Nebraska Newspapers

    X
THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.
U1 w a ill 18 It VI J
i r 11 r ii r
mml
SIT
i uaiis of merasi-
eJ-
Plow sliopkeeping PFasli
gton evened up on cam
paign expenses : : Lorn-
edyy 1 ragedy and Splendor
have been mingled in this
spectacular affair
v
IUSSIDKNT WILSON called attention
wry widely In 11)13 to Hie undent
WZjSS and honorable cuMiorn or noming an
Inaugural bull to welcome the new
PL J president to his Job by refusing to
l.tfmjA sanction the nITalr. And owing to
"pressure oi oiuciui uusinoss mere
will be no Inaugural ball this year of
fM, 1017. In other wordH, American of
I nVJJ flcluldom Is In no mood for gnyoty.
The inaugural nan, pays mo nunsns
City Star In a historical article, la not a Htato
function, financed by the Nation, uh most of tho
'.Nation believes. Undertaken at first aa a wol
como to tho now president by Washington society
It has become of lato years tho business venture
by which Washington merchants recover tho
money they spend to hang the capital with bunting
and hlro bands nnd fireworks to make the occa
sion lively. While tho ball costs a largo sum of
money, tho profit from tho sale of tickets, priced
nowadays at $f, Is estimated at $20,000, and this
profit Is. distributed among tho men who sub
scribed tho funds to mnko tho celebration a suc
cess. Hut tho Inaugural bull does cost tho Nation
something, because It discommodes whutever de
partment of statu lends Its building for tho fes
llvltlcs. lteceut bulls have been held In the pen
sion building, and u vast deal of trouble and ex
3enso has gonu Into the organization of their
gayety.
There has been balls In tho past, like that state
ly first ball that welcomed President Monroe,
notablo for tho brilliance of tho assemblages, tho
beauty and wit and fashion displayed, truly great
nodal occasions, worthy of tho dignity of tho occa
sion they celebrate. And there havo been balls
of which old timers In Washington still talk,
notablo for tho widespread Inconvenlenco they
havo caused. For Instance, there Is the second
Lincoln Inauguration ball, when Horace Greeley
lost his hat and standing on the steps of the
treasury building put a curso on the city of Wash
ington lurid enough to set fire to the snowdrifts
that, blanketed l; then there Is tho ball that wel
comed President Grant, held In n vast pavilion
of muslin, unheatcd, whoso walls swayed to and
fro In nn Icy blast thnt froze dainty cars and finger
tips yes, and noses and put a damper on tho
merrymaking not to bo forgotten.
March 4, 1809, was the sort of chill, dump, un
comfortable day Washington expects for the pres
idential Inauguration, but In this year the Incon
veniences of bad weather In tho new little cnpltal
wcro fur worse than they could posslbjy bo today.
Tho sprawling, ragged, unfinished city had no
pavements. Itoads wero so deep In mud that many
m coach was mired as It carried Its load of dis
tinguished persons to witness tho lnnugural. Thero
were few hotels and boarding houses, nnd theso
wcro crowded to suffocation on tho great day.
nut tho society of tho capital and notables from
far and near wero determined to overcome all
handicaps of weather, for this drear evening was
to mark tho first presidential lnnugural ball. An
organization of young men, tho "Wnshlngton
Dancing assembly," formed seven yours before,
had tho nffnlr In chnrgo nml hud secured tho as
sembly room of Long's hotel on Capitol hill.
Tho "four hundred" In America originated with
this first presidential ball. Washington society
represented tho best of tho Nation. Tho Influence
of tho Southern families of aristocratic tradition
was strong. Thero wero few peoplo of wealth,
but mnny of culturo; nnd society was gny without
ostentation. Tho men of tho dancing assembly
who drew up tho list of those who would bo nsked
to buy tickets to tho Inaugurnl ball found thnt
four hundred would include all persons of breed
ing and worth.
When George Washington and Thomas Jefferson
wero Inaugurated they wero glad to go enrly to
lied nftcr tho day of ceremonies, but on this night
ex-President Jefferson, personally opposed to os
tentation, appeared In tho ballroom promptly at
noven o'clock, tho tlmo of Its opening. Ho came
running and happy, glad to see his friend succeed
ilm In the direction of tho Nation, happy at hav
ing tho bui'don off his own shoulders, oh he con
fided to a friend during tho evening.
