The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-07-01
UP IN THE BIG DOME.
THE FAvoRlTE AMUSEMENT OF Low
eRS IN WASHINGTON.
But the Walls Have Ears, and Occasion
ally They Seem to Have Mouths-A
Climb That Is Beset by Dihiculties-The
Policemen and Why They Are There.


There is no elevator in the dome of the
capitol, the outside and inside are devoid
Of stairs and visitors are puzzled TO know
how the people get to the top of the dome.
In tho little dark circular passage north of
the rotunda, between the rotunda and tho
supreme court room, are two little swing
ing doors covered with green baiZe, look
ing very rusty, dirty and old; small doors
which nobody would notice unless they
were pointed out by guide or some one
familiar with the capitol building. Who
ever opens these doors, however, looks
upon narrow stone landing from which
there leads circular, well worn stone
staircase, with iron railing, upward into
the darkness. Even when started up here
by one of the capitol guides, the visitor is
generally puzzled very much TO know
which way 10 go. After climbing three
or four steep stairways one comes TO a
door which is barred and so much Of the
climb has been for nothing. Retracing
ones steps half way down, swinging
door is reached, which yields readily TO
the touch, and the visitor steps out into
the open air Above and all around him
Is iron framework, while, after passing
along II narrow portico, more winding
iron stairs are reached. BY twists and
turns this leads up through the rough iron
braces among the rafters and then into
the dome itself. 1t has been estimated
that 500 people climb the dome every day
throughout the year.
On some days there are not less than
300 and occasionally there are thousand
people going up by twos and threes and
sometimes in larger groups. Neither the
hot weather of summer nor the chilling
winds of winter can prevent the tourists,
male or female, from winding their labori-
Gus way up the narrow staircase, which
leads by these spiral twists through dark
passages, mysterious way into that mys-
terious eggshell. The people who have
heart disease, wooden legs, apoplexy or
who weigh over 400 pounds, especially fat
feminnity of the chaperon order, are the
only tourists who do not climb the dome.
They come from every state in the Union,
from almost all conditions of life, from all
nations, and their talking and laughing
make strange sounds, some of them very
startling indeed to any quiet, thoughtful
person who ascends the stairway for the
first time.
The only people who climb the dome
and do not get tired and complain OF 1t
for months afterward are the young lovers
UT DTluul COuDltS. Inty tuhC tnclI tllIt,
too, in summer and stop on every landing
to whisper those things which nobody can
hear and yet which every body knows by
heart. When these dearly beloved brothers
and sisters have reached the tiptop and
stand right close to the great painting 60
feet in diameter and lean over the railing,
looking down at the pygmies tramping
about on the floor of the rotunda below,
| they are occasionally startled by soft voices
of spirits in the air. Sometimes in their
most tender moments they are astonished
| to DO addressed by name in the most IA
miliar way by voice from one of the alle-
J gorical pictures painted on the canopy
| above them. The fact of the matter is
J this great circular painting is one of the
| finest sound conductors in America and
makes an absolutely perfect whispering
gallery. A man sitting on the opposite
/ side of the gallery can listen to the young
couples talking, billing and cooling and
mentioning people at home until he can
| become sufficiently familiar with them
and their surroundings to almost scare
/ them out of their boots by some whispered
| remark. Whatever is said on one side of
! the painting is carried right across and
I sounds like a whisper in the ear of the
person to whom it is addressed.
| On one occasion there was a young
couple here from Fostoria, o., who re-
manned on one of the seats in the airy gal
! lery for an hour or more until the old man
| who sells pictures up there learned their
entire family history. Finally he re-
| marked: "Hello, Mr.. Blank, how do you
do9 Come up here on top of this picture
and see me- We keep lunch up here for
all Ohio folks, especially for lovers from
| Fostoria." The young man was fright
ened almost to death, but his girl actually
tainted in his arms. The surprise was so
complete and overwhelming that the old
man did not dare to tell them anything
about it nor explain to them the whisper
| gallery as he used to do with visitors
after he had played with them.
In addition to the regular policemen
who patrol the main floor of the capitol
| building and who take note of the fact
every time any person or couples or groups
of people go up to the dome and when
they come down, there are three policemen
placed at intervals along the stairway
| which leads to the dome to protect visit
| ors and see that nothing improper occurs.
| These policemen have probably made no
arrests in the last 90 years, because their
| presence prevents wrongdoing. Before the
| stairway leading to the dome was properly
guarded by the policemen, however,
great many purses and watches were
snatchcd and stolen from visitors. The
principal duty of the policemen at present
is to prevent visitors from defacing the
| dome by writing their names upon 1t or
chipping off pieces to carry away with
them. The roof, you know, is uncovered,
and men used to sneak up and steal strips
of it, so that 1t was really difficult to keep
the dome under cover. The policemen
| have nothing to do but sit still and watch
the people and study the various phases
of humanity. One of them is quite an
elderly man, who has been on the landing
in the dome so long that he has become
celebrated philosopher. He can toll many
odd stories about odd people and peculiar
characters who have passed In there, and
the many foolish questions they ask. as
we'll as the self Importance of some of
them. Washington Cor st. Paul Globe.
An Accessory.
| "Please, ma am, II the twins is asleep
| will Won LET ma borrow your baby car