The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-01-05
INAUGURATION To COST nation
MORE Than sl0,0O0,00O ALL
Paid for by Patriotic Citizens Who Expect Get Their Money
Back-How 1t viii Be Expended and the Sources
From Which the Revenue VIII Be Derived-A
Glass Box for the Chief Magistrate to Sit In.


sixty days hence Mr.. Wilson will be
inauxurated, In which connection Il Is
worth noting that Congress. so often a
niggard, certainly touches the limit of
parsimony when Il obliges the citizens OF
washington to pay for the lunch served
I'm the Capitol for the President and his
party ON inauguration day. The bill usu-
ally amounts to about SIS.
AS a matter Of fact Congress ought TO
pay all the expenses of inaugurating the
President, instead of which II hands the
lob over to the merchants and other
natriotic residents of the Capital. who
subscribe the requisite cash. amounting
to about 81. 900, and look forward to get
ting IL back from the sale OF ball tickets
and the leasing Of rights 10 erect grand
stands along the route of the parade.
The cost of decorating the interior Of
the Pension Office is alone $4,000. and
huge wooden annex to the building has
to be temporarily constructed, 200 feet
in length and fifty feet wide, to serve the
purpose of a supper ROOM Then there Is
an immense quantity of bunting to be
bought for the adornment OF public
buildings a court OF honor, It's huge
pillars clothed lin flags and connected by
ropes of incandescent lamps, has TO be
built; at least s4.oD worth Of fireworks
must be provided for a display on the
Monument Lot on the evening Of the
great day. and there are ever SO many
incidentals.
The money comes back chiefly through
the sale of tickets to the inaugural ball
at s. apiece, receipts from this source
and from supper tickets at 81 amount
ing to more than $4,000 Quite a consid-
cradle sum also accrues from the grand
stand rights above mentioned. spectators
being glad to pay handsome prices for
the privilege OF erecting such stands on
government reservations along the line
OF march. In addition, the citizens COM
mittee receives a good many thousands
of dollars for tickets to the series of con-
certs given in the inaugural ballroom on
the two days following that festive cele-
bration, though about 5000 has TO be
paid out of its exchequer for the music,
Including that furnished on the night Of
the ball.
Spectator. Reap Harvest.
In former times the grand stands were
open "bleachers." exposed to the cold
winds OF March and to the rain or snow
which usually fell. Nowadays. however.
they are substantially built. with roofs
over them in most instances. and pro-
vided with fairly comfortable chairs Of
TIC OEQlNdIy pdNAtAh- AAc 5PNNa-
lators get from 81 to s. for the seats, and
usually reap a handsome profit, though
of necessity their prospect of harvest
Of dollars depends largely upon the
weather. All Of tho stands together have
seating capacity Of about 10000. the
most desirable OF them being the one
that extends for two blocks along the
Pennsylvania Avenue side of Lafayette
Square, directly opposite the White House
Il -. ~,
This box, by the way. is literally such,
being a small room temporarily built
out from the White House reviewing
stand. which is reserved for guests of
the President and other privileged per
sons. II is not only carpeted. but heat
ed also; and II is further provided with
adjustable glass front and sides, so that.
il the weather happens to be inclement.
the august occupant and his immediate
party are sure TO be perfectly comfort
able.
The next most desirable public grand
stand is a huge AFFAIR erected at the
south end Of the Treasury Building, and
slanting skyward with many tiers Of
seats. Accommodating several thousand
people, it commands a view OF Pennsyl-
vania Avenue for a mile, so that the &C.
cupants can see the inaugural army
march down tc the Capitol, up the hill,
and then back again in the direction
OF the White House. the entertainment
lasting from II o'clock in the morning
till 3 in the afternoon
II is reckoned that $4,000 people will
come from all parts of the country to
witness the approaching Inauguration.
To suppose that they will spend an aver
age of SIS apiece for railroad fare, and
an additional SIS for board and inciden-
tails while In Washington seems a very
moderate estimate. This means a total
of at least 100000 expended by visitors
to the Capital, the bulk OF the money
going into the pockets OF keepers of
hotels and observation-disclosures, local mer-
chants. and other enterprising persons
who look upon this occasion as afford
ing a great opportunity for quick profit
If the receipts OF the Citizens Com
mittee We're to fall short of the expen-
ditures. the subscribers would lose pro-
portionately, the money taken in be-
Ing afterwards distributed among them
pro rata Such a thing. however. has
never happened yet. There has always
been a surplus, which was bestowed
upon local charity. The surplus now
adays is not so large as 1t used to be.
for the reaon that the celebration has
become more elaborate and more costly.
Fortunately, no expense is incurred for
the entertainment of the visiting mill
tary organizations, which pay their own
railroad fare and subsistence (unless, as
In the case of the militia. the cost is met
by the States), while provision is made
for their lodging by turning the hall
ways OF the great department buildings
into temporary barracks.
Thirty Thousand to Parade.
It Is expected that there will be at
least 5000 troops In the inaugural parade
There will be several regiments of reg
ulsrs, but the bulk of soldiery will rep
resent the National Guard, OF which
pennsylvania will send at least 1000
making an imposing display In BLUSH
gray uniforms. The troops will march
III the order of the States as the latter
were admitted to the Union. There will
Se large bodies Of marines and blue
jackets from the fleet, the latter always
awakening much patriotic applause. The
Governors Of many OF the States will
take part in the procession. surrounded
oy their brilliantly uniformed staffs. on
horseback. But the utmost enthusiasm
on the part of the popuIace is sure to
be aroused by the two brigades Of cadets
and midshipmen from West Point and
Annapolis-the flower OF the youth of the
land and the future officers OF the army
and navy.
At five minutes before 10 o'clock on the
morning of March 4 Mr.. Wilson will ar
rive in closed carriage at the White
House, accompanied by the Vice Presi-
dent-elect There they will be received
in the Blue Room by Mr.. Taft, who will
introduce them to the three members OF
the Senate committee who have been
sent to escort the party to the Capitol