Evening star., 1924-11-05
CAPITAL CROWDS
GET NEWS CALMLY
Little Excitement Noted in
! Places Where Returns
Were Received.

Old Man -. c. awoke 4 little later
nan usual today, after surviving an
election night that left him. as usual.
Nuteless, but did not leave him voice
less.
As the crowds dwindled rapidly
toward midnight from in front of
newspaper offices, there We're few who
vent home hatless, or with disar
vanged collars or torn clothing.
Not a single case Of acute frenzy,
ordinarily prevalent at election time,
vas reported
All seemed to he saying. Il told you
-" as they headed homeward. perus
ing the extra papers, that laconiCally
Informed them that Calvin Coolidge
had been overwhelmingly reelected.
Close Finish Lacking.
Washington did not cheer itself
hoarse for the same reason that spec
tators at onc-sided marathon race
30 not work themselves into a lather
Of frantic madness when the winner
aseS i'll several miles ahead of the
others. The close finish element that
makes for sportive enthusiasm was
entirely lacking in Yesterdays race.
Had such an element developed.
nowever. the city was fully prepared
% ho right in on the show down. Not
"a detail would have escaped the eNc~
pr ear, for extraordinary arrange
'lents Tor reporting the wind-up by
wire, radio, bulletin scene and news
Daper extras had been made These
modes of communication were func-
tioning steadily and well last night.
Jut the news they had to offer was
old.
As twilight settled down upon the
losing polls throughout the Nation.
the city's population pushed their
elairs away from the supper table.
I.ut on their wraps and headed down
town. BY nightfall here the crowds
outside the newspaper buildings were
beginning to mass in front of the
screens. which were To tell in frag
nentary installments of the q. O. Z.
llndslidC.
Watch swing of ride.
Other thousands assembled in front
or other bulletin screens and hun
ureds watched the swing Of the clec-
ION tide in political headquarters,
riUbs, hotels, cafes, thtatcr> and
other places Of assembly.
As the chapters III the national
electoral scenario were uufolded be
fore them. there was but a semhlance
Of emotion, compared with previous
elections. The newspaper crowds did
virtually no cheering carly in the
avening, but the spell of silence began
10 break up as the late returns filter
ei in and finally the Coolidge root
"rs alternated with the Davis sup
porters in giving vent to theta feel
iugs. Tho La Toilette forces seemed
70 keep themselves pretty well under
cover.
No Carnival Spirit.
In general, the crowds appeared to
have taken to. heart the pleas of
their candidates that the Nation con-
slider the presidential poll as a solemn
rite. There was no carnival spirit
evident, although throughout the
evening the younger citizens paraded
the sidewalks of the Avenue, + street
and Ninth street in preference to
bearing the returns.
As the tenseness of the election was
dIspelled with the growing opinion
that Coolidge would win, the eXuher-
;incs began 10 make itself slightly
more manifest. \ group of college
boys attracted attention on r street
by carrying large quantities of straw
n their arms and in coat pockets
part of the Coolidge straw vote, they
explained. Another bunch staged an
impromptu vocal concert, accompa-
MED by ukuleles. singing their own
version Of Keep cool With Cool
idge."
Streets We're COngeSted.
The downtown streets were con-
gested with slowly moving automo-
bile traffic, most of which vas divert
cd into side streets away from the
scenes of activity. Motorists found
themselves at disadvantage last
night. Several cars bore partisan
tanners and placards, but there were