Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-15
sIGHTLEss CAPITOL GUIDE.
Some Stories About the Achievement
of Prof. Donaldson.

of Prof. Donaldson.
The first "authorized" guide who ever
served as such about the Capitol was
prof" T. B. Donaldson. There is moth
ing remarkable about this statement, but
when the additional statement is made that
Prof. Donaldson was a blind man, there
seems to be a contradiction in terms. Prof.
Donaldson appeared here about the time
the wsr closed. He was travelling phrenol-
ogist, and very good oae-that is, a good
phrenologist. AS a man he was not very
good man. He drank all the liquor he
could conveniently get, played cards con-
sideTabiy and was about everything that
is understood when q man Is classed a
rounder.
There were a number Of card rooms run
publicly those days in various portions of
pennsylvania avenue, and especially in the
| neighborhood of the hotels. To these Dor
aidson was regular visitor. OF course, 10
play many games he had to know the
cards though In some that was not abso-
lutely necessary, though very convenient.
To place him with all his rights he was
allowed to have boy with him. The boy
knew the cards very well. Card players
as a rule did hot care to play with Dom
aldson, though the houses could not refuse
plays from him when staked against bank
games.
He was borne with on account of his in
| trinity, for thoroughbred card players are
| generally a trifie superstitious. The pro-
lessor never forgot that he was a phrenol-
| ogist, and he picked up fees constantly in
| his calling. As years ran along the profess
| sor ran out Of friends and he eked out his
| living with considerable difficulty His
| eyes were completely gone, ard his disfig-
| urement was covered up by large green
| glasses. During the famous debate the
| French arms question in the Senate, when
| senators Sumner, Simon Cameron, Logan,
| thurman, Upton, Schurz, Conkling, Nor
| ton and others played such prominent parts
for and against the Grant administration.
| Pref Donaldson was a regular visitor to
the Senate gallery.
He never missed a session. He was a
| New Yorker. a friend and an admirer of
| senator Conkiing, who was one of his reg
| ular patrons, for things had come to such
bass with the professor financially that
| he was forced 10 solicit aims. AS he sat
| IN the gallery, strangers, rot knowing he
was blind, would often ask him to point
| out and lame the leading senatorial gladi-
| ators OF that era This the professor ac-
commodatingly did. II was all right IL
the Senators were seated in their own
| chairs, but all very wrong If they hap
| pened to be in other seats
In the third seat on the right from the
| main aisle, second row." The Star writer
orce heard tie professor say to a visitor
| TO The gallery you see Charles Sumner
without doubt the finestIookng man, the
| most picturesque and the best-lrassed man
| IN the chamber. To his right, with a cover
| ing OF darker hair, though gray, sits Sen
| ator Henry Wilson. In, the rear on the
ieft' sits the grandest one of them all, Ros-
| coe Conkling. his hair being, you will no.
| ice, about the same shade of red as that
| on the head OF Carl Schurz who sits to the
| front OF him and TO his right over there
on the LETT you will see stal.ding Oliver Z.
Morton. Though a republican, lac sits on
the democratic side of the chamber. for.
being paralyZed, he cannot stand alone, and
mas to have the aid Of the apparatus Won
see to hold him up when he desires ia
stand, which is very seldom, as he makes
and has made for years, all of his great
speeches from sitting position. Behind
him is the democratic Roman, Allen G.
| Thurman
He would go on with his entertaining
descriptions in this way and give his hear
ers better ;dea of the scene than could
many who were possessed of sight. But
| IL was not alone in the Senate he succeed
| ed so well. On the House side he was
equally at home and entertaining. He
knew the voice of every public man, and
| called out the name, before he had gone
| further than addressed the chair for recoE-
milton. His description Of the paintings in
| the rotunda and galleries was the result
| of listening to the observa lions Of others.
Professor Donaldson always took special
pride in showing to those under his guild
| ance the clearly defined head of Napoleon
| that appears by accident in Moran's paint
| ing OF the Yosemite valley. In the old he =
| Of the House of Representatives he was
very much in evidence, and those who had
! his services as guide therein received much
, valuable information and some hints that
, even the best-infofmcd OF the present corps
of guides do not always impart to those
employing them. He was particularly at
{ | home with some of the interesting phases
Of the echoes, though some things have
| been discovered about the distance" and
| double echoes of late years that were not
| known then.
: He walked TO the principal echo stones as
| directly as could any ore, and never made
| a mistake. His whispering gallery" de-
; scriptions up in the top Of the dome We're
very fine, in the serse that they were
novel in effect and showed that he had a
more than usual appreciation. The rush
of visitors TO the Capitol during the CEN
tennial year was very large, and TO accom-
modate the same corps of guides were or
ganiZed. Several of the first authorized
1 guides learned from persons told by Prof,
: | Donaldson some of his best STORIES and,
n indeed, some of them are told today.
: | Those who hear them would be surprised
| if they were told that they were the sights
| of a blind man.
e Prof Donaldson has been dead for twelve
: years