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

HIM.
mated to the city editor that all was not well
with his star reporter.
Questioned about the most poignant memory
of his own experience in covering inaugural
lions, Barry declared it was during the install
Iation of Benjamin Harrison
1T was freezing day. he said Il worked
outdoors and caught a cold that developed ln1o
pneumonia and almost killed me-"
Thus do newspaper men tell of the lashes OF
journalism-a Simon Legree profession. BUT
rain snow or ice they are sent forth, usually
happy The complaints come after the story
is in.
In 1916, the night before Wilson's second in
auguration played host to ralnstorm That
gave way to freezing weather next day. Penn
sylvania avenue became a mirror Of ice. SAND
was thrown down to give paraders surer Ioot-
ing.
But chill breezes spurred themselves to al
most hurricaneforce. The wind, tired of quar-
reling with walls Of buildings, swept up great
sheets of singing sand. So great was the
strength of the wind that the blowing grit
actually cut the faces of several newspaper
men and temporarily blinded many spectators.
THE snowstorm during Taft's inaugural in
] 1909 was probably the weather's most in
considerable blow to Inauguration news-gath-
ering.
The ceremony was shifted to the Senate
chamber because of the blizzard After it be-
gan reporters began to realize many prominent
persons scheduled to attend were not present.
Investigation revealed number of trains had
been unable to nose their way through snow
banks to reach the city. Some were stalled in
and E3aru inst OlItS
station yards with telegraph poles blown down
across the tracks.
Editors, seeming vituperative protests against
natures pranks. drew reporters of routine as
signments and sent them Flooding through the
drifts to learn who was where and what they
were doing about it.
One veteran reporter recently recalled cul1-
nary angle to a Cleveland Inauguration.
Gold storage shipping had not been develop
ed then" he said LAS a consequence many in
augural visitors from the far West had never
tasted oysters.
II was assigned to interview prominent per-
sons arriving by train. I was greatly surprised
when one Of the first persons I halted. inter-
rupted my questioning to say: Hurry it up.
want to go up to Johns to taste these oysters
I've heard so much about"
The same reporter also pointed out q par
ticular phase Of inaugurals that Washington
editors stressed more in the past. Back in the
time Of Garfield and Benjamin Harrison. every
building, without exception, along the line Of
march of the parade made q pretentious dis
play Of patriotic festooning. City editors &C.
cordingly demanded detailed descriptions OF
each buildings decorations.
"P1ckpockets from all over the country visited
Washington during the old inaugurations," he
related further. The line Of compliments at
police headquarters The next day looked like .
depression breadline. Drastic sentences i'm
posed on captured pickpockets broke up that
practice however"
reporter sent to cover Grants second IN
augural ball described . strange sight.
The night was one Of the coolest in WASH
ington history. The fete was given in . build-
ing only slightly heated. When the reporter
arrived he found the guests, instead of pre-
senting q display Of silks and satins and sttn
dress shirts, offered an exhibition of coats ana
furs bobbing up and down to rhythm of the
music more to keep warm than to enjoy dancing
[ lOUSING Of inaugural visitors offered its
! own particular problem to newspaper men.
Many q reporter. sent out to interview q nota-
BILE wherever he is stopping" found, after Q
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