as the years went by the
| crowds grew larger and more boisterous
| The grounds of the Capitol were improv-
ed with plants and shrubs, and the Eas-
ter Inerry-makers did great deal OF
damage. Finally the Architect of the
Capitol put his foot down on the use of
and in this he was supported by Con-
| grcss In 1873 a law was passed by both
| houses prohibiting the gathering of
| crowds on the Capitol grounds for egg
! rolling at Easter time.
| Toward Georgetown there was another
little group of Easter egg-Toilers, who
| did their celebrating at the grounds Of
the Naval Observatory. The act of Con-
gress did not hurt them. But it would
have proved a great hardship for the
children who lived on Capitol Hill and
in the northeast portion of the city if
the wife of President Hayes had not
taken up their cause. She could not re-
peal an act Of Congress, but she could
/ open the grounds OF the Executive Man
sion 10 the little Easter merry makers.
This she did, and on Easter Of 1878 the
| egg-rolIing in the Presidents grounds, as
1t now exists. with its music and other
accOmpauiments, began. 1t has contin-
ued with but little alteration, except
growth in size, from that day TO this.
The crowd that entered the President
grounds on Easter. 1873, was barely 2Gt
strong Last year there were inside the
gates over 25.000. The first was composed
| chiefly Of children. but latterly the pro-
/ portion Of adults has increased, much e
/ the hindrance Of the little ones enjoy
ment. The grounds are thought by the
! gardener To he far too crowded even fOi
| safety's sake and because Of the great
/ jam the real sport OF egg rolling is on thf
decline The children cannot play their
games as they used to. and the Easter
! egg rolling is considered TO be in danger
| Of losing its distinctive element and be.
coming merely musical concert and q
| parade.
/, ! to discover the origin Of the custom OF
| egg rolling. II is thought 10 be without
doubt a German custom. Instances Of il
are reported among the Persians and Egyp
! tians The use of eggs at Eastertide II
both France and Germany is common il
this age. In both countries children play
games with them, throwing and rolling
them 1t is also the custom for the pa
rents on Easter morning TO hide the dyed
eggs in nests, the child discovering then
to own them. According TO one legend the
practice started in the thirteenth century
and is traced to Queen of Burgundy
who dipped the COlOred eggs, hid them II
her palace grounds, and then allowed The
poor children TO come in and hunt fOl
them. From Burgundy. which was theT
2 q part of Germany, the custom spread
= among the Teutous.
! Its appearance in Washington, when Il
I i found in no other city, is difficult t
explain ] Is known, however. that abou
1885 a little town called New Hamburg
: was founded just below Georgetown by
a party of Germans, who sailed up tn,
/ Potomac River in their boat 1t is barrel,
] possible that these Germans started tn,
r custom which extended to Washington
5 and has since been kept up by eVeryOn
| regardless of nationality.
l ACCIDENTALLY SHOT HIMSELF
Freight Brakeman Gets Bullet in
i His Leg Through CareIessncss.