Show ll 11 ra Y ar how 0 W sho ake evea evened up on cam caa ev daises I 1 coedy cody tr tragedy and splendor ledor have been mingled in m MW s sp f ocular uki a fa efam ir i sr RESIDENT WILSON called callea attention very widely in 1913 1013 to the ancient and honorable custom of bf holding ad an inaugural ball to welcome the deiy new president to bw hl job by ay refusing to sanction the affair and owing to pressure of official 1 business there will be no inaugural ball this th Is year of 1917 in other words american of lson no mood for garety gayety tho the inaugural all jeays the Nan kansas sas city star afar in a historical Arti clewis not a state financed witte bythe nation ns ast the ila nation tion believes undertaken t as a wel cometto meito co the ithe new washington kocl society ty athas it has become of late yea years esthe the bushness busl ness venture by which washington merchants recover the money they spend to hancoc bang the capital with bun buntina tind i and hire bandstand bands band sand and fireworks to make the theocla occa sion lively while the ball costa costal a fatge money the profit from the sale of bf priced 17 4 nowadays at 5 Is estimated at and this ala profit Is distributed among the man men who subscribed the funds to make the celebration a success sud c es s but the inaugural ball does cost the nation something because it discommodes whatever department apartment part ment of state lends its building for the fes fea tivit les recent balls have been headla held in the pension N building and a vast deal of trouble lei aad es nse has goneI gona ilnyo ato the 0 organization niza tion or 0 theli heir gayety gaiety thare lias has been balls baits in the he past like that thai stately first ball that welcomed president monroe notable for the brilliance of the assemblages the beauty and and wit and fash fashion lon displayed truly great social occasions worthy I 1 of the dignity of the occa slon sion they celebrate and there have been balls 0 of which old timers in n washington avas hington still talk notable for the widespread inconvenience they have 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 puta put a curse on th the city of washington lurid enough to set fire to the snowdrifts snow drifts that blanketed it then there Is the ball that welcomed c president grant held la in a vast pavilion ot of muslin unheated whose walls walli swayed to and fro in aai an icy blast that froze dainty ears and finger tips yes ye 8 and nose sand a and put ft damper on the rn merrymaking not to be forgotten march 4 1809 wat was the thel sort of chill damp uncomfortable fordable for table day washington elpe expects for the presidential ident ial inauguration but in this year the inconveniences ve of bad weather in the new little capital were far worse than they could d possibly be today the sprawling ragged unfinished city had no pavements lloyds were werd sa so deep in mud that many a coach was mired as it carried its load oadis of distinguished persons to witness the inaugural there were were few hotels and a ad boarding beardin 9 houses and these were nere crowded to suffocation on th the e great da day Y but the society of the capital and notables from far and near were determined to overcome all handicaps of weather W athar for this drear evening was to mark the first presidential inaugural ball an ail organization of young iberti men r the washington dancing assembly assem bli formed seven years before had the affair ln in charge and h had ad secured the ai as bl room of longs hotel on capitol Capt iol hill bill the four hundred in america originated with this firtl firsta presidential ball washington society so clet y re represented the best of tile the nation the in influence fl irence of the southern families of aristocratic tradition was strong there were few people of wealth but many of culture and society soc lety was wits gay without ostentation the men of the dancing assem assembly bl y who naho drew ua up the list of those who would be asked to buy tickets to the inaugural ball found that four hundred would include all persons of breeding and worth when george washington Vas hIngton and thomas jefferson were inaugurated they were glad to go early to bed a after L I 1 atef the day aay of ceremonies but on this night ex president jefferson personally perio nally opposed to ostentation appeared in 16 the ballroom p promptly at seven the time of its opening he came smiling and happy glad to see his friend succeed him in the direction of th the nation happy at having the burden off his own shoulders adf as he confided to a friend during the evening the orchestra played jeffersons marh march as the ex es president entered am I 1 too early asked the t he great democrat ilkow you must tell ma how to behave forit for it ismore IB more than forty years since 1 I have been to a ball soon after the musicians mus lelani played IM matisons Madi adi sons march and the guests flocked about the door to greet the new president preg ident a slight short figure of a man whose gray hair was wai brushed smoothly back from his high forehead fore bead and tied with ft black ribbon his small hazel eyes were ere remarkable for a humorous twinkle for madison in private life enjoyed a good joke and