Evening star., 1916-04-24
FETE
DRAWS BIG CROWD
Thousands of Children and
GroWn-Ups Crowd White
House Lawns.
PRESIDENT is SPECTATOR
OF THE ANNUAL FROLIC
Mrs. Wilson and Ladies of Cabinet
Also Enjoy Spectacle From
South Portico.

Thousands of children and grown-ups.
forming the largest crowd that has
gathered on the south lawns of the
White House grounds for an annual
Easter egg rolling in years. today
crowded the little knobs and valleys to
the south of the Executive Mansion in
the National Capitals unique childrens
festival.
children. children everywhere. AS
early as O'Clock. when the east gate
to the White House grounds was
thrown open. children began to come
from all parts of Washington, accom-
panied by their parents. and by 1880
O'Clock there was as big a crowd with
in the gates as at noon last year. The
sunshine brought them out early.
The four knobs between the execu-
tive mansion and the fountain, to the
south of which the Marine Band gave
a concert this afternoon, presented
lively scene. with the children in their
new spring dresses and hats giving just
the proper touch of color. Girls pre-
dominated in the picture their golden,
brown and black hair flying on every
side, ii seemed.
President Views Spectacle.
The attention of the crowd from an
early hour was centered on the south
portico of the White House, and hun
dreds stood patiently for many minutes
waiting for the President to appear.
The President several times Joined
Mrs. Wilson in watching the throng
participating in the Easter egg-rolling
festivities. 1t was Mrs. Wilson's first
Easter in the White House, and she
found much of interest in the egg roll
ing and the movements of the large
numbers of people. She had invited all
the women and children of the cabinet
to join her at the White House to view
the festivities from the south portico.
The attraction of the spectators on the
porch for the spectators on the grounds
and vice versa seemed mutual.
The Presidents Granddaughter, the
child of Secretary and Mrs. McAdoo.
had little view of the scene all by
herself before the officials came onto
the porch. She was carried out by
crowd. which seemed equally delighted
in it's turn.
The crowds rolling eggs today were
particularly good humored and well
about twenty of whom, under charge
of Sergents Edwards. Carroll and
Hennesy. saw to it that no small boys
got too rough, or any grown-ups with
out children accompanying them got
into the grounds. That is the one
other authorities INSIST on. II you
want to get into the White House
grounds for Easter egg-rolling. you
must bring little boy or little girl
with you. or several of them.
Ways Of Evading Rule.
The time-honored rule was observed.
all right. and so was the time-honored
trick of grown-ups minus children
hiring willing small boys to act as
their children" until they all got
through the gate.
Under the overhanging trees on all
the little knolls families gathered,
many of them camping" on particu-
lar knoll all day. Luncheon began in
some cases as soon as the children got
in the grounds. Rolling Easter eggs
makes one terribly hungry BY noon
the grounds began to have decidedly
"eggy appearance, and the smell of
broken hard-boiled eggs permeated the
atmosphere.
Egg-roiling, by the way. is quite a
science. and by the time one gets the
art learned fairly well basket of eggs
is pretty we'll smashed up: Patient
parents stood at the foot of the hills
and rolled back the eggs which their
little ones rolled down to them. Then
there were the usually high-spirted
small boys who insisted on throwing
eggs instead of rolling them. occa-
sionally showering an unsuspectinz
man or woman with hard or near-hard
boiled eggs.
Lord Marmion came salloping
through the grounds at IL o'clock-at
least, Lord Marmion" was what one
boy evidently a pupil in the eighth
grade. called the colored boy who rode
out to get lawn mower stranded
| somewhere south of the fountain. The
horse was very frisky, and very large.
and succeeded in scarins; women and
children considerably before the color
ed boy got him tied down to the lawn
mower.
Out at the Zoo, the 18th street reser-
voir and other natural places chill
dren congregated in large numbers to-
day to roll eggs. At the Zoo all horses
and vehicles are barred today. as well
as base ball games, SO that the chill
| dren may have unrestricted sway.