The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-06-02
THE MAN OF THE OOME.
View Of the World From u Hsgl, Perch In
the National Capitol.

~ vs. NV = s18 ss
the National Capitol.
As often as visitors climb the tortuous
staircase 10 the dome of the capitol, says
the Washington Star, a voice gives them
friendly greeting when they are at a par
ticularly steep angle of the stairs about
half way up. Many a young couple have
bccn startled by this greeting as they look
up to the Whispering gallery above and
over at the pigmies on the fioor of the
rotunda below. They look at the blank
walls about them n the dark stairs
winding above and below, n conclude
that IL is another of the wonderful capitol
echoes until another greeting reaches
them, and through an arch in the wall
they see the old man who lives in the
dome.
A curious character is this old man Of
the dome. He is n tall and well-built man.
with remarkably bright eyes and a clear,
ruddy complexion, AZ d would scarcely be
called the 'old" man except for his white
hair and beard. With his cherry good
day" he sometimes disturbs a cosy couple,
but he il so sociable and good-uatured
that they cnnnot complain, and a few
words with him X the interest of
the stranger. He is AN old philosopher in
his way-a student OF human nature.
From his high perch in the lone he looks
down each day at the statesmen passing
through the rotunda from house To senate
and from senate to house, looking small.
Looking out at the high windows he
gets a birdscyc view of the city, and his
vision il broadened. His philosophy is
directed by the cxpanse OF his vision and,
as a looker-on, he has stored away in his
capacious head some quaint and original
ideas. Hour after hour, day after day,
and for ten years or more, he has
sat there in his tower of observation and
gathered in impressions. He is not a
traveller, but the world. represented by
the thousands of strangers from all parts
of the globe, passes before him like a
panorama, n he knows much that the
widely Travelled man learns. He can tell
strangers at sight what little corner of the
world they first opened their eyes upon,
and many other things abou themselves
n would not be expected TO now
upon short acquaintance.
He gives expression to many quaint
ideas, causing the intelligent stranger TO
try further to draw him out n to make
many notes in his diary when the talk is
ended. But the old man of the dome is
too much of a philosopher to he much of
a talkcr, and with the of a
Scotchman he cuts n conversation oil just
where he wants il To end. He is one of
the inhabitants of the dome by authority.
He does not actually live, eat, sleep and
dream i'm the dome, but his days are spent
there the year roun Every year that
the lone 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 i'm the watch room for the night.
He is the watchman of the dome. whose
duty il is 10 see that no vandalism bcfalls
the building or harm comes to visitors.
III his sudden appearance IL sometimes a
shocking interruption to affectionatc
demonstrations by young people, who
hope in the future to climb the winding
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