Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-23

Speaker Crisp to approve his claim, after
| which he would present IT to the President
and get his money or know the reason
why" He was led gently from the Capitol
and advised to 80 home.
when the present session Of Congress
nrst convened a middle-aged man in seedy
black made daily pilgrimage to the Capt.
tol and wandered nervously and restlessly
through the corridors He paced from the
Senate side to the other end Of the build
Ing and back again Continuously throughout
the day. but was never seen to speak to
any one. Throughout the hot August
weather he sweltered In a heavy winter
frock coat. worn smooth and shiny. and his
general appearance was that Of a shabby
genteel" When not at the Capitol ID,
haunted the downtown hotels. going from
one to the other In an aimless. nervous
manner. There. as At the Capitol. he spoke
to no one and never remained still = mo
ment. roaming up and down the corridors
and about the streets. At last II developed
the army. wha had been relieved Of his
command for some reason. with the result
that his mind became unbalanced. In his
wanderings to and from the Capitol he was
engaged in an effort to have himself APP
pointed major general Of the army. He
finally disappeared, and his friends prob
ably removed him from Washington or con-
fined him where he could not harm him
self or others
A strange Old Woman.
One Of the strangest characters to be
seen about the Capitol Is an old woman of
the genus crank. She makes herself entire
ly at home and to the casual observer ap-
pears to be empioye. She is well ad-
vanced in years. but wears her hair in
curly ringlets. much as would young girl.
about her wrnkled features. and the effect
Is very grotesque. She wanders bareheaded
about the building, greeting with q shipper
ing manner every one she meets. She speaks
In a piping. childish tone and Is very volu-
BILE. Sometimes she sits at a window IN
one of the corridors for hours at a time.
speaking to every one passing her way as
IL she had known them for years. II one
of these stops to talk with her she Is eager
for conversation and tells some marvellous
tales. Recently. under the inspiration Of
the centennial celebration. she has been
telling visitors that she was present when
the corner stone of the Capitol was laid.
II her statements are not readily accepted
she becomes very angry. Another favorite
narrative with her Is that she was wounded
during the late war while serving in the
southern army In male attire. What may
be her motive in frequenting the Capitol
no one knows. Those who should know
state that she Is not on the pay roll In
any capacity. and she does not ask aid In
any way. Where she comes from to the
Capitol and where she goes when 1t closes
IL mystery. but as she appears entirely
harmless no one interferes with her or de-
mands to know her business.
The Order Against Grips.
few days ago Sergeant-at-ar,ns Bright
Of the Senate issued an order to doorkeepers
and messengers instructing them to allow no
one to enter the Senate lobby or galleries
with q valise or package of any description.
The fact was telegraphed a New York paper
with the sensational explanation that the
order was issued to Illustrate plot 20 throw
. Dynamite bomb into the Senate, the de-
tails of the conspiracy. It was stated having
leaked out here. This was supposed to be
the measure of punishment to be visited
upon the Senate for its hardness Of action
on the repeal bill. The story was probably
without foundation. but be that as 1t may,
the order was issued The very next morning
man. apparently from the country. started
into the public gallery of the Senate with a
rusty-looking valise In his hand. door
keeper detained him with the statement
that he must leave the Valise on the out
side. He became indignant and argued In
loud tone for several minutes, but finally
consented to be relieved OF his burden when
the doorkeeper promised to be responsible
for its safekeeping. When he returned he
opened 1t to get his lunch, and the only
other contents were a pair Of old shoes and
a bottle Of whisky. There was no dynamite.
Employees of the Office of the sergeant-at-
arms explain the recent instructions az only
the revival of a long-standing order intended
to prevent the Transformation of the Senate
galleries into baggage rooms.
Trouble for Congressmen.
The casual visitors to the Capitol make
more trouble for Congressman than would
be generally supposed They send in their
cards and when their Representative ap-
pears they explain with much self-satisfac-
ton that they are after no ONCE. but
merely called to pay their respects." In
htla. They are constituents Of the member.
however. and of course he must show them
some attention. He takes them down into
the restaurant to lunch and then chases
them over the building. A Congressman
showing friends through the Capitol Is al
ways amusing. He knows considerably less
about the building than the professional
guide. and his ignorance Is made painfully
apparent through the numerous questions
Of his visitors. He usually makes the tour
OF the building In rush, skipping as much
as possible and getting through soon as
may be. II. after accompanying his friends
for few minutes. he can turn them over
TO guide without being detected in plac-
ing the half dollar in the latters hand. he
Is glad to excuse himself and slip back
into the House.
The Capitol guides complain that there
has beer very little money In the crowds
that have filled the building thus far this
season. The depressed financial situation
seems TO have affected the visitors. and
tney are not scattering money broadcast.
Indeed. they are spending as little as pos
stble, and the great majority of them do
the Capitol without the services of a guide
Mary OF them procure guide books before
trey reach Washington and study up on
the points of interest, so that they are
pretty well Informed before they reach
here. Even foreign tourists can secure
these cooks In their native tongue on the
other side Of the water. and nearly all Of
them come supplied with Information de-
rived from that source. The guides depend
almost entirely on American tourists for
their fees, and they declare that this has
been one OF the hardest seasons they have
ever known. The Capitol guides have been
well advertised by the press of the country.
but they think that the Advertising has
not helped their business.
Prominent Men Sought.
The average Capitol visitor soon tires of
the gallery. They come imbued with the
Idea that the debates are always at fever
heat. and the monotonous nature of the
congressional proceedings soon drives them
from the gallery. Lady visitors arc fond of
carrying opera glasses with them into the
galleries. and with these they seek out the
younger and handsomer Senators and Rem
resentatives. The Identity of Senator VOL
colt Is much inquired of, as is also that Of
Senator Hill. The male visitors nearly al
ways ask about Senators German, Rrice
and Sherman Over on the House side Tom
Reed Is always an object Of interest to the
gallery visitors. and many inquiries are
made about Bourke Cochran. Wilson Of West
Virginia has grown into DrOmfnencs and