Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-07-27
AZ the Centennial stiIe.

"No, we are not having so much trouble
now as we have had }" said The neatly uni
formed tn m stile keeper at one OF The en-
reporter yesterday; but sttll the fools are not
all dead yet You'll find, IL ever the Centen-
nial statistics are made up, that more than
ten Fer cent. OF all the pay ing visitors MAKE
us more or less trouble by their mistakes"
His wss gate that is not heavily patron
lied In the earlier hours OF the day, aud he
wss just congratulating himself upon hav
Ing sn opportunity for a long talk when this
Eope was demolished by the approach OF "A
Fais German, whose putting and
blowing as he assembled the slight incline
leading TO the gate could be heard for a hun
oIed yards.
at vos hot he pulled, as he drew from
The depths OF his trousers pockets a wallet
almost big enough TO serve an ordinary man
for valise and took out a 81 note, After
this be swabbed of his broad red face-the re-
nex OF many departed lager-and waddlei
into the gate devoted 10 exhibitors and 9TH
ers OF the free list.
"The other gate, sir" said the polite at
tendant.
"vot vos der difference? Ny money was
gOot; not?"
An explanation i've minutes long per.
another difficulty arose. The solid Teuton
refused.
"Mein Gotln he exclaimed, "von places dey
tells me shall not 60 In at de gate because
IL vos for complimentary peoples; at de
other they won't take mein money"
Then there was s, another explanation, and
the watch which is to regulate tue time OF
the new state house elocf. :.ae irats Gernau
entered Inc grounds. For twenty yards or
NE he was heard grumbling, aud he
fatner dlstrusted the genuineness OF the
crisp and new hfty cent notes given him In
change.
THAT Dutchman," said the gatekeeper,
us fair sample OF the people We have 10
deal with. We are equired TO be Invariably
polite, at the same time enforcing the rules,
but can tell you In this sweltering weather
man is often tempted TO break out into
losing bis place. Old women, especially
those from the country, are often very trou-
blesome. The newspapers have done all they
could 70 help us ont, but these people don't
There are counterfeits presented at the
gates now and then, are there not?" asked
SHOT many now. Some time ago q lot of
swindlers drove hourishing trade in that
line, but the Commissioners drove them out.
think the few counterfeits presented now
come to their holders In the ordinary course
OF business. There are places around the
grounds where so cent notes are kept for the
accommodation OF visitors, but they are
generally fresh from the Centennial Bank"
"You must see some queer people once in
q while" said the reporter.
81 should say so. Why, almost the first
customer have In the morning is an old
lady who has told me In the strictest conn
dence that she is the owner not only OF the
Centennial grounds, but OF Fairmount par K
ITSELF She seems 70 take delight In strolling
lieve she speaks 10 yoOdy on the grounds.
Another OF my early birds is q daily visitor
TO Machinery Hall. He has a notion thai he
has nearly solved the problem Of perpetual
motion. The only drawb ack TO his success,
he thinks, Is the destructibility OF metals,
and this trif1ing defect he feels sure TO over
the combination OF metals he desires with
out capital, and 1 shouldn't wonder IL he
haunted the grounds In order 10 raise the
wind"
"rhese turnstiles seem to me a little mar
row." said The reporter.
"Wel, they're good enough for the ordi-
Larry run Of mankind, but now and then
komeb. 10y comes along that can't get
through and we have the deuce OF time TO
fix things. One day lady weighing 40
pounds (and actually as broad as she was
long, applied at one OF the gates for admis-
sion. Sic had a fifty- cent note in her haad,
but, contrastins the note with the size OF the
lady, the door keeper thopx.. was an ola.
Tune Three cent shinplaster until he u.o
looked at IL through a magnifyiug glass.
linen ne asked the lady In the politest Ian
guage 10 come in.
"Where?" said she.
"Here," said he. Then he looked at her
and turned pale. There was not 2 turnstlle
on the grounds that would admit her, and
the odds were twenty to one that she could
not squeeze through any OF the ordinary
exits. He was In quandary, but at length
that official arrived the order was issued ad-
uniting the lady through one OF the open
gates used for carts and wagons. To register
TIE turnstile and afterwards come out In the
usual way. Not long ago fat boy from the
far West The weighed nearly 500 pouuds) was
passed through in the same way. The turn
stile keeper was somewhat indignant that
the mother OF this youthful mountain of
flesh should have endeavored to pass him In
at half price on the ground that he was a
MINOR