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

these nOtableS experienced in getting 10 Washing
ton but the balls held in later years made less
enviabe record. Probably the ball held To cele-
brate the second Inauguration Of President Lincoln
was one of the most notable for the universal dis
treSs ii caused.
Mary Clemmer AmeS, in her book Ten Years
In Washington" says of this exciting carnival:
"The air throughout the entire building
perforated with Il fine dust ground until you felt
that YOU taking i'm with every breath
myriad homeopathic doses of descCated grind
stone. The agonies of that ball never be writ
ten. There are mOrtalS dead in their graves be-
cause of it, There mortals who still curse
and swear and sigh at the thought of it, There
are diamonds, and pearls and precious garments
that are naught to their owners because of it, The
scenes in those cloak and hat rooms never
be forgotten by any who witnessed them. The
colored messengers, called from their posts in
the treasury to do duty in these rooms received
hats and wraps with perfect facility and tucked
them in lOophOleS as it happened.
But to give them back each To its owner that
impossible. Not half of them could read
numbers and those who could soon grew be-
wildered, overpowcrcd, ill-tempercd and mperti-
ncnt under the hosts that advanced upon them for
CloakS and hats.
picture It, Six or more thousand people
clamoring for their clothes. In the end they were
all tumbed out promiscuous' ON the floor Then
came the siege, Few seized their own hut many
snatched other peoples Misunderstanding, some
thing, to protect them from the pitilcSS morning
whose wind came down like the bite of death.
Delicate women. too sensitive 10 take the property
of others crouched in corners and wcpt on win
dow lcdgcs, and there the daylight found them
Carriages, also, had fled out of the Scourgng blast
and men and women who emerged from the mar
bile halls, with very little tO wear, found that they
must foot It. to their habtations. one gentle
man walked To Capitol hill, nearly two miles, In
bnrphpDdpt another
formed the same exploit wrapped in ladyS SON
tag.
Poor Horace Greeley after cXpending his
wrath on the stairs and cursing Washington anew
as n place that should be Immediately blotted out
of the universe, strobe to his hotel hatlesS. The
next day and the next week were consumed by
people searching for their lost clothes. and Gen
eral Chapman says he still receives letters de-
mandng articles lost at that inauguration bali.
one would suppose that the lesson of the Lin
coin ball would have resulted i'm great reforms
when the Inauguration ball, which welcomed Pres
idcnt Grant. four years later, was held. one re-
form was notable, Il complete checking system for
wraps was devised. but on this occasion not
guest parted with his wraps! They did not dare,
for as il was noses and ears were frozen
The Grant inaugural ball cost 100000 and great
things were expected Of II. pavilion 800 ieet
long with n ballroom 900 by 100 feet was built
I'm Judiciary square This pavilion made of
light boards, rOotCd WIN taT pdI'I Hiu N'"l''
with pink and white muslin. "The mighty Ameri-
can eagle" to quote the official report spread his
wings over the presidents platform and from his
pinions spread streamers 100 feet long, caught
up ON either side 10y coats of arms. The preSi-
dents reception platform was co feet long and ~
feet wide. Twelve pilaSters supported alternate
gold figured. red and blue stands which held pots
of blooming flowers. Platform and steps wer"
richly carpetcd and thousands of canary birds
were placed toward the ceiling 10 add their chorus
to the music Tickets To this magnificent enter
tainment cost $50.
Then came Inaugural day with n blizzard and
cold wave So severe that marchers In the inau-
gural procession dropped by the way. overcome by
cold The north wind swooped down ON the
muslin palace and ratified its nimsy grandeur un-
til the roof was swnybacked I'm one place and bal
Iooned out in another while the tar paper and
loose boards i'm the gusts and ratified down
far and wide.
President Grant recovered sufficiently from the
exposure Of the Inauguration to spend short time
nj the ball. arriving at IL o'clock In the evening.
He and his brilliant suite Of guests many of them
foreign diplomats and their brilliantly clad ladies,