The Washington herald., 1920-11-03
Carnival Spirit
Reigns in Great
Election Crowd
CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO.

Herald screen, though he refused to
issue a statement with his name
attached, inveighed loudly against
'profteering bootleggers." He de-
clared the advance in quotations for
election day were Outrageous"
IF the Internal Revenue Bureau
can't stop 'em, the fair price COM
mittee ought to regulate EN-" he
asserted.
When The Herald extra, announc-
ing Harding and Coolidge victori-
Gus, was issued at o'clock, the
great searchlight Of the Powhatan
Hotel, as by prearrangement, was
thrown upon the shaft of the
Washington Monument There it
remained as the earliest attesSation
rby light-signal of the great victory.
Pennsylvania avenue, along whose
polished asphalt, national figures,
hat-tipping. have so often marched
to martial nusic-that long. broad
thoroughfare which to so few has
been their final road OF destiny
last night forgot it's dignity. In
place of the formal Avenue des
Presidents, it became a joyous
street Of carnival.
A bit limp in the rain OF early
nightfall, its people shufied and
slipped. But under foot was for
gotten for overhead. where figures
flashed. Overhead were the score
boards o. the nations quadrennial
political championship.
Those boards had more than
simple win and lose to record-but
once the news was flashed that a
.
home run of the game-thst a GER
tain Governor had been out-pitched,
with many the series" was over.
The crowd stayed to read the
closeup details. but they couldn't
forget that the final result was al
ready known. 1t sappd some Of the
thrill. but the cheers OF the winning
supporters kept life in the party.
And after those who came into
the news belt early in the evening
had finally digested the precinct"
and district" bulletins, there was
a gentle surge toward the theaters,
where comfortable cushions and
friendly walls offered rest and quiet
from the tumult of the wet streets.
There the crowd found more re-
turns, for practically every theater
and movie house Of the city pro-
vided its patrons with leased wire
reports. The downtown theaters,
especially. were jammed to their
gilded fronts and their blazing
lights shone down on packed lob
{ bies. Midnight performances eased
, the crowds over into the morning
hours and those whose eyes wearied
of the passing films snoozed away
an hour before they finally stroled
out into the streets once more to
gaze upon the more complete re-
ports which had since come into the
city's news shops and were then
centered upon the canvas screens.
At the City Club, the Womens
Club, the Y. NJ. c. A. Y. w. c. A. and
Y NJ. H. Ain the clubhouse Of
practically every down town Organi-
cation boasting one, returns were
read far into the night, even after
the general result became known
early in the long watch. The Ma
tional Press Club was packed with
! newspaper men and their lady
guests who had been entertained at
dinner just before the first sputter
of the telegraph started its big story
already months in the making.
DR.. william c. Fowler. District
, health officer, stayed in his Office at
the District Building last night to
watch election returns.
He focused a pair of field glasses
on screens opposite the building and
thus was able to watch the progress
of the polling and keep dry at the
same time. Fowler received news
of the last National election at
how. He was i'll NJ the time.
Living up to its reputation for
pep" the City Club was the head
quarters last night for one of the
liveliest election night gatherings in
the city. Several hundred members
and their families crowded the loung-
ing and dining rooms to hear the re-
turns read from a special wire run
into the club office.
Jack" Boobar, manager of the
Terminal Taxicab Company and pres
ident of the Washington Kiwanis
Club: Charles ClaGett, manager OF
the telephone company. and Victor
Kaufman were the center of an en-
thusiastic throng. Like the three
wise men of old, they received the
news of the Republican victory with
bland SMILES. BoObar making the
only remark.
There never was anything else to
it," said Jack" and his colleagues
nodded while the happy throng held
an impromptu joy dance.
Except for a scattering Of old
regulars" ensconCed in their favor
ite chairs. the hotel Iobbies until
after midnight were practically de-
serted.
The Shoreham. Washington and
several other of the larger hotels
offered special "return dances" but
they found little favor with the
majority until final figures on the
election began coming in after the
theaters were out.
Red" and his freckIe-faced pal
of twelve strolled down the avenue
last night to see the sights or pos
sibly stage a miniature cleanup
with the uxtries" but they had
little idea that they were to be the
means of diverting the attention Of
several hundred interested onlook-
ers in front OF The Herald's. screen
at Eleventh street and Pennsylvania
avenut from the election bulletins.
1t all started when Red let go
a high-pitched. soprano cheer for
his faVorite candidate. And it end
ed with one nose bleeding and two
small boys energetically kicking
, while they were held at arms length
by members of an exclusive gall
lery.
Red explained it all to a copper"
from the First precinct. when he
said, Jimmy is for Cox, and he
got mad when I cheered for Hard
| ing"
The irrepressible younger element
was out in full force. with confetti
and OOiSe-ma king cO0triya pcaS ~