The Washington herald., 1919-01-26


Extra New York Newspapers.
Washington was thronged with visi.
tors from all parts of the Union. Spe-
Cial trains had been laundering into
the city for two days preceding March
4. many of them bearing political or
ganzations from New York and the
South. II seemed that Tammany
Hall was-represented by its entire
membership. One of the leaders of
that noted organization expressed the
prevailing sentiment when he said:
The great Democratic party has
come back after an absence of 30
years. and we are going to have
big time"
Veteran newspaper men were keen
70 the situation and prepared for un-
usual happenings James Gordon Ben
nett sent one of his best editors to
Washington, Mr.. Shaw OF the Even
iny Telegram, with instructions to
arrange for an extra edition Of that
newspaper on March 4, to be circu-
lated in this city as well as in New
York. Charley Towle, the Washington
correspondent of the Telegram, was
instructed to employ local writers
while Mr.. Shaw leased a wire for the
exclusive use Of the Bennett news
papers. Frank P. Morgan and my
self were employed to cover" the
parade, which. by the way, was one
Of the most extensive ever marshaled
a similar occasion. Our instruc-
Aons wsre in effect to avoid dry de-
tails and gather all the spicy Incl
Ddents
Build up your stories on the side
Hxhts. Edit your copy and file it as
at he
telegraph Office" The foregoing was
the final injunction of Editor shaw.
who was a jolly Scotchman and I'm
ished newspaper man.
Looked for wild Doings.-
Upon the conclusion Of the daylight
doings Ve reported to the Washing
ton Office uf the Telegram. and Mr.
Shaw assigned me to the inaugura-
ton ball. He informed me he had
inside information that there might be
some wild reveIries at the ball and he
wanted them all covered for another
extra" on the day after. l was ad-
nonished that one OF Mr.. Benefits
ironclad rules was against any of his
employees accepting favors while on
an assignment. The company assumed
all necessary expenses such as car
rage nlfe. supper etc
The night of the inauguration ball
was Intensely cold and disagreeable.
The Pension Building presented a pic
turesque appearance with its brilliant
Illumination outlined against the win
Try sky. The surrounding streets and
park were congested with every man
ner of vehicle and a constant throng
nr people passed into the structure
through the west main entrance.
when the Fun Commenced.
Before proceeding to the balcony.
from which a full view of the rotunda
ballroom could be had. | halted to view
the cosmopolitan crowds that filled
the spacious first floor to its capacity.
Representative of the embassies and
legations Of foreign countries in their
vari-colored uniforms were jostled by
plain Americans in conventional dress
suits: Kentucky "cOlonels' touched
elbows with New York politicians,
and the fashionable gowns Of the
women lent a charm of soft color to
the moving pictures in veritable day
light of electricity. The rotunda was
so overcrowded that dancing was i'm
possible. and those who had paid
good round sum to attend the ball
tempting to promenade to the music OF
the orchestra
The sideHghts began to flash soon
after reached the balcony. From
one Of the rest rooms or lounges
came a great volume Of violent laugh
ter and the sound of patting feet and
clsppIng hands. On the top of a large
table was an officer OF the National
Guard from one Of the States at
tempting to dance an Old-fashioned
breakdown. He evidently had been
partaking too freely of a beverage
that sometimes makes a man feel like
dancing. and sometimes like fighting
or committing hara-kiri As a finale
TO his grotesque terpsichorean effort
the oricer plunged from the table and
rolled under it. and the crowd scat
tered to look for other cleaning side
lights.
Several hundred special policemen
had been on duty about town for
three or four days, and it seemed that
every one of them who could beg.
borrow or appropriate a discarded
regular police uniform managed to get
10 the Inauguration ball and gain en-
trance through one of the many doors
about the building. There seemed to be
an army Of these specials on the
balcony. and not all of them were as
sober as the proverbial judge. They
were active participants in some of
the happenings of the night that made
breezy reading in the newspapers the
next day.
Tsmmsny and the Press.
Two corpulent individuals had JUST
concluded a wild effort resembling a
Fiji war dance when the balcony
crowd surged toward the main south
entrance to the stairs. There was
found an odd lineup and much ges-
ticulating and loud talking. On one
side Of the argument was a prominent
newspaper man supported by a regu-
lar metropolitan policeman and sew
eraI friends. On the other side was
a Tammany Hall chieftain OF high
degree backed up in his argument by
two special policemen and several pol
iticians. The newspaper man ana
Tammanyite each had a deathlike grip
on an opera hat or society accor-
deon." and each claimed ownership of
the tile. The two men were pulling
each other backward and forward in
tug of war trying to get possession
OF the hat. and using language that
- not permissible in the company of
ladies. when the two special policemen
sought further to enliven the incident
by pouncing upon the regular police
man, whose name, as / recall IL, was
Schultze. The latter, it seems, had
ired the specials by advising the
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