Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1888-10-04
Helena, Montana. Thursday, October i, 1888.
IN THE CAPITOL DOME.
Strange Voices That Scare visitors-some
Inopportune Remarks.

Inopportune Remarks.
A reporter saw fat colored woman the
other day standing in the passage about q
third of the way up the dome She was
dressed gorgeously in purple bombazine.
and carried hand bag and cotton um-
brella. She weighed about $50 pounds.
Laws. chile. she said in a frightened
whisper, II heahs voices Dis buildin' is
jes' full OBJ voices. Dey's ebrywhar bout:
An them chiluns done gone up an lef
me, an yer I is. Nun, dom much like
dem voices! Use afeard I'll nebber git
out OBJ dis" She was trying to be calm
with great effort.
and superstition to simple minded visitors
Country colored people particularly are
frightened at the voices they hear among
the clustering columns and arched pas
sages. Sometimes the voices come up
from under the feet, sometimes from the
solid stone arches overhead. Again they
sound from among the shadows in corner
where nobody is. They are heard in the
crypt, still more mysteriously in the old
hall, where there are plenty of people
stirring around in flood of sunlight, and
more strangely still in the great dome,
from whose height men have committed
suicide. The building is always full of
echoes. "Dese voices are ebery whar."
With these many Of the employees of the
Capitol and others fond of practical joking
play upon the nerves Of the superstitious
colored people. Sometimes the Jokes are
played on people who are not supersti-
tious. The saucer like canopy upon which
the great allegory roofing the rotunda is
painted acts as sounding board, and will
convey the least whisper with perfect dis
tinctness from any place in the upper gal
lery to the point opposite
When sentimental couples get close to-
gether in this circular gallery and lean
over the rail, watching the people moving
about on the floor of the rotunda below,
and whispering gentle things to each
other, meant for no ears but their own,
they are often overheard by innocent
looking young men who happen to be
lolling on the opposite side of the gallery,
as far away as possible. The young cou-
pie may be startled by some most inop-
perfume remark sounded in their ears
when no one is near them. At a most
tender moment an irreverent or jocular
remark is startling to their sense of Sc
curity. When parties Of tourists climb
up to the dome they are often astonished
to be addressed by name in the most
familiar way by a voice from one Of the
terrors painted on the canopy
above. Sometimes they are invited to
come up and take lunch A party of
Ohio people were in the gallery talking to
each other about their home matters. A |
young man on the other side of the gal |
cry listened until he got the names of
several of the party. Then he called out: |
'Is that you, Mr.. Blank? Why, how do |
you do? Come up here; we have lunch
here for Ohio folks" The voice appar-
emily came through the canopy, from
some chamber still higher up. They were
not astonished that the government
should make especial provision for the en-
tertainment Of Ohio folks, and they
promptly accepted the invitation. The |
whole party trudged up the very steep
and dangerous flight of stairs leading up
to the worm light, at the head of which |
they were met with a notice: Visitors
not permitted to go higher" And there
was no lunch anywhere in sight. Some
of the ladies were anxious to get down as
soon as possible.
Two colored men leaned over the rail
1nder the great allegory and talked about
Lynchburg, whispering mysteriously
@Cooo eiLiSo oGAiOUly pIlNdto 10 UueLu- |
selves. A young man lolled against the
all just opposite them-too far away to
hear. They did not mind him. Directly
. voice came out of one of the painted
igures over their heads, warning them to
20 back to Lynchburg, surrender them
selves, and repent of their wrong doing.
"Was it murderF' the voice inquired.
'De good Lodp cried the two trem-
'ling men. as they made break for the
tairs.
Another very old ex-slave was accused
" voice that appeared to come from the
mouth of the figure supposed to look like
eff Davis of being "a runaway nigger,"
nd threatened with the whipping post
nd return to slavery. These things
urround the dome with mystery, but
uch would not be permitted if the per-
'etrators could be caught at it.-Wash-
ngton Star.