Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-02
Inaugural Balls
The washington Social Event
OF other Years ana the One
OF Thursday Night.

OF other Years and the One
OF Thursday Night.
The huge court Of the Pension building
in Washington. the favored home Of in
augural balls for twenty years past. Is
now being transformed into a terpsichorean
fairyland by scores OF decorators and
diapers. Twenty thousand dollars will be
expended in decorations. Between 1000 and
10000 ~incandescent bulbs will shed their
lights on the scene. The floral scheme in
cludes 1900 blooming plants. 300 cases Of
southern smilsx, hundreds OF blooming
rose bushes and thousands Of cut flowers.
The first ball held on the occasion Of the
Inauguration Of a president in 1sOs-just a
century sgo-was in honor OF Madison's
first Inauguration. The ball was held at
Longs hotel, and was a very brilliant ar
fair, being. as the records say. graced by
the fair sex Madison was attended by
ex-President jefferson, and all the foreign
ministers were present.
At James Madlson's second Inauguration,
in 1913, the ball was held at Davis, now
the Metropolitan hotel. It was attended
by the elite of the city. together with all
those Of high official dignity.
The ball given at the first Inauguration
OF James Monroe. in 1917. was also held at
Davis hotel. It was reported as the
finest company ever assembled in Wash
ington on such an occasion.
The second Inauguration of Monroe seems
to have passed unmarked by a ball; at
least there is no printed record OF one.
On the occasion Of John Quincy Adams
Inauguration, in 1925, the ball was held at
the assembly rooms at Eleventh street and
the Avenue. The president attended, and
the ball was a brilliant and select affair.
1t was said of j. q. Adams that he was
the most perfect host. except Willard Fill
more, the north ever gave TO the presi-
dency until the days OF Chester A.. Arthur.
And the ball took much OF it's luster from
his sparkling personality.
At Andrew Jackson's Inauguration no
ball was held. as his wife had recently
died. One cruel historian declares Mrs.
Jackson died OF Joy at her husbands cleo
tion, but she broke her heart with brood
Ing over the slanderous gossip Of the OPP
ponents of "Old Hickory's" campaign.
At the second Inauguration Andrew Jack
son, having lived down his grief, attended
| the ball given in honor of the occasion.
1t was the finest the country had seen. It
was held at the Central Masonic hall, on
the north side of Pennsylvania avenue,
near Four-and-a-half street. jackson and
all the foreign ministers were in attend
ance.
In 1887 there were two balls held in honor
of Martin Van Buren's inauguration-one
at Carusi's fashionable rooms and the other
at the Assembly rooms. The president only
attended the one at Carusis. and he was
accompanied by public officials and officers
of distinction.
When General w. II. Harrison was in
augurated. in 1S41, three balls were held
to celebrate the occasion And the strenu-
Gus old soldier attended all three of them.
One was held at Carusi's, afterward
Kernan's; one at Central Masonic hall,
later the site of the Globe printing office,
in Pennsylvania avenue, and one at the
Assembly rooms. in Louisiana avenue, be-
tween Fifth and Sixth streets northwest.
At the latter place the general danced
with the charming Mrs. Gales, wife OF
Washington's foremost editor.
In 1916 James K. Polk was inaugurated.
and two balls were held, one at the Ma
tional theater in Louisiana avenue, the
other at the e~ver-popular Carusis. The
price of the tickets at the latter place
for the ball was SO, an enormous price
for those days, and 1t is not mentioned tina,
Polk attended either.
President Zachary Taylor had his inaugu-
ration marked by three balls. For the
first time Judiciary square was the scene
of the entertainment. A temporary build
ing, with the imposing name of Grand
Salon, was erected there. The president
and Vice President Fillmore attended all
three balls.
Pierce was ~inaugurated In 1858, but no
ball was held--probably from sympathy
with the sorrow that clouded his whole
administration His only son had been
killed at his mothers side, in a railroad
accident two months before. and Mrs,
Pierce was seriously injured also. In fact,
she was "a perpetual invalid for almost
the whole term" in consequence.
James Buchanan took the oath of office
March 4, 1857. The city did honor to the
occasion by a great ball, again in a tenn
porary building In Judiciary Square, near
city hall. This hall was decorated lavishly
with flags of all nations and the ceiling be-
ing covered with white cloth. studded with
stars of gold, 1t was considered quite ele-
CANT in effect. Miss Harriet Lane accom-
panied her uncle, President Buchanan,
and the great occasion was long spoken OF
by those who enjoyed it.
When Lincoln was in~augurated the first
time the same site was used in judiciary
square, but Lincoln did not attend and the
ball was 50 little patronized as to be al
most a failure, but four years later, or
the second inauguration OF Lincoln, the
ball was of the most brilliant character
The president and his lady were present
and the occasion was long remembered as
the beginning of a new era I'm Washing,
ton entertainments. This second ball was
held in the model room Of the patent office
the first occasion when a government
building was utilized for a ball.
When L. s. Grant was ~inaugurated, In
1869, the government again contributed the
use of a building-the north wing of the
treasury department. President and Mrs
Grant and Vice President Colfax and lady
and distinguished officers Of the army
and navy made the occasion unique among
balls I'm Washington.
But at the ball marking the second inau.
guration NJ Grant though the Drasident wal