Tho orchestra played "Jefferson's March" as
iho ox-prcsldcnt entered.
"Am I too early?" asked the great Democrat.
You must tell mo how to behave, for It Is more
than forty years since I havo been to a ball."
Soon nfter tho musicians played "Madison's
March," and tho guests flocked about tho door to
greet tho now president, a slight, short flguro
of a mnn, whoso gray hair was brushed smoothly
linck from his high forehead nnd tied with n black
ribbon. Ills small hazel eyes woro remarkable for
u humorous twinkle, for Madison, In private llfo,
enjoyed n good Joko nnd sprightly banter. His
long, pendulous noso camo low over a long uppor
Up. Ills teeth wore noticeably whlto nnd oven.
Tho now president woro plain black, with nifties
nt tho throat and wrists, with black smalls nnd
Hllk stockings. Thero wero big silver buckles on
his shoes.
Hut It was to Dolly Madison, formerly tho fas
cinating "Widow Todd of Phllndelphla, thnt nil
eyes turned. The now mistress of tho Whlto
House was a center of attraction wherever sho
went Without great benuty of fuco or figure, sho
tind a mnnner which won friends instantly. Her
ready tact, her good humor, her vlvnclty, made her
easily a social lender nnd tho best-remembered
nnd beloved of tho ninny "first ladles."
Mrs. Mttdlson woro palo buff velvet made very
plain, with n long train and no trimmings. Her
head wus surmounted by a turban from Paris of
nolo buff velvet nnd whlto sntln
When America's first "four hundred" danced at
thoMadlson ball tho ulr of the assembly room be
came? very closo and tho guests finding they could
not idwer the window sashes broke tho glnss Tor
Ventilation. Thnt Is tho only recorded Inconven
lenco, uddo from tho universal Inconveniences
these notables experienced In getting to Washing
ton, hut the balls held In later years mado a less
enviable record. Probably tho ball held to cole
brato tho second Inauguration of President Lincoln
was ono of tho most notablo for tho unlvcrsul dis
tress It cnused.
Mnry Clemmer Ames, In her book "Ten Years
In Washington," snys of this exciting carnival:
"The air throughout tho entire building wns
perforated with a fine dust, ground until you felt
that you were taking In with every brenth a
myriad homeopathic doses of desiccated grind
stone. Tho agonies of that ball enn never be writ
ten. Thero aro mortals dead In their graves be
causo of It. Thero aro mortals who still curse,
and swear, and sigh nt tho thought of It. There
aro diamonds, nnd pcnrls and precious gnrments
that aro naught to their owners because of It. Tho
scenes In thoso cloak and hat rooms can never
be forgotten by any who witnessed them. Tho
colored messengers, colled from their posts In
tho treasury to do duty In these rooms, received
hats and wrnps with perfect facility, and tucked
them In loopholes as It happened.
"Hut to give them bnck ench to its owner, thut
wns Impossible. Not hulf of them could rend
numbers nnd thoso who could soon grew be
wildered, overpowered, Ill-tempered nnd Imperti
nent under tho hosts thnt advanced upon them for
cloaks and lints.
"Plcturo It I Six or more thdusnnd peoplo
clnmorlug for their clothes 1 In tho end they were
all tumbled out 'promiscuous' on tho floor. Then
enmo tho sloge I Few seized their own, but many
snatched other peoplo's garments anything, some
thing, to protect them from tho pitiless morning,
whoso wind enmo down llko tho blto of death.
Delicate women, too scnsltlvo to tnko tho property
of others, crouched In corners nnd wopt on win
dow ledges, nnd thero tho dnyllght found them.
