The Indianapolis journal., 1890-05-20
THE MAN OF THE DOME.
View of the World from High Perch I'm
the National Capitol.

A View Of the World from High Perch In
the National Capitol.
Washington star.
As often as visitors climb the tortuous
staircase to the dome OF the Capitol a voice
gives them friendly greeting when they
are at q particularly steep angle OF the
stairs about half way up. Many young
couple have been startled by this greeting
as they look up to the whispering, gallery
apSSs aad s s es & he at eSs
blank walls about them and the dark stairs
winding above and below, and conclude
that it is another of the remarkable Capt.
tol echoes until another greeting reaches
they see the old man who lives In the
dome.
curious character is this old man of the
DOME He is tall and well built man, with
remarkably bright eyes and clear. ruddy
complexion. and would scarcely be called
the "old" man except for his white hair
and beard. With his CHEEKY good day."
he sometimes dlsturbs q coy couple. but
he is so sociable and good-D atured that they
cannot complain. and few words with
him awakens the interest of the stranger.
He is an old philosopher in his way-a
student of human-nature From his high
perch In the dome he looks down each day
at the statesmen passing through the TO-
tunda from House to Senate and from Sem
ate to House, looking small.
Looking out at the high windows he gets
q bird's-eye view of the city. and his vision
is broadened. His philosophy is directed
by the expanse of his vision, and. as q
looker-on, he has stored away In his capa-
Hour after hour, day after day, month
after month, for ten years or more. he has
sat there in his tower of observation and
gathered in Impressions. He is not trav-
eler, but the world, represented by the
thousands of strangers from all quarters OF
the globe. passes before him like pano-
ramma. and he knows much that the wide
ly-traveled man learns. He can tell strang-
ers at sight what little corner of the world
they first opened their eyes upon, and many
other things about themselves one would
not be expected to know upon short ac-
quaintance
He gives expression to many quaint ideas,
causing the intelligent stranger to try
further to draw him out and to make many
notes in his diary when the talk is ended.
But the old man of the dome is too much OF
philosopher to be much of talker, and
with the manner of a ScOtchman he cuts a
conversation off just where he wants it to
end. He is one of the inhabitants of the
dome there by authority. He does not
| actually live, eat. sleep and dream in the
dome, but his days are spent there the year
| around Every year that the dome is opened
he is there. and when he goes he locks all
| the doors behind him in his winding way
down and hands his keys in the watch-room
| for the night.
He is the watchman of the dome, whose
duty it is to see that no vandalism befalls
the building nor harm comes to visitors
| If his sudden appearance is sometimes a
shocking interruption to affectionate dem
onstrations by young people, who hope In
| the future to climb the winding stairs OF
| life together as they then climb, his pres
once is also an insurance of safety from
injury or rudeness. AS philosopher he
| never sees anything it is not necessary tc
| see, and never tells half that he sees. He
| is not an ordinary policeman who goes his
| inquisitive rounds.
| He used to be on the Capitol force years
| ago, and after he was retired from the force
he was given a Judgement in the dome,
| His castle in the air is the archway to the
| first gallery of the rotund a, above the frieZe
work, which is now closed off. He has the
cracks stopped to keep the wind away, and
| on a shelf in one corner he keeps
] the book which he gets from the National
/ Library. Sitting there he can look over the
| top of his books and command view o,
| the staircase, and his books are his com.
paniOns on dull days. The life in the dome
has had a strong influence upon his acut.
| mind and he is the most interesting char
acter of the many at the Capitol.