Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-02-07
ROR0ING UP SERENEIY.
Scenes on the House OF Representative.
Elevator,
MRN WHO WANT TO PAY THEIR rARE-MEMpERs OF
CONGRESS AFRAID OF THE "DuRNED THING"-
SOME OF THE HEAvY.wEIGHTS

| They were bride and groom from the West
and were accompanied By the brides mother-in-
law and an elderly young lady who might have
been the groom's sister They stood close to-
gether just behind the little iron railing near the
east door OF the House lobby where the elevator
runs up and down, carrying members OF Con-
| gress down to the restaurant below and visitors
to the galleries above. They manifested great
curiosity on seeing the people pile uto the car
rage to be borne up through the ceiling aud the
| bride touched her future comforter and guide
timidly on the arm and asked why that little
white button rang so when anybody touched it.
Because its hollow" was the prompt reply.
and the other ladies looked surprised at his
superior knowledge ard asked how he found
out, and the mother looked proud.
"Up?" cried the elevator man, reversing his
car as he got to the landing, and throwing the
blood to the heads of his passengers by the sud
denness of the stop. ''Up?" But they all four
shook their heads and stepped back little, and
! the young man began looking up at the ceiling
and whistlng as if admirng the curve of the
arches.
Down" cried the elevator man. tumbllng
suddenly from the floor above and standing with
the rope in his hand ready to start.
"N-n-nO." replied the young man, his face
getting red, as his bride looked half pleadingly
into it. And as the elevator dropped down
through the floor he began to tumble nervously
! In his pockets
"Up3" and the elevator again bobbed I'D
| through the floor. The bride punched her young
| lord syy in the back the mother-iu-aw scowied
encouraGingy, and the sister blushed and looked
embarrassed. The young man dove his hand a
| little deeper into his pocket, and then, as the
elevator man was abont to pull the rope to go
up, made a sign to him to stop, and pokin1 his
head In the door. said:
Say, mister. say, what dye charge? What'll
| you bob the four of US up and down once or
| twice for?"
Get in" said the man, pulling the rope i'm
patiently, as the bell began to clatter over his
| head. Get in
But want to know what ye charge want
! to bargain before bob. Its safer to have an
understanding about the charge, see"
oh pile in. pile in, cried the elevator man !;
1--WE don't charge nothing Take this as q
| treat" After they had struck the gallery floor
the groom inquired uneasily if it cost anything
to get back. and finding that it didn't. asked if
! they might take the round trip again. "Why,
amt it kind though" said the old lady to the
smiling bride. Just think, for nothing. Why,
when we went to the fair at Blank, don't you
know, they had pull-ups, swing-arounds. and
fy-abouts, and all kinds of thingamgigs, but
they made you pay ten cents every time you
tried them, and they weren't half as nice as
| this"
MANY like that7" asked The STAR man. who
was an Interested spectator.
Lots Of EN-" replied the elevator man,
Lots Of EN-" and be began to laugh to him.
| self, as he pulled the rope and cried House
door. Up? All right: get you as come down. "
Eyes" he added to iHE STAR, the smile still
lingering in his eyes and in the corners of his
mouth. Yes they often want to know how much
u costs to ride and I've had some OF them 60 up to
the bll-bOx there" and he pointed to the little
square electric bell and indicator In the corner.
| land try to drop money In 1t. When they find
it don't cost anything, they want to know if the
government pays me for it. or if l do 1t for my
| own amusement, and say if ever happen out near
their homes to come in and take dinner. Some
Of them think it is for the amusement of the
members, and shake their heads over the eX-
travagance. and ask If they have swing-around-
the-crces,' with wooden horses down in the
basement. Some want to know II | aint very
strong to pull the thing up all by myself. Some
get frightened when the car begins to move and
want to be let of "-"Up?-get on-th-e-re-
gallery noor-an aboard" And having I'M
loaded a cargo of visitors he began to drop
down. "Down. Judge; way dOwn-bath-al
right" and he dropped down to the very lowest
basement and landed the Judge" at the bath
rooms.
But speaking about people being afraid to
ride" he added. turning again to The STAR man
after giving tug at the wire rope to send the
elevator up, even some Of the members are
afrad-lots of folks. you know, are nervous
he will never get on If there are more than one
or two in the car. He is great big fellow, you
know, and suppose he's afraid such a weight
might break 1t down. But there's Perry Belmont
he don't weigh more than hundred and fifteen
or twenty. and he won't ride in the elevator at
all. He always take the stairs.
sometimes take up some pretty big loads.
l carry as many as nine men, and l can carry
fourteen women sometimes. But the heaviest
loads have is when l get Dorsheimer Tom
Reed, Frank Hiscock and Keifer on all at the
same time. They each weigh over two hundred
pounds, and Dorsheimer weighs over three hun
dred. Reed weighs about two hundred and
seventy-nve or eighty. Hiscock almost as
much, and Keller about two hundred and forty
tell you she goes slow when they get on to-
gsther They ell joke each other and say it is
going to break down, and other members pre-
tend to be afraid when they see one Of them
come aboard, and say they want to be let of.
There are quite q number Of men in the
House whose weight will make the elevator
squeak. Besides these there are Stewart, of
Texas; Cobb, Horr, Skinner. Alexander. Pussy
and Van Alstyns. None Of them would drop
under two hundred Then there are Lamb
Randall Finnsrty, Broadhead. Culberson,
Hutchins, Ellis; they are all very heavy men,"
House floor! Up2 Be back directly and get
you"