Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-02-06
All the Washington Topics
Turn to Il, These Days.
New Types and New Faces Ex-
pecied al Capital, March q.
They Will Come to See Democratic
President Sworn In.


Great piles of plank strew the curb
on Pennsylvania Avenue. These ex-
tend as far up as Seventeenth Street,
which is just beyond the White House.
Dealers deposited the lumber in about
n day. Forthwith carpenters with ham
mers and saws appeared. 1t was all
the first visible evidence that naug-
uration is not far away.
In other words the reviewing stands
for the great parade are now under
construction. Washington is beginning
To get into her inaugural dress. 1t is
just about four weeks to the Tuesday
when Woodrow Wilson will take his
oath of office and enter upon his occu-
patton Of the White House. While the
reviewing stands, stretching along the
way wherever there is a vacant reser-
walton for over n mile, are being erect
ed, business men are preparing to dec
crate. The prevailing eoiors will be
green and white as these are the colers
of the city of Washington. But stars
and stripes will predominant, as they
always do in any decoration scheme
at the federal capital.
Many thousands of dollars will be
spent in preparing the historic thor
oughfare for another administration 8
advent. The Inauguration committee is
using some of its money for that pur-
pose and the business men, particular
~ along the north side, are spending
lot of their own money to the same
end Even the south side OF the ave-
nue., which is lined with small shops
and stores and is far less prosperous
than the north side of the avenue, re-
spends periodically.
But the magnifieence of eolors comes
to a climax in front of the White House
WHERE the principal stands for specta-
tors and the reviewing stands are To-
Gated. The military and civic organi-
cations PUT on their best front as they
swing past the Treasury and come to
this part of the line of march. And
the construction work always begins
there a little earlier. because the plans
are more elaborate and all the seating
space is rooted in That is against
the contingency of inclement weather.
1t is one of the hugh jokes at Wash
ington good year in and year out for
four years at n stretch) that inaugural
day is a bad day. In q weather way, to
mention inaugural day in the District
the worst that the weather bureau can
command at that particular season.
Willis Moore, the chief OF the Weather
Bureau, is a butt Of ridicuIe, because
he has to issue a forecast OF inaugural
day weather and does not always hit
it right. He prophesied fair weather
four years ago The night before and
all Washington and the inaugural
hosts within its gates awoke to see six
inches of beautiful snow upon the
ground and more falling as fast as
could be. That inauguration, of course,
is one long to be remembered. There
was n .veritable blizzard all up and
down the Atlantic seaboard. Telegraph
lines We're down, trains were delayed,
and some of the marching organlZa-
tions did not land in the Union station
till several hours after the Inaugural
ton was over.
Much superstition reigns at Wash
ington about inaugural weather and
the outcome of the TAFT administra-
ton has encouraged il. The blizzard
inauguration Mr.. Taft had, was re-
gardad at the time as an evil omen
and there is no gainsaying that, as
President, he has had hard time of
it. For did he not come into Office with
one of the very largest votes ever Civ
en- tc an American President and is he
not going out after a most disastrous
defeat in his campaign for reelection
There is scepticism Just now about
the kind OF inaugural day Mr.. Wilson
will have. Wiseacres at the Capitol are
prophesying gloomy and overcast
day, with uncertainty in the morning
whether it will rain or shine. They say
the sun may burst through the clouds
now and then before it lodges below
the horizon and out Of sight of the
washington monument Somehow or
other nobody is expecting cold ana
chilly weather and light overcoats, eX-
cept for those who come up from the
sunny South, will be comfortable fer
street wear
But others there be who contend that
the decidedly open winter which Wash
ington has been enjoying will continue
into March and that one of those mid
(Cnntinued on Paga Twelve