Carriages, also, hnd fled out of the scourging blast,
nnd men nnd women who emerged from tho mnr
blo hnlls, with very llttlo to wenr, found thnt thoy
must 'foot It' to their habitations. Ono gentle
man walked to Capitol hill, nenrly two miles, In
dancing pumps nnd bnreheadedj another per
formed tho same exploit wrapped In n lady's son
tag. "Poor Horaco Greeley, after expending his
wrnth on tho stnlrs nnd cursing Wnshlngton nncw
as a place that should be Immediately blotted out
of the universe, strode to his hotel hatless. Tho
next day and tho next week wero consumed by
people searching for their lost clothes, and Gen
eral Chlpman says ho still receives letters de
manding articles lost nt thnt Inauguration ball."
Ono would suppose thnt tho lesson of tho Lin
coln ball would havo resulted In great reforms
when tho Inauguration ball, which welcomed Pres
ident Grant, four years later, was held. Ono re
form was notable, a complete checking system for
wraps was devised, but on this occasion not a
guest parted with bis wraps! They did not dare,
for as It was, noses and enrs wero frozen.
Tho Grant Inaugural ball cost $00,000 and great
things wero expected of It. A pnvlllon 3S0 feet
long, with n bnllroom 300 by 100 feot. was built
In Judiciary squnrc. This pavilion was mado of
light bonrds, roofed with tar paper and sealed
with pink and whlto muslin. "Tho mighty Ameri
can eagle," to quotu tho ofllclnl report, "spread his
wings over tho president's platform and from his
pinions spreud strenmers 100 feet long, caught
up on either side by coats of arms. Tho presi
dent's reception platform wns GO feet long and .10
feot wide. Twelve pilasters supported nltornnto
gold figured, red nnd bluo stnnds, which held pots
of blooming flowers. Platform and steps wero
richly carpeted and thousands of cannry birds
wero placed toward the celling to ndd their chorus
to tho music. Tickets to this niagnlUcent enter
tainment cost $'-0.
Then enmo lnnugural day with n bllzzurd nnd
cold wnvo so severe that marchers In the lnnu
gural procosslon dropped by tho way, overcome by
cold I Tho north wind swooped down on the
muslin pnlnco nnd rattled Its flimsy grnndeur un
til the roof was swaybneked In ono place nnd bnl
looncd out In another, while tho tar paper and
loose boards rose In tho gusts nnd rattled down
fnr nnd wide.
President Grnnt recovered sulllclently from thy
exposure of the Inauguration to spend a short tlmo
nt tho ball, arriving nt It o'clock In tho evening.
Ho and his brilliant suite f guests, many of them
foreign dlploinnts, and their brilliantly clad ladles.
retnnlncd huddled In voluminous wrappings, look
ing down upon tho guests dnnclng In overconts
and wraps, dnnclng llko mnd In order to keep from
freezing to denth.
Tho canary birds did not sing. They tucked
their heads under their wings and shivered piti
fully. The elaborate refreshments froze Into
blocks of Ice. Tho boll ended before midnight
The first Inaugural ball In tho pension building
wns that held to honor President Cleveland's first
Inauguration. Tho building was then unfinished
and the courtyard was roofed by temporary con
struction, elnborately, decorated nnd lighted by
tho thon new electric lamps. The ballroom floor
was 310 by 110 feet, and It was crowded. Tho
ticket sale for this ball brought In $40,000.
It Is pleasanter to contemplate moro recent In
augural balls. A notnbly brilliant bnll was thnt
which welcomed President McKinley. It wns held
In tho pension building, nnd for thnt night the
building wus transformed by bunting of white nnd
gold. Not a particle of woodwork or original dec
oration of the building wns left uncovered. Elab
orate electric lighting (elaborate for 1807) and a
huge fountain were notnblo features of this bull
room. Judging by contemporary accounts this
bill wan n complcto success, soclnlly and finan
cially. Mrs. William Howard Taft, in her charming
book, "Recollections of Full Years," tells tho story
of the last Inaugurnl bnll. Mrs. Tnft's nccount of
how tho Taft futility moved Into the White House
Is thoroughly cnptlvntlng becnuso of Its many bits
of domestic color, bits that find nn echo In com
mon experience everywhere.
It wns at tho close of a very busy day that Mrs.
Taft put herself Into tho hands of her nervous
hnirdrQSscr and sat looking at lior now bnll gown,
sprend out on tho bed. Tho ball gown hnd ar
rived at tho very last minuto nnd tho new "first
lndy" hnd wondered for several anxious days
what In the world sho would wenr to the ball If
the dressmaker failed her.
