Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-05-10
THE MAN OF THE DOME.
A View OF the World From a High
Perch in the Capitol.

As often as visitors climb the tortuous stair-
case to the dome of the Capitol voice gives
them friendly greeting when they are az q
particularly steep angle OF the stairs
about half way up. Many yoang couple
have been startled by this greeting
as they look up 20 the whispering gallery
above and over at the pigrnies on the door Of
the rotunda below They look Rt the blank
walls about them and the dark stairs winding
above and below, and conclude that IL is
another Of the remarkable Capitol echoes I'M
I'll another greeting reaches them. aui through
an arch IN the NALL they zee tue old man no
lives an the dome.
A curious character is This old man OF tie
dome. lie L. tai and we.l-huilt man. with
remarkably bright ewes and a clear ruddv
complexion, ana would scarcely he called ti.s
old man except FOR his white hair and beard
Win his CHEEKY good-day he sometimes die
turbs a coy couple, but he "a 50 sociAble and
good-natured that they cannot COMPLAIN and
few words with HIM swakcns TIE lfi., rest OF
the stranger. lie Il an Old ghi,usoqhrr IN hs
way-a student ot human nature. IRON his
high perch IN the dome lie looks down each
day at the statesmen pass ing through the TO-
tunda from House TO senate ANA from senate 20
House, looking small.
NAY DOWN RrlCw HIN
Looking out at the h.gh windows ie rct. q
blrds-c view OF the city ana his vision a
broadened. His philosophy is directed by the
eNpanse Of his vision and as a locker on hc los
slowed away m his capacious head some quaint
and original ideas. Hour after hour dav after
day, month after month fOr tn wears or mora
lac has sat there IN his tower OF observation
and gathered m impressions. lie Is not a tra,-
eler. but the world. represented by the thou
sands OF strangers from all quarters OF tho
globe passes before him like panorama. ana
he knows much that the widely Travelled man
learns He IN fIl = a Rfghr MI,
l!ttle corner OF the word they first opened their
eyes upon, and many other things about them
selves one would not Toe expected 20 know ON
such short acquaintance. Heglv,s expression
10 many quaint ideas, causing the lntelligent
stranger 10 try further 90 draw ham out and TO
make many notes m has diary when the talk 10
ended Bnt the old man ui IL, dome as too
much OF a philosopher to bc much OF a tAiker,
ana with the manner 81 = Scutchrnau
Le cuts a conversation on Just where
he wants II 70 end lie H. one uf tire inhabi-
tants of the dome there by authority.
lie does not actually live. cat. sl.yu AMI dream
IN the dome, but his DAYS are spent there tho
year around Every hour ina. the tonne a
opened he Is there. and Vhru be- 4.o,, ht locks
all the doors behind him IN hIs winding Wag
down and hands hIs keys the watch room
tor the night
THE wArCHMAN OF TIE DOME.
He is the watchman of the dome. whose duty
it is to see that no vandalism befals the build
! ing nor harm comes TO visitors. AZ has sudden
| appearance IL sometimes a shocking interrur-
ton 10 affcctlonate demonstrations by vouu2
| people. who hope in the future TO climb a
winding stairs OF life together as they then
climb, has presence l. also an Insurance
| OF safety from injury or rudencss As
| philosopher lac never secs ANYTHING
| II Is not necessary 10 see, and never tells half
that he sees. He is not an ordinary policeman
who goes his iuqusltve rounds. lie used TO
De on the capitol force years ago. and after he
was retired from the force he was given a
Judgment IN the dome. His castle m the air 10
the archway TO the hrrt gallery OF the rOtunda,
/ above the fTluze work, which Is now closed on
! lie has the cracks stopped TO keep the wind away,
ana on shell IN one corner he Keeps tho
books which he gets from the National La
/ brary. Sitting there he can look over the top
! OF his books and command a view Of tEc starr
case, and has books are his companions on du 4
days. The lite in the dome las had a stron ?
/ influence upon has acute mind. and Le Is ons
Of the most interesting characters Of the many
at the Capitol