River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-03-06
TALES Of OTHER
|NAUGURATIONS
Incidents That Marked the Day
in Former Years.
WASHINGT0N'S 0ATH-TAKING
New York Scene of His induction
Story of Jefferson's Simplicity q
Myth-"PeopIe's Day" When
jackson Took Office.
Hy <. w. PlCKARD.

KY Gs W. TtShNFNA0s
Woodrow Wilson is the twenty-sev-
enth man to be inaugurated president
of the United States, but the twenty
fifth to be inaugurated in Washington.
George Washington took the oath of
Office in New York and John Adams
in Philadelphia. Moreover, the Fa-
Their of His Country was not inaugu-
rated on March 4.
Arriving at Elizabethtown Point,
N. j., on April 20, he entered barge
rowed by - pilots clad in white,
and passed through the Kill Won Kull
into New York harbor, which was full
OF all manner of craft gaily decorated
and loaded with cheering crowds. The
Spanish man of war Galveston broke
out the colors of all nations, and
fired O salute of 13 guns, to which the
American frigate North Carolina re-
sponded.
Arrival at New York.
AS Washington steppef ashore at
Murrays wharf the guns of the Bat
terry roared out their salute and Gov.
George Clinton and many members of
congress saluted the first president.
He was taken to the residence of
Samuel Osgood, and for an entire
week there was revelry throughout
the city.
Finally, on April 80, all was ready
for the Inauguration. Washington
was escorted to Federal hall, then
the capitol. which stood on the site of
the. present sub-treasury at Wall and
Bread streets. The streets had been
filled since sunrise with waiting
crowds, and the enthusiasm was in
tense. In the senate chamber Wash
ington was Joined by Adams, Knox,
Hamilton, Won Steuben and few 9TH
ers, and all Of them appeared on the
balcony. Robert Il. Livingston, chan
cellor Of New York, administered the
oath and cried Long live George
Washington, president of the United
States" whereupon there broke out
a mighty tumult of cheering, bell-ring-
ing and the noise of cannon. Re-
turning to the senate chamber, Pres
ident Washington read his inaugural
address and the history of the
United States under the constitu-
tion began.
Myth About Jefferson.
If you are a good Democrat, no
doubt you believe that Thomas Jeffer-
son rode unattended to the capitol or
horseback, tied his horse to the
fence, and was inaugurated with less
ceremony than would attend the TAX
ing of Office by a keeper of q dog
pound Such is the old story, but it
is pure myth and is first found in
book of travels in the United
States written by John Davis, an Eng
lishman. Davis asserted that he was
an eyewitness Of the simple ceremony
which he described, but 1t has been
proved that he was not In Wash
ington at the time.
The inauguration of Jefferson, which
marked the defeat OF the Federalist
party of Hamilton, Washington,
Adams and Jay, was the first to take
place in Washington. The newly es-
tablished national capital, then but
few months old, contained only 5000
inhabitants, many of them negroes;
the houses were mostly huts and the
streets muddy roads. The big event
was thus described in the Philadelphia
Aurora Of March Il; 1901:
"At an early hour on Wednesday,
March 4, the city of Washington pre-
scented a spectacle Of uncommon ami
nation occasioned by the addition to
it's usual population Of a large body
CT citizens from the adjacent districts.
A discharge from the company of
washington artillery ushered in the
day. and about one o'clock the Alex
andria company of rifiemen with the
company of artillery paraded in front
of the Presidents lodgings. AT IL
o'clock Thomas Jefferson. attended by
a number of his fellow citizens, among
whom were many members of con-
gress, repaired to the capitol. His
dress was, as usual, that of a plain
citizen, without any distinctive badge
of Office. He entered the capitol IN
der discharge from the artillery. AS
soon as he withdrew discharge from
the artillery was made. The remain
der of the day was devoted to pur-
poses of festiYity, and at night there
was pretty general illumination"
Jackson Almost Mobbed.
When Andrew Jackson was elected
in the fall OF 1928 the people of the
west and the radical elements OF the