"It was made of heavy whlto satin which I hnd
sent to Tokyo to hnvo embroidered," writes Mrs.
Tuft, "and tho people who did tho work surely
knew their nrt. A pattern of goldenrod was out
lined by n silver thread and cleverly fitted Into
tho long lines of tho gown, and no other trim
mings hnd been used except some lace with which
tho low-cut bodice wns finished. It fitted mo nd
mlrnhly nnd I hoped thnt, In spito of nil tho mis
haps In my prcpm-atlons, I looked my best ns !
descended from the Whlto Houso automobile at
the entrance of the pension ofllce.
"Tho pension ofllco was not built for balls, in
augural or otherwise, nnd on tho evening of Mnrch
I, 1001), nfter n dny of melting sleet nnd snow, tho
entrance wns not especially Inviting. Neither wns
tho dressing room which hnd been nssigned to
me. I suppose thnt for years It had rung with
the causeless click of scores of typewriters nnd
thnt Its walls hnd beheld no moro elnborato cos
tumo than a business blouse and skirt sinco tho
occasion of tho last lnnugural ball which had
marked tho beginning of tho second Roosovolt
administration, four years before. Hut ns I needed
to do very little 'prinking' It really didn't matter
and I quickly rejoined the president and pro
ceeded on his arm to tho presidential box, this
being a small round gallery abovo the main en-
tranco of the great ballroom, which Is Itself, In
everyday llfo, tho principal workroom of tho pen
filon ofllce.
"A brilliant, nn nlmost kaleidoscopic, scene
spread before us. Tho hall is of tremendous pro
portions, plllnred with red mnrblo and with walls
tinted In the same color. Every Inch of floor
space seemed to bo occupied. Tho bright colors
nnd the gleam of women's gowns met and clashed
or harmonized with tho brighter colors of dlplo
matlc uniforms. Ofllccrs of the army and navy In
full regalia met nnd mingled with the hundreds of
mon In tho plain black of formal evening dress,
It was n wonderful, glittering throng, moro mng
nlllcent Hum any I bad ever seen. It was not pos
slble to distinguish Individuals except In tho spuce
directly below tho box, but there, ns I looked down
I saw n great semlclrclo of faces thousands, It
seemed to me smilingly upturned toward us. Tho
din of human voices was terrltlc: even the loudest
band procurable had dllllculty In making Itself
heard. Hut tho sceno wus so gay In color, nnd the
faces that gazed up nt us wero so friendly nnd
huppy thnt I felt clnted nnd not nt nil over
whelmed."
REAL RULER OF RUSSIA
A cloth manufacturer Is todi' tll
renl power behind tho Russian tlnrone.
At his will tho czar Issues ukases 'nd
promulgates decrees. The membership
of tho cnblnet la entirely changed, the .
traditional and legnl order of tho Im
perial council completely revolution
ized, the dumn prorogued nnd threat
ened with dissolution, nil becnuso of
the activities of a political adventurer
who knows how to make use of tho
sinister forces pervading Russlnn life.
Ills name is Alexander Dmltrovltch
ProtopopolT nnd ho Is the cznr's min
ister of tho Interior.
A few years ago Protopopoffs only
distinction was the fact that ho was
the owner of ono of Russia's lnrgcst
cloth mnnufacturlr.g establishments.
Today he holds In his hands the fate
of ministers; the duma fears him;
Russian democracy hates ltfm and 'the
nllles nre uneasy over his moves. The
fortunes of humanity and civilization.
to a certain extent, depend on the way he will carve Russia's future policy.
Born In 1S05, ho received a nillitury education nnd served in the cavalry
up to 1800, when he resigned. He settled on his largo estate In the province
of Simbirsk, where ho devoted himself to business and social work. Nntlonnl
politics wero foreign to Protopopoff till 1008, In which year he wns elected to
the dumu by tho octobrlsts the party of tho center.
Shrewd, persistent, ambitious, Protopopoff was unlike the standard typo
of Russian politician. His qualities, to be sure, could never win him popular
admiration und respect In Russia. But opportunity never found Protopopoff
asleep or slow. When the Junior vice president of the dumn resigned some
years ago Protopopoff was suddenly advanced to fill tho vacancy.
