The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1917-03-02

~ Will be no inaugural ball this year of
lMN III 1917 In other words, American Of
X " II fcaldom is in mood for gayety
The inaugural ball, says the Kansas
Citv Star in a historical article, is not n state
function financed by the Nation, AK most of the
Nation heIieves Undertaken at first well
come 10 the new president by Washington society
II has become OF late years the business venture
by which Washington merchants recover the
money they spend to hang the capital with bunting
and hire bands and fireworks 10 make the occa-
sion lively While the ball costs large sum of
money the profit from the sale of tickets, priced
nowadays at So, is estimated at $2OoO, ana TINS
profit Is distributed among the men who sub
Scribed the funds to make the celebration sue
cess.
But the inaugural ball does cost the Nation
something. because It discommodeS whatever de-
partment of state lends its building for the fes-
tivltieS. Recent balls have been held i'm the pen
sion building and vast deal Of trouble and eX-
pense has gone into the organization of their
gayety.
There has been balls in the past, like that state
" first ball that welcomed President Monroe,
notable for the brillianCc of the aSScmblageS, 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
lost his hat and standing on the steps OF the
treasury building put curse on the city of wash
ington lurid enough to set fire to the SnoWdriftS
that blanketed ii then there is the ball that well
coined President Grant, held in vast pavilion
of muslin unheated whose walls swaycd to and
fro i'm an Icy blast that frOze dainty and finger
tipS-yeS and noses-and put II damper on the
merrymaking not to be forgotten.
March t. 1900 was the sort of chill, damp, un-
comfortable day Washington expects for the pres
idential inauguration, but in this year the incon-
venienccs of bad weather in the new little capital
were far worse than they could possibly he today.
The sprawling ragged, unfinished city had no
pavcmcnts Roads were 50 deep i'm mud that many
II coach was mircd II carried its load OF dis
tincuishcd persons 10 witness the inaugural. There
were few hotels and boarding houses, and these
were crowded to sufrocation on the great day
But the society of the capital and noables from
far and near were determined To overcome all
handicaps of weather for this drcar evening was
10 mark the first presidential inaugural ball An
organization of young men, the "Washngton
Dancing assembly" formed seven years before,
had the affair i'm charge and had secured the AS
scmbly room Of Longs hos.l 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 HriSocratic tradition
was strong. There were few people of wealth,
but many of culture; and society was gay without
ostcntation. The men of the dancing assembly
who drew up the list of those who would be asked
10 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 inauguratcd they were glad To go early to
bed after the day of ceremonies, but on this night
CX-Presidcnt Jefferson. personally opposed to os-
tentatiOn, appeared in the ballroom promptly at
seven O'Clock, the time of its 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 Oft his own shoulders, as he con
fdcd To friend during the evening.
The orchestra played "JefrcrsonS March as
the cX-prcSidcnt entered.
"Am | too earyY asked the great Democrat.
"You must tell me how To behave, for IT Is more
than forty years since | have been To a ball
Soon after the musicians played "NladiSonS
March," and tho guests focked about the door to
greet the new president. n slight, short figure
of II man, whose gray hair was brushed smoothly
back from his high forehead and tied with II black
ribbon His small hazel eyes were remarkable for
n humorous twinkle for Madison. in private fe
enjoyed a good joke and sprightly banter His
long pcndulous nose came low over n long upper
lip. His teeth were noticcably white and even.
The new. president wore plain black, with rufleS
at the throat and wrists, with black smaS ana
silk stockings. There were big silver buckles on
his shoes.
But IT was to Dolly Madison, formerly the fas-
cinating Widow Todd of Philadelphia, that all
eyes turned. The new mistress of the Wmte
House was a center Of attraction wherever she
went without great beauty of face or figure she
had n manner which 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 bun velvet made very
plain. with n long train and no trimmings Her
head was Surmounted by a turban from Paris or
pale bur 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 inconven-
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