Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-08-04

at eleven o'clock instead of twelve, he
has had to depend upon watch, and
he makes it his business to carry the
correct time with him. Then, too, he
is always treasured by the speaker,
whose heavy gavel can be distinctly
heard upon the roof as it descends
upon the table below, calling the house
to order sit is pleasant enough in
weather like this remarks the cap
tain, ''but in such storms as we some
times have, most notably on inaugura-
ton days, the hosting of the flag is
often attended with some difficulty.
In earlier years, when the weather was
much more severe than in present
times, and the wind and rain
held undisputed possession of the
greater part of Washington, which was
then a common, but which has since
been built up, it required a pretty cool
nerve to go out on the roof with its mar
row balcony, and run up heavy flag
to a distance of twenty feet. It has
often reminded me of a ship at sea in a
storm, only the ship in this case is solid
enough and the waves come from
above. You would hardly believe it,
but in my younger days, during espe-
the top of that pole when it was all
covered over with ice and the ropes
frozen to it. AS you may imagine, that
was not very pleasant task nor safe
one. Even on this pleasant summer
afternoon, with the sun shining all
around us and hardly breath stirring,
you would scarcely enjoy a climb to the
top. Try it, if you don't believe it will
11~r 1oc< +
cended that icy pole came near losing
my balance and falling off. It gave me
quite a scare and 1 procured a pair Of
telegraph lineman's climbers for future
use; but, as it happened, that was the
last time the pole was frozen over, and
I never had chance to again show my
agility. Generally raise and lower
the flag every day, and only once in my
recollection since the civil war has it
foated for any length of time. That
was upon the occasion of the electoral
commission when the house was in ses-
sion for two weeks without an adjourn
ment. During the war when the flag
foated continuously, 1 went up to the
roof, hoisted the emblem Of liberty, and
then went for months vacation up
the river. When came back the stripes
in the flag were all blown away, and
only the union remained floating After
that took good care to be on hand to
watch the effect of the weather upon
my flag"
1t was formerly customary to have
the flag float at half mast over the
house from the, time of the death of
member to the date of his interment,
but now the senate alone observes that
rule and the house flag floats only while
the house is in actual session.
It has only been a short time since
the custom was originated of having
the United States flag over the capitol
every day in the year. Before the pres
ent sergeant-at-arms of the senate was
commissioned, it had been customary to
float the flag over the two houses only
while in session. During the recess
which occurs every short session, from
the 4th of March to the first Monday in
December, there was no indication that
this great marble building is under the
dominion of the stars and stripes The
new Sergeant-at-arms was struck with
the idea that the flag should float con-
| tinually from some part of the building
and be seen by all men. Accordingly,
after conference with the archi-
tect of the capitol, who has coordinate
charge of such matters, it was decided
! to make permanent institution of the
! flag, and ever since it has foated from
the exact center of the building, right
over the room occupied by the con-
! gressional library, whether congress is
! in session or not. From sunrise to sun
set the flag floats from the base of the
dome, over the west entrance of the
capitol. SMITH D. Fly.