The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-06-10
MAST IN WASHINGTON.
The Great Cartoonist Carries His Cray
on to the Capitol.

Impressed By Some PerSOnageS to Whom
He is Introduced by Our Correspond
ent, His Crayon Gets to Work
aOjH astonishing Results.
copyright, 1890 by Newspaper Syndicate Co
was sauntering down Pennsylvania
avenue, musing upon the misfortune of
knowing too much, trying to wish my
self back to those happy days when L
came to Washington an innocent stranger
and was filed with p~leasurable emotions
by the grandeur and beauty of its scenes,
awed in the presence Of its great men
and startled to excitement by standing
face to face with those who shape the
course and destiny Of this the grandest
nation that the history of man has ever
known. I was sauntering along in this
reflective state of mind when | was ad-
dressed by a short. intereSting-looking
man
Pardon me, sir" he said; "can you
tell me where the Capitol is?
Could I tell him where the Capitol IS?
l, whose profession it is to know not
only every Granny of that labyrlnthlne
structure. but the secret aims and pur-
poses of those men who are sent here to
OCCUPY i'll I looked pityingly down
upon tie stranger and he blushed and
raised his hat as if he feared he had I'M
warrantably interrupted the ponderous
meditatiOnS Of some great mind on which
the heavy burdens of the government re-
posed.
a am going to the Capitol" I said; 81
will show you the way
q will follow you" said he, in a rev.
erential tone, as he modestly stepped
apart to fall in behind me-.
He seemed to feel more at ease when l
informed him who I was and begged him
to walk beside me.
Before we had reached the Capitol we
were on terms of chance acquaintance.
He had told me that his name was Thos.
Mast, and that he sometimes made pic
lures for the illustrated periodicals. |
told him that l thought I had heard Of
him somewhere, and it seemed to please
him and to hasten our acquaintance.
$50 this is the Capitol Of the great
United States" he said, standing with
his h4ndS behind him, looking up in rap
tured admiration of the scene. my,
my anu here l stand in person before
the very Capitol itself"
As we were standing there, a big,
smooth-faced man with a loud voice and
louder gestures passed US and assembled
the steps. Mr.. Mast drew me into an out
Of the-way nook and, after looking eau
tiously up and down to make sure that
nobody was listening, said to me in a
whisper:
"S0mething is going to happen to-day"
"What is it?'
a don't know" said he, "but m
thing about the government is going to
be radically changed. You saw that big
man"
eyes"
Well, l overheard him at the hotel
this morning swearing and talking very
earnestly to a friend about some law or
other than he was going to have changed
right away. He said he had come on
here to Washington for that especial pur-
pose, and he was going to see his member
of Congress about it to-day and have it
fixed right up. Hadn't we better stay
around here and see the excitement?"
I told Mr.. Mast that I hardly thought
there would be any actual revolution be-
fore lunch time.
"Do you known who the big man is ?''
he asked.
eyes; he is a member of the board of
surpervisorS Of Kankakee county, out in
Illinois,
I began to take a profound interest in
Mr.. Mast and his refreshing innocence.
had become weary of association with
the journalists and other wise men of
Washington who know as much of affairs
as l do, and it was a distinct pleasure to
be with some one who acknowledged nv
superiority and looked to me respectfully
for information.
[ asked.
Mr.. Mast hesitated, blushed. looked
down at his clothing, and stammered:
"I-I-I didh't expect to 90 inside the
Capitol. didn't SUPPOSE didn't SUD-
pose L would be admitted. didn't come
prepared, you see, liam I dressed
properly = and he wiped the dust from
his boots with his handkerchief
Come along" I took him bv the
arm. y "10
As we were passing through a side cor
ridor a mar stopped me and spoke a few
words.
Was that a Senator ~ asked MI. Mast
as we resumed our way. ;
mo; that was a nephew of John G.
Calhoun"
A nephew Of the immortal Calhoun p
and MIR. Mast turned and looked after the
receding form in silent meditation.
How eccentric some Of these grear
men are ia dress!' said he, and then, after
a moments pause: "would it be imperti.
nent to ask what he said to you ~
Not at all" 1 answered, che only
wanted to borrow a dime"
Before we entered the Senate press
gallery Mr.. Mast stopped in front of &
mirror, smoothed down his hair, adjusted
MS necktie and picked bit of lint off his
coat.