Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-15

"Down."
"Up."
"Pshawl-
tug at the lever and up goes the elevator,
while the impatient passenger looks through
the fancy iron work and scrapes his feet on the
marble floor.
"Down?"
CUP"
down."
"Bahr'
The elevator drops down and another disap-
pointed passenger that would be sends deep
toned muttering down after it.
fat woman with two lean daughters and a
small husband comes running along the corri-
dor waving an umbrella at the elevator man to
stop in his aerial flight. 'Stop; want to go
down." she wheezes between short breaths.
"Going up" says the elevator man. as he
gives the lever pull. "Be down in minute,
madam" The little husband looks up into the
frowning face of his majority, while the lean
daughters peep into the committee room and
giggle. well, do declare this is the most
provoking thing in the world, to run the way
had to run with all my weight, and the eleva-
tor going the wrong way. I'd discharge that
man If had my way about it. know he does
1t on purpose He does it every time. 1t is
up when want to 60 down and Down when
want to SO up. III report him to my men,
ber." And the old lady grinds the point of her
umbrella into the joints Of the marble floor
and thinks all the othor things she would like
to say.
THE UPS AND DOWNS OF THE ELEVATOR MAN.
Through it all the House elevator man
smiles and hobs up and down, crying at every
landing: down? Down? DOWN." or up? Up2
UpT' He takes his ups and downs with smil-
ing philosophy and makes study Of human
nature in motion.
Curious people? Well, yes; all sorts of peo-
ple MIR. STAR, said the elevator man as STAR
reporter settled in a corner for a round-trip
ride. Lord knows how many ride with me In
week. They are young and old, men and
women, children and young girls. The young
glrls-well, there are lots of them. Some of
them not as young as they look at distance
either. take people up and take them down
who have come from all parts of the country
from the cities and from the backwoods and l
hear them talk-ln snatches. have come to
the conclusion that there are lots of queer
things IN human nature-especially in an ele-
yator"
POPULAR PLACE FOR FLIRTING.
Now.you would not believe but there is no
such other place for flirting as in Capitol ele-
vator. Why, / take folks in at the top floor
and before they get to the second story down
they have become acquainted and by the time
they get to the basement they are ready to take
lunch together. Somehow girls seem to like to
ride IN an elevator. Some of them come here
every day that the House is in session and you
could not count the times that they ride up and
down. And they always squeal when the ele-
vator starts and catch their breath when it
stops, and say, 'Oh, my!' They generally like
1t best when it is crowded. They will stand at
the grating and watch until the elevator is full
Then they will get on and generally find it is
going the wrong way after it has started and
they have to ride the round trip. Some of
them want to go back and forth more particu-
larly
BETWEEN ONE AND TWO O'CLOCK.
Why? l don't know; but that is the time
members are going to their lunch. You see
there is this thing about an elevator you may
not have thought of before. If some one wants
to see member, whether that some one is a
man or woman and the member will not come
out for card, the elevator is the last resort
II they can get the member in the elevator he
can't get away from them between floors and
they can manage on these slow elevators to get
IN great many words while the poor man is in
the air. Take these 'old ones who know n
Der to get in this car and then in they will pile
and catch him. He is at the mercy of his tor
mentor until the car strikes bottom. And then
he PUSHES through the corridor, dragging the
tormentor at his button hole.
BRIDES AND NERVOUS OLD WOMEN.
"Brides and gooms? Well, they aren't half
as bad as the old women. The bride is apt to
do a little squeaiing when We start, but when
they have got crowded back in a corner and he
is holding her so she won't fall they are quiet
enough and no more trouble than a bundle of
rags. The person never like to see is the
nervous old woman who weighs about two
hundred and is afraid to step on the car, but is
sure she would rather ride than walk up the
steps She steps very carefully on, then Jumps
back and tells me to be sure not to let it 20 till
she is well on. Then she tries again and lands
IN the middle of the elevator with frightened
look on her face When we get half way down
she Is sure it is going to give way and wants to
go back at once. When the car stops she
screams, and after two minutes Of palpitation
discovers that it was up, not down, she wanted
to go and she would like me to suspend work
long enough to tell her where she is.
COUPLES FROM THE COUNTRY.
''Some times folks come here and want to
know how much we charge for ride A
young couple from the country stood near the
door watching the elevator 60 up and down for
nearly half an hour. He stood and looked at
the thing dOubtfully, while she pulled his
sleeve and looked up into his face in pleading
sort of way. Once as l went down heard him
say II can't afford it," But after awhile her
pleading got the best of him and he watched
an opportunity to ask how much for a ride one
way. l asked him where he was from and he
told me. why" said, THAT Is Mr.. IS
district He never lets us charge any Of his
constituents. When they found it did not cost
anything they rode the round trip twice and
she sat close up to him. looking perfectly happy
all the while.
Il have never kept an account of the people
we carry III a day, but there are lots of them
| think, though, that have hauled more peo-
pie up and down to the galleries and back this
session than / ever did in the same length of
time before. Ladies? Most of them are ladies'
About two to one | reckon. This is an attractive
Congress for ladies, somehow. never saw