Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1917-03-02

tN\N I'll 1917 In other words, American OF
IN II ficialdom is in no mood for gayety
The inaugural ball. says the Kansas
CITY Star in q historical article, is not state
function financed by. the Nation, as most or the
Nation believes Undertaken at first as wei
come to the new president by Washington society
it has become of late years the business venture
by which Washington merchants recover the
money they spend to hang the capital with Duntlng
and hire bands and fireworks to make the occa-
sion lively While the ball costs a large sum OF
money, the profit from the sale of tickets, priced
nowadays at S. is estimated at $20,0OO and this
profit is distributed among the men who SUBJ
sscribed the funds to make the celebration a sue
cess.
But the inaugural ball does cost the Nation
something, because it dscommodes whatever de-
partment of state lends its building for the fes-
tjvities Recent balls have been held in the pen
sion building, and vast deal of trouble and ex1
pense has gone into the organization OF their
gayety
There has been balls in the past, like that state
ly first ball that welcomed President Monroe,
notable for the brilance of the assemblages, the
beauty and wit and fashion displayed, truly great
social OCCASIONS worthy of the dignity Of the occa-
sion they celebrate And there have been balls
of which old timers in Washington still talk,
notable for the widespread Inconvenience they
have caused For instance, there is the second
Lincoln Inauguration ball, when Horace Greeley
treasury building put a on the city Of Wash
ington lurid enough to set fire to the snowdrifts
that blanleted it then there is the ball that well
coined President Grant, held in vast pavilion
of muslin, unheated, whose walls sWayed to ana
fro in an icy blast that froze dainty ears and hnger
tips-yes and noses-and put a damper on the
merrymaking not to be forgotten.
March f. 1909 was the sort of chill damp, I'M
comfortable day Washington expects for the pres
idental Inauguration, but in this year the incon-
Nveniences of bad weather in the new little capital
were far worse than they could possibly be today.
The sprawling ragged, unfinished city had no
pavements Roads were so deep in mud that many
o coach was mired it carried its load of dis
tingushed persons to witness the inaugural. There
were few hotels and boarding houses, and these
were crowded to suffocation on the great day.
But the society Of the capital and notabes from
far and near determined to overcome all
handicaps Of weather. for this drear evening was
TO mark the first presidential inaugural ball. An
organization of young men, the washington
Dancing assembly" formed seven years before,
had the affair in charge and had secured the as
sembly room of Longs hotel on Capitol hill.
The "four hundred" in America originated with
this first presidential ball. Washington society
represented the best of the Nation. The influence
of the Southern families of arstocratic tradition
was strong There were few people of wealth,
. hut many of culture; and society was gay without
ostentation. The men of the dancing assembly
TO buy tickets to the inaugural ball found that
four hundred would include all persons of breed
ing and worth
When George Washington and Thomas Jefferson
were inaugurated they were glad to go early TO
bed after the day of ceremonies, but on this night
ex-President Jefferson, personally opposed to os-
tentation, appeared in the ballroom promptly at
seven o'clock the time of it's opening. He came
smiling and happy, glad to see his friend succeed
him in the direction of the Nation happy at hav-
ing the burden off his own shoulders as he con-
fded to friend during the evening.
The orchestra played "Jefferson's March as
the ex-preSident entered
"Am / too early?" asked the great Democrat.
''You must tell me how to behave for it is more
than forty years since have been to ball
Soon after the musicians played "Madison's
March," and the guests fiocked about the door to
greet the president, slight, short hgure
of a man, whose gray hair was brushed smoothly
hack from his high forehead and tied with black
ribbon. His small hazel eyes were remarkable Tor
a humorous twinkle, for Madison, in private life,
,enioyed good joke and sprghtly banter. His
long, pendulous came low over long upper
lip His teeth were noticeably white and even
The new president wore plain black, with ruffies
lat the throat and wrists with black smalls and
silk stockings There were big silver buckles on
his shoes
But it was to Dolly Madison formerly the fas-
ncinating Widow Todd of Philadelphia that all
eyes turned. The new mistress oL Inc WAll0
House was a center of attraction wherever she
went Without great beauty of face or figure, she
had manner which won friends instantly. her
ready tact her good humor, her vivacity, MADE her
easily social leader and the best-remembered
and beloved of the many first ladies'"
Mrs Madison wore pale buff velvet made very
plain, with long train and no trimmings. Her
head was surmounted by turban from Paris OF
pale buff velvet and white satin
When Americas first "four hundred" danced at
the Madison ball the air of the assembly room be-
came very close and the guests finding they could
not lower the window sashes broke the glass for
ventilation That is the only recorded 1nconven-
fence, aside from the universal inconvenience