Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-04

'Spring has come at last, and know II
officially" a 18th street banker remarked
81 am never certain about the coming OF
spring until / see the wooden weather steps
removed from the department porticos and
steps. The Treasury Department Is always
conservative in this matter, but this week
the weather. steps were taken down. Now
let the flowers bloom and all will be right,
for the spring has officially been declared to
be here"
r k*
we have more public holidays in Colo
RADIO" said Mr.. Geo. W. Marsh of George
town, Colo than the people here have,
for besides the days you have, We
have Watermelon day at Rocky Ford, in
the southern part of the state. where the
town gives free all the watermelon any one
can eat, besides a big one to take home.
Then we have Peach day at Grand juno
ton, where the finest peaches ever seen are
freely distributed; and Potato day at
Greeley. The Colorado melon equals the
Georgia fruit in size and favor. and is des-
tined to be a great success financially as
Well. Our peaches already are rated up to
the California product. and botn surpass
the Delawares in size. taste and beauty.
\
There are some things that the patent
Office does, and there are some things that
we are too highly educated to touch, OBJ
served An official of the patent office. "A
few days ago the office received letter
from a leading clergyman in Cincinnati, IN
which Re said: I am anxious to buy bicy-
Gle for my daughter, but cannot decide
which of the many machines now on the
market is the best Please advise me what
machine the patent office thinks is the best?
To answer the letter would have caused
bigger sensation than a proclamation by
he Dr. ri a
SO We simply said in, reply that he could
ascertain for himself by reading the adver-
tisemcnts of the various machines in the
ewspapars. Yesterday came a further let
ter from the writer, in which he said: I
Rave read SO much on the bicycle question
that am nearly driven to drink, but UP to
this writing 1 have not been able to de-
CT de- "
There are but few people who know that
in taking the walk leading from the western
portico OF the Capitol to the Peace monu-
nent they pass over the ground where the
first public execution occurred in this city"
said all old citizen. 1.-THE particular spot is
about twenty-five feet from the corners at
the entrance. The man was named Nc
Guirk. and he was hanged In 1902 for the
murder of his wife. The execution was very
sensational for the reason that after the
rope tied about the neck of the con-
demned man, he jumped of the scaffold. at
tempting to hang himself. He was lifted
back 10 the scaffOld by the attending priest
with the remark, Be man, McGuirk, and
do not commit suicide Tie difference be-
tween suicide and hanging is only half
minute said McGuirk, and thought l
would save them the trouble The public
jail in those days, and portion of it is still
standing. located in the alley in the
rear of the Baltimore and Ohio express
stables on c between Az and 9th streets.
nat n
rect to the Capitol grounds. and there were
but few buildings IN that neighborhood."
!. y y
THE Hancock statue viii have one advan-
tage over the other equestrian statues in
this city" remarked an artist, who had just
emerged from the canvased Enclosure where
It Is now baing assembled. 'fn that If will
have no recesses or other places in which
birds can build nests. Personally. 1 enjoy
seeing sparrows building their spring nests
In orr equestrian statues. but it is not re-
garded as artistic, ard the birds will be
boycotted. as 1t were, by this statue.
x X X
The path to the altar is poprlarly sup
posed to be strewn with roses. and however
this may apply to the brides fowery way
I know of one groom-elect vino complains
of the prosaic rubbish that is provided
for him to tread
with the first whisper of my approach
Ing marriage" asserts this pestered indi-
vidual, "my letter box began to yield Up
an increasing stack of mail each day; cir
culars of all sorts poured in upon me, some
setting forth the advantages of particular
spots as bridal retreats, some advertising
TRANSPORTATION facilities others Astounding
with good advice to young housekeepers
as to the most desirable place for pur-
chasing cooking utensils, china, furniture,
carpets, everything under heaven while
photo graphic outfit agents kept the post
men busy carrying recommendations of
their bridal kodaks. outing cameras
etc Tailors galore woke UP to the fact of
my existence and clamored for the honor
of fitting me out; haberdashers fell over
each other in their easernesS to serve ME,
and engravers and printers of every de-
Scription beSought my patronage in the
matter Of cards.
There is just one of three things I have
got to make up my mind about; either I
am a man of much greater Importance than
! had ever dreamed my friends are try
ing to make a guy of me with their con-
founded mail jokes or a groom-presump-
tive is the most prosecuted of mortals. and
II / had ii to do over again I'd take the
girl I love and marry her before any Nv
ing creature, except ourselves could get
wind of it," and a CLEAN of agony punctu-
ated the remark as he saw the office boy
enter with another ar1nful of circulars
*
There is one result of bicycle riding which
makes itself evident, in addition to the
greater freedom it allows the two sexes in
their intercourse with each other, and that
is the carelessness with which the wheel
habitues regard Il cir costuming. Dainty
maidens, who formerly picked their way
carefully over damp spots on the sidewalk
and who flecked with disdainful gesture
from their gowns the smallest speck of
dust, now. with joyous insouciance "get off
and push" whenever they are so minded,
needless of the fact that their skirt bands
may have slipped from their mornings a
gaiter button or maybe two, have been
lost in that last race for the brow Of the
hill. and if their hats are on one side AMI
their wells askew 1t only seems to add more
elements to the joy of bicycling
IT recently saw a statement" said a
gentleman to a Star reporter that Presf-
dent Cleveland Is tired of official life, and
that the lonesomeness of his Office is some
times almost unbearable. / have been told
that the President has few friends intimate
enough with him to sit and tell stories and
have L good time. / know Of two men.
both of them commercial travellers, who
find the latch string to the Presidents
home open to them al all times. They are
jolly good fellows, great hunters and fish
ermen, and when they go to see the Pres
fdent there is a long and interesting chat