sprightly banter banfer his hi s long pendulous nose carne came low over a long upper lip ilia his teeth were noticeably nott feabry white and even the new president wore plain klitin black I 1 with cuffies at the throat and an d elsts with black smalls and silk stockings there were big silver buckles on his shoes but it ws to dolly Mad madison lion formerly the fascinating cina ting ng widow todd of philadelphia that all ryes arned turned the new mistress of the white Hou Hous sawas a ae canter kiei of attraction wherever she went without great beauty of face or figure slie she had ii n manner friends friend s instantly her ready tact her good humor vivacity made her eawy easily a social leader and the best remembered and beloved of the many manyI first ladles ladies mrs madison wore nora pale puff buff velvet made very plain with a long train aind lind no trimmings her beach was surmounted by s turban from from paris of pale buff velvet and white satin when americas first tour four hundred danced dan cedat at the madison ball the air of the assembly room became very close and the guests finding they could not lowert lower the be window sashes broke the glass for ventilation that Is fa the only recorded inconvenience aibe from the ibe unav universal asal I 1 inconveniences ne 0 V J these notables experienced in getting to washington but the balls held ln in later years year made aless a less enviable record probably the ball held to celebrate the second inauguration of president was one of the most notable forthe tor the universal distress it caused mary Cle clemmer nimer amps in h her er book ten years in washington says of this exciting carnival the air throughout the entire building was vas perforated with I 1 til a fine afine dust ground until you felt that you were taking in with every breath a myriad homeopathic doses of desiccated grindstone the agonies of that ball ann cnn never er be writ I 1 ten there are mortals dead id in their graves because of f it I 1 there are mortals who still curse and swear swa and sigh sig h at the ilie thought of it thero there lar are e idla diamonds and pearls pearl s and precious garments that are naught to their owners because of it the scenes in those cloak and hat rooms rooms can can never be forgotten by any ho witnessed thera them thle the colored messengers called from their posts in the treasury to ido do duty in these rooms received hats and wraps with perfect facility and tucked them in loopholes as it happened happen pd but to give them backe back each to its owner that was impossible not half of them c could 1 read numbers umbers fi and those who could soon grew bewildered wil dered overpowered ill tempered and imperil nent the hosts that advanced upon them for cloaks and hats picture at I 1 six or more thousand people clamoring for their clothe sj I 1 int in the he end they were all tumbled out promiscuous on oil the floor then came the siege 1 few seized their own but bui many snatched other peoples garments anything g isomo something ng to protect krotec t thern them from the gitil pitiless ess morning whose vind came down like the bite of death delicate women too sensitive to fo take tik elthe the property of others crouched lied in corners and wept on window wint ledges rind and there the daylight found t them hem carriages also had fled out of the scour scourging gitig blast and men and women who emerged from the marble halls balls with to fo wear found that they must foot it to their habitations one ge gentleman tle inana walked to capitol hill nearly two miles mile in dancing pumps bumps and bareheaded ano another i I 1 ter per forni edithe the same exploit wrapped ini in a ladys lady sJon sontag poor hornbe orare greeley after expending his wrath on the stairs stair sand and cursing cur washington wa anew as a place that should be bd immediately blotted out of the universe strode to his hotel hatless hot less the next day aay and the next week were consumed by people searching for their lost clothes and general chipman says lie he fiill still receives receiver letters demanding articles art I 1 cles lost lostak at that inauguration ball 11 one would suppose ose that the lesson of the lincoln ball would have resulted in great reforms wh when the e inauguration gu ration ball which welcomed president grant four our years later was hsia one reform was notable a complete checking system for wraps was devised but on this occasion not a guest parted with his wraps t they did not nott dare tor for as it was s noses and ears were frozen the grant inaugural ball cost and great things were expected of it A pavilion feet long with ii a ballroom by feet was built in judiciary square this pavilion was made of light boards roofed with tar paper and sealed sailed with pink and white muslin the can eagle to quoted quote the ifie official report spread hla his wings over them the presidents platform and from his bis pinions spread streamers feet long caught up on either side ide s by coats of arms the presidents rece reception atlon wit 8 CO 60 feet fea long longani lon gand and 30 feet wide twelve pilasters pi lasters supported alternate gold figured algred red anit and blue standa stands which held pots of bloo blooming flowers platform and steps were richly