Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-03-05

the oath of Office When the carriage failed TO
arrive he mounted a horse and set out alone.
Thus was held the first inaugural parade
a lone man, simply attired, riding horseback
through the muddy street to assume an office
which in later years was to become the most
important in the world. From such a simple
beginning came the brilliant spectacle which
flowed down historic Pennsylvania avenue yes
terday.
THE first record of any inaugural crowd was
for Madisons first term in 1909. when it
was reported that "a great crowd of TO- 600 peo-
pie gathered at the Capitol to witness the
affair. How they got here was not reported.
but presumably they came afoot on horseback.
or in coaches
Madison rode from his lodgings to the Capt.
tol and back to the White House. IN a carriage.
He invited Jefferson to ride with him, but the
latter refused stating that he was once more q
private citizen and that it would not be fitting
for him to share the honors with the Presi-
dent.
In 1917, during the eatly part of President
Monroe's administration. he decided to make
an observation tour Of the country. Starting
out in coach. he went as far North as PoIt-
land. Me, and as far West as Detroit In ndar-
ly four months he covered 5000 miles, returh,-
ing to Washington on horseback in time t3
usher in the era of good feeling.
In strange contrast indeed, was this pioneer
good will tour to the journey of President-elece
Hoover to the South and Central American
countries aboard commodious battleship.
President Jackson's trip to Washington for
his inaugural in 1929 was difficult one. Leav-
ing Tennessee, he travelled by horseback and
carriage to Rockville, Md, where he was met
by Senator Eaton Of Tennessee, husband OF
Peggy ONeal In Senator Eatons carriage, he
rode to lodgings prepared for him in WASH
ington.
On March he walked from these lodgings
to the Capitol. There he found q crowd OF
some 10000 people damned around the en-
frances to the Capitol grounds. Rather than
push his way through, Gen. jackson vaulted
lightly over the wall surrounding the home OF
the legislators and strobe easily up the hill to
the Capitol
While President Jackson was in the White
House there came change of incalculable i'm
portance in the shaping of the national destiny.
Although he reached Washington by horse
back and carriage, he left by railroad and
made part of the long journey home by this
means. The stage coach of Washington's day
was to survive for a while but it was doomed.
1T was in July of 1885 that the first steam
! railroad came to Washington Since that
time the railroad has been used by every Pres1-
dent of the United States in going to his inau-
guration.
The day of the muddy road and difficult
travel was nearing an end Before the eyes OF
an eager populace men were building long miles
Of steel rails. forerunners of the time when the
trip to Washington would be both easy ana
swift.
So far as Gen. Jacksons own case was con-
cerned however, the advent Of the railroad was
relatively unimportant. On his return trip to
the Hermitage. he rode by train to Ellicotts
Mills. near Baltimore, but from that point on
he had to return to the carriage and horse
back
William Henry Harrison enjoyed the distinc-
ton Of being the first President to arrive In
Washington for bis Inauguration by train.
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