Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-09-13
We Saw Himl

TNHE pavement in front of Independence
l. Hall was a gorgeous tumble Of colors.
The great silken flags of the Allies, carried
by wildly costumed ladies, burned and
tapped in the wind. On a pedestal stood
the Goddess of Liberty, in rich white dra-
peries that seemed fortunately of sufficient
texture to afford some warmth, for the air
was cool. She graciously turned round for
Walter Grail, the photographer of our con-
temporary, the EVENING PUBLIC LEDGER,
to take a shot at her.
Down Chestnut street came q rising tide
of cheers. A squadron of mounted police
galloped by. Then the First City Troop,
with shining swords. Fred Eckersburg, the
State House engineer, was ~fidgeting ex-
citedly inside the hall, in n new uniform.
This was Fred's greatest day, but we saw
that he was worried about Martha Wash
ington, the Independence Hall cat. He was
apprehensive lest the excitement should give
her a fit or a palsy. Independence Hall is
no longer the quiet old place Martha used to
enjoy before the war.
THE Police Band struck up Hail to the
l. Chief" Yells and cheers burst upward
from the ground like an explosion. Here
he was, standing in the car. There was the
famous chin, the Sam Browne belt, the high
laced boots with spurs. Even the tan gloves
carried in the left hand. There was the
smile, without which no famous man is prop
erly equipped for public life. There was
Governor Sprouts placid smile, too, but the
Mayor seemed too excited to smile. Rattle,
rattle, rattle went the shutters of the pho
tographers. Up the scarlet lane of carpet
came the general. His manner has a charm
ing, easy grace. He saluted each one of the
fair ladies CARRIED in costumes of our Allies,
but taking care not to linger too long in
front of any one of them lest any embracing
should get started. A pattering of tiger
lilies or some such things came dropping
down from above. He passed into the hail,
which was cool and smelt like a wedding
with a musk of flowers.
WHILE the Big Chief was having a medal
w presented to him inside the hall THE
| CHAFFING DISH managed to scuttle round
underneath the grand stand and take I'D a
pencil of vantage just below the little pulpit
where the general was to speak. Here the
| crowd groaned against a bulwark of stout
policemen. Philadelphia cops, bless them.
are the best tempered in the world. How
Boston must envy u.s. Genially two gigan-
tic bluecoats made room against the strain
ing hawser for young John Fisher, aged
eleven, of 1872 Greenwich street. John is a
small, freckle- faced urchin. 1t was anus
ing to see him thrusting his eager little
beezer between the vast, soft, plushy TANKS
of two patrolmen. He had been there over
two hours waiting for just this adventure.
Then, to assert the equality of the sexes.
Mildred Dubivitch, aged eleven, and Eva
Ciplet, aged nine, managed to insert them
selves between the chinks in the line OF
GODS. An old lady over eighty years old
was sitting placidly in a small chair lust
inside the ropes. She had been in the square
over five hours, and the police had found her
q seat. "Are you going to put Pershing's
name in, too?" asked John as we noted his
address.
INDEPENDENCE SQUARE never knew
i a more thrilling fifteen minutes. TIL
trees we're tossing and bending in the thrill
ing blue air. There was a bronzy tint in
their foliage, as though they were putting
on olive drRb in honor of the general. Great
balloons of silver clouds secured across tn,
cobalt sky. At one minute to II Pershins
appenred at the top of the stand. ThI
whole square, magsed with people, SHOOT
with cheers.
Had it been any other man we would bay,
said the general was frightened. He cam,
down the aisle OF the stand with his delight,
ful, easy, smiling swing but be locke,
shrewdly about, with a narrow eyed, puck
cred gaze. He was plainly a little faabbsr,
rasted. He seemed taken abackf by IN,
greatness Of PhiladeIDhia's yoica- 'Hs ssi'