The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-03-11
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Description of the Ceremonies Attendant
Upon the Inauguration OF
President Roosevelt,


write you am i'd the fanfare OF
trumpets, the beating of bass drums
and while the great procession is re-
turning from the capitol to pass the
reviewing stand of the president. ]
have seen many parades GO back and
forth on this historic avenue, but this
one I think excelled them all in pomp
of drum majors. length and orderliness
Of procession and in the numbers and
the enthusiasm OF the throng Of specta-
tors. The presidents salute Of twenty
one guns from the navy yard and a
like number from Fort Myer and from
Fort " ashington are still bomming.
There were about thirty thousand
men in line, six thousand regulars,
twelve thousand national guards and
two thousand cadets. There were over
fifty civic organizations in the parade.
The presence of Porto Ricans and
Filipinos added to the picturesque
ness of the scene.
The president left the White House
at III O'Clock and proceeded up the
avenue to the capitol, accompanied by
a troop of his own Rough Riders,
those who had been with him in Cuba.
They were a fine looking group Of men,
but it was only with difficulty they con-
cealed their chagrin at being mounted
on heavy artillery horses instead of
having the light and nervous mounts
to which they are accustomed. When
the president reached the capitol he
proceeded at once to the marble apart
ment known as the presidents room.
Here the floral decor atoms were elab-
crate. The mantle and windows were
banked with roses and orchids and
the bronze bust of Mckinley was sur
rounded by flowers and draped flag.
The bills were brought from the senate
and the house and the president signed
them as fast as he could, but not
without looking them over. Then ac-
companied by the members Of the cab
met he went to the senate, where at IL
O'Clock Vice President f air banks took
the oath of Office and made a short
address. The floor OF the senate was
crowded with enators, represenbativ
members OF the diplomatic corps and
the presidential party. The galleries,
in which every seat had been reserved
for the families of the president, vice
president, the speaker OF the house,
senators and members, were packed,
even the steps being utilized as seats
by the observers.
After his address and prayer by
the chaplain, Vice President F air banks
administered the oath of Office to the
senators-elect. At the conclusion Of
these ceremonies, the president took
his stand on the inaugural platform
facing the great crowd that had as
sembled on the plaza which extends
from the capitol to the gold-domed
library of congress. On his right sat
the chief justice of the supreme court,
who administered the oath of Office.
The president then delivered his in
augural address. 1t was very short,
taking not more than ten minutes for
itsdelivery, and owing to theimmensity
of the crowd could be. heard only by
those who sat in his immediate vicinity.
Immediately after his address the pres
ident returned to the presidents room
inthe senate, and after congratulations
and few words with his friends he
re-entered his carriage and was driven
rapidly to the White House.
The waving of flags and cheering
met him on all sides as he proceeded
at a swift trot up the avenue, and he
was kept bowling from right to left,
acknowledging enthusiastic salutes the
entire way. After luncheon to
which a number of guests were in
yised, but which was really hurried
meal, be took his place in the enclosed
stand which was in the centre Of the
"Court of History and from this
point reviewed the procession which
filed past him for three hours. Stands
lined both sides of the avenue and
obscured Lafayette Park and even the
White House, but in order to make
the scene as picturesque as possible
the stands had been painted and
draped with flags, and statues from
the ST. Louis exposition were placed
on specially prepared pedestals about
the tCourt''. The avenue as far as
the eye could see was a mass of hui
manity. In the centre of the broad,
clean street were soldiers, scouts, ma
tional guardsmen, West Point and
Annapolis cadets, civic clubs and
bands playing stirring music as the
gorgeous drum majors performed the
tricks which stir the soul of the small
boy along the route. On either side
of the parade the spectators were
blocked and packed, elbowing and
working into more advantageous posi-
tions or changing from side to side to
rest the weary feet which had held
them for six or eight hours.
The stands arranged with seats of
the soft side e. rooted