Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1917-03-01

these notail"s experienced in getting TO Washing
ton, but the balls held in later years made ii less
anviable record. Probably the ball held 20 ceIe-
hrate the second inauguration of President Lincoln
was one of the most notable for the universal dis
tress it caused.
Mary Cieitlner Anes. in her book "ren Years
in Washington" says Of this exciting carnival:
The air throughout the entire building was
perforated with a fine dust, ground until you felt
that you were taking in with every breath a
myriad homeopathic doses Of desiccatcd grind
stone. Tie agonies of that ball can never be writ
ten. There are ln0rtHlS dead in their graves be-
callse of 1t. There are innrtals who still curse,
and swear. and sigh at the thought of it. There
are diamonds, and pearls and precious garments
that are nauglit TO their owners because of IT. The
scenes in those cloak and hat rooms can never
he forgotten by any who witnessed them. The
colored messengers, called from their posts in
the treasury To do duty in these rooms. received
hats. ana wraps with perfect facility, and tucked
them in l%oopholes as il happened.
"But to give them back each to its owner, that
was impossible. Not half OF them could read
numbers and those who could soon grew be-
wildered, ovorrowered, in-tempered and imperti-
nent under fle 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
ul luilltfiei DUl pFolIlSrUhllS on the moor. 1Hpl
came the siege, Few seized their own. hut many
Snatched other peoples Misunderstanding, some
thing, to protect them from the pitiless morning.
whose wind came down like the bite of death.
Delicate women, too sensitive to take the property
of others. troucled in corners and wept on win
dow lodges. and there the daylight found them.
Carriages, also. had fled out OF the scourging blast.
and men and women who emerged from the mar
bic halls. with very little to Wear. found that they
in,,ct tf,nt ~ I, tbnir notifications nnn rnYt1o.
man walked to Capitol hill, nearly two miles. in
dancing pumps and hareheadcd: another per-
formed the same exploit wrapped in Il lady's son.
tag.
Poor Horace Greeley, after eXpending his
wrath on the stairs and cursing Washington anew
as a place that should be Immediately plotted out
of the universe, strobe to his hotel hatless. The
next day and tMr next week were consumed by
people searching for their lost clothes, and Gen
craI Chapman says he still receives letters de-
handing articles lost at that inauguration ball"
One would suppose that the lesson Of the Lin
coin bah would have resulted IN great reforms
when the Inauguration ball. which welcomed Pres
itpnt Grant. four years later. was held, One re-
form was notable. n complete checking system for
wraps was devised, but on this occasion not a
guest parted with his wraps! They did not dare.
for as it was, noses and ears were frozen.
The Grant inaugural hall cost 100000 and great
things were expected of it. a pavilion 80 feet
long, with Il ballroom 300 by 100 feet. was built
in Judiciary square. This pavilion was made of
light boards. rooted with tar paper and sealed
with pink and white muslin. THE mighty Amcri-
can eayIo.' 10 quote the official report, spread his
wings over tho presidents platform and from his
pinions spread stren'ners 100 feet long, caught
up ON either side by coats Of arms. The rrcSi-
dents reception platform was GO feet long and 80
feet wide. Twelve pilnsters supported alternate
gold figured. red and blue stands. which held pots
of blooming flowers. Platform and steps were
richly cnrpetcd ard thousands OF canary birds
were plnced toward the ceiling to add their chorus
to the music. Tickets to this magnificent enter.
tainnent cost SO.
Then. came inaugural day with n blizzard and
cold wave so severe TINT marcllers In the ina'-
gural procession dropped by the way. overcome by
cold. The north wind swooped down on the
muslin palace and ratified It's fimsy grandeur I'M
I'll the roof was swaybacked In one place md bal.
looned out In another. while the tar paper and
loose boards rose In the gusts and ratified down
far nid wide.
President Grant recovered sufficiently from the
exposure Of the inauguration to spend q short time
ut the ball. arriving ut II O'Clock In the evening.
He md his hrilliant suite Of guests. man. Of them
foreign diplomats, md their brilliantly clnd ladies'.