carpeted and thousands of canary ent tary birds bards were placed toward the belling to add their chorus cho rus to 0 1 l the music tickets to this magnificent eni entertainment 1 ert tain ment then came inaugural day wilh with a blizzard and cold wave so severe that marchers barchers mar chers in tho the inaugural procession dropped by the way overcome by cold col dt I 1 the north wind swooped down on the th 0 muslin palace ano nn rat tattled tl edIts its flimsy grand grandeur eui u until n thereof the roof was ns swaybacked sway backed keil in one place anda and ballooned of out in another while the tar paper find loose boards tose rose in the gusts and tattled rattled down far and alde president grant sufficiently from the exposure of the inaugural at fai s to spend aabert a short time at the bill ball a arriving g at wll 0 I 1 k ikan in the be evening he and his bAlli brilliant balliano ant suiter 0 ests joany bof them foreign dI diplomats plonia ts ind and their brilliantly clod ladles U f remained huddled in voluminous wrappings book looking down upon the guests dancing in overcoats and wraps wrap s dancing dancink like mad in order order to keep from 4 fr freezing to death I 1 J the canary canary birds did not sing they tucked tucked their heads under their wings and shivered pitifully the elaborate refresh refreshments menti froze into blocks oc of ice the ball ended before midnight nhe ithe first inaugural ball in thin the pension building was that held to honor president Clev elands first inauguration the building was then u unfinished bed and the courtyard was roofed by temporary co construction st elaborately decorated and lighted by the then new electric lamps the ballroom floor was by feet and it was crowded the ticket sa sale lefor for this ball brought in it isal asan t er I 1 to con contemplate te more becent in augural balls A notably brilliant ball was that which welcomed president mckinley it was held tn in the pension building and for that night the building was transformed by bunting of white and gold not a particle of woodwork or original lee dec oration of the building was left uncovered covered nn elaborate electric lighting elaborate for 1897 and a huge foun fountain were notable features feature of this ballroom judging by contemporary accounts this bill was a complete success socially and financially I 1 mrs william howard taft in her charming book recollections of full years tells th the estory story of the last inaugural ball mrs al tafts account of how the taft family moved into the white house Is thoi hughly cap captivating because of its ciany many att alta of domestic color bits that find an echo in common exler experience lence everywhere it was at tile the c lose close of a very busy day thattis that mrs Mis taft put herself into the hands of her bei nervous hairdresser aisil and sat looking ather at her new ball i gown aspre spread ad out on the bed the ball go gown wo ha had d arrived at tai the e very last minute and the hew lady jady had wondered for several anxious days what in the world she would iwo uld wear to the ball it if the dressmaker failed her A jt it was made of heavy white satin which I 1 had sent to to tokyo to have embroidered writes wr mrs taft land and the people aho ho did the work surely anew fenew thel their art A pattern of goldenrod was was outlined by a silver thread and cleverly fitted into th the e long lines of I 1 the gown and no bother other trimmings had been used except some lace with which the low cut bodice was finished A it fitted me nd ad i niti pitiably ably land and I 1 hoped that in spite of all the mishaps in my preparations I 1 looked my best as I 1 descended from the white house automobile at the entrance of the pension office the pension office was I 1 not built for balls inaugural augur alor or otherwise and anthe on the evening of march 4 1009 1909 after afdera a day of melting sleet and land snow the te entrance was not especially inviting neither was the dressing room which had been assigned to me I 1 suppose that for years it had rung with the ceaseless click of scores of typewriters end and that its walls had beheld no more elaborate costume than a business busine sR blouse and skirt st since the occasion of the last laft inaugural ball had marked the beginning of the second roosevelt administration four years i before but as 1 1 I needed to do very little pr inking ng it really matter and I 1 quickly rejoined the president and proceeded on his arm arm to the presidential box this being a p small ma 11 round gallery above the entrance 0 of f the great ballroom which Is itself lif in everyday life the p principal ri a cl pal workroom of t the e pension penion V office A brilliant an almost kaleidoscopic scene spread pread before us us the hall Is of tremendous proportions fortion s PillAi pillared edwith with red marble and with walls tinted in the sane same cobor bv every ery in inch ch ot of floor space seemed to be occupied the Th bright ebright colors and the gleam of gowns met aap clashed claibe t or harmonized with the te brighter tei colors of diplo matic uniforms officers of the firmy and navy na vy in full regalia met and mingled with hundred of men ei in the plain black of formal e evening dress T it was a |