"THE JAPANESE ROOSEVELT"
Baron Shlmpel Goto, Japan's great
medlco-stntesmnn, who holds the port
folio of tho Interior In the Terauchl
cabinet, has sometimes been called the
"Japanese Roosevelt." He Is tho
grandson of Choel Takano, ono of tho
pioneer progressives of the latter To
kugawa period, who was put to death
by tho Tokugawa government for his
denunciation of tho policy of exclud
ing foreigners. Goto was educated for
tho profession of medicine, and In 1800
he went to Germany, receiving the
M. D. degree from the University of
Berlin.
In Japan ho became n leading au
thority on health and sanltutlon. He
wns sanitary commissioner during the
Japnn-Chlnn war. Later he estab
lished a reputation ns an executive
while civil administrator of Formosa.
His vigorous administration of that
Island won him promotion nnd dis
tinction until he became known us
Jnpnn's greut colonist-orgnnizer. He displayed ability us the first president
of the South Manchurlnn railroad, tho company becoming an independent
orgnn of colonial administration of Manchuria.
A very romantic incident marked his earlier career. His daring Imagina
tion nnd strong sympathies Induced him to take part In n quixotic plan to
rescue a former dalmyo from the hands of a band of supposed persecutors.
The dalmyo had been imprisoned by relntlves on tho plea of lnsnnlty. Goto's
activities resulted in his arrest and Imprisonment on the charge of complicity
In obtaining illegal possession of the Imprisoned noblemnn. But his motives
were found to be honorable. He was acquitted and restored to his ofllclnl
position. It Is a coincidence thnt the judge who exnmlned him wns his pres
ent collengue, Minister Nnkajoshi.
i ii
L0N6W0RTH JOKES M'ADOO
Representative "Nick" Longworth
likes to have fun with tho secretary
of the treasury, Mr. McAdoo, and per
haps thero Is n bond of sympathy be
tween them since both married prin
cesses of a reigning house. Mr. Long
worth's mnrriago to Miss Alice Roose
velt wns the great social event of tho
Roosevelt administration, ns was tho
wedding of Mr. McAdoo and Miss Wil
son tho most interesting nffnlr of tho
Wilson regime until the president him
self wns married to Mrs. Gait.
At a dinner party recently Long
worth nnd McAdoo were guests, nnd
when It came Nick's turn to submit a
few remarks ho ragged tho secretary
of tho treasury In good-nntured fash
ion. "I well remember tho time when I
was tho fnlr-hulred boy," snld Long
worth, "when I wus tho ofllclnl son-ln-law.
But that time passed long ago,
and now tho secretary of tho treasury
wears tho honor. It Is he who Is now pointed out ns the president's son-in-
law; it Is he who tnkes the center of the stage. Fume, Indeed, is fleeting."
Longworth Is one of tho most populur members of the house, and Is well
liked by his associates of both parties. He Is a ready spenker nnd enn hnndlo
himself well In debnte.
BOLD BOIES PENROSE
Boles Penrose of Pennsylvnnlu Is
n bold mnn, nnd when he feels like It,
and Is there, he enn make himself
very obnoxious to those who do not
like him. At n dinner on McKinley
day In Pittsburgh he Is reported to
havo snld that tho next tlmo Presi
dent Wilson appeared before tho sen
ate to discuss public mntters "I will
engage him In colloquy and debate,
in which I shall be strictly within my
rights, as ho Is within his rights In
coming there. Doubtless other sena
tors will Join in the debate, although
I shall not ask them to do so. The
president will bo addressed as was
Washington moro than one hundred
yenrs ngo, nnd I think I enn suy thut
this second appenranco of Mr. Wilson
will bo his last."
The senator said that this was
what ho expected to do If he should
be present; but some of his constitu
ents do not think he will be there un
less ho brenkB his record for nonuttendance. If he should enrry out Ida
nnnounced purpose, however, no ono would enjoy a debitto moro thun tho
president, nnd when It ended tho senator from Pennsylvania probably would
know thnt there had been a fight
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