The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-23

couple here from Fostoria, o., who re.
manned on one of the seats in this
airy gallery for an hour or more until
the Old man who sells pictures ur
there learned their entire family his.
tory. Finally, he remarked: Hello
MI Blank, how do you do? Come uu
mere on top of this picture and see
me: we keep lunch UP here for all
ONO folks, especially for lovers from
Fostoria-" The young man was fright.
ened almost to death, but his girl
actually tainted in his arms. The sur
prise was so complete and over
Whelming, that the old man did not
dare to tell them anything about it,
nor explain to them the whisper gall
leIy as ne used to do with visitors,
after he had played with them.
Another story is told concerning two
coiored men who had climbed the dome
and were standing there talking about
their nome in Lynchburg,a Va, and
wishing that Jim, John and Jake, Sal
lie and the rest Of the people would
come to Washington and climb the
dome, when they were startled to hear
voice sounding in their ears as
though from spirit in the air saying:
Ihe policemen are aware Of your
presence in this city and you will be
captured as soon as you go down
stairs. That was a cowardly murder
Whlch you committed in Lynchburg
and you need not expect to escape.
You will be taken back and you will
be hanged" Both these darkies went
tumbling down the winding stairs and
disappeared from the capitol in very
few minutes. They were probably the
worst frightened fellows who ever
climbed the dome.
In addition to the regular policemen
who patrol the main floor of the CAPT.
inc ND yI0 f01-~
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 visitors
and see that nothing improper occurs.
These policemen have probably made
no arrests in the last twenty years,
because their presence prevents wrong
doing. Before the stair way leading
to the dome was properly guarded
by the policemen, however, a great
many purses and watches were snat-
ched and stolen from visitors The
principal duty of the policemen at
present is to prevent visitors from de-
facing the dome by writing their
names upon it 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 it was really difficult to
keep the dome under cover. The po-
fcemen 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 a celebrated
philosopher. He can tell many odd
stories about odd people and peculiar
characters who have passed in there,
nd hn Oh hoy
ask as we'll as the self-importance Of
some of them.
Some Of the people insist upon going
out on the balcony where there is
no railing, and such persons frequently
give him a great deal of annoyance
and trouble. He says that on one oc-
casion there was a very stylish and
dudish fellow came there and insisted
upon going out on the forbidden gall
lery with his wife, claiming his right
as &c. distinguished citizen" He said
so many times that he was dis
tinguished citizen and had a right to
go wherever he pleased, that finally
the policeman said: 1.-The most dis
tinguished man in this country is not
permitted to go out on that balcony,
and certainly you cannot go. I have
here a picture of the most distinguish
ed man In the country, and l have
again and again refused him permis-
sion to go out on that balcony, just as
I have you. Here is picture of tho
most distinguished man in the coun-
try" said the policeman, and he took
a hand mirror and held it in front
of the pompous visitor. The stranger
swore a little, while his wife laughed
until she almost died.
1 saw a very handsome elderly lady
sitting upon one Of the settees in the
rotunda one afternoon last week, and
ascertained from one of the capitol
guides that she was a chaperon for a
young couple from Baltimore. She
sat there alone for about two hours,
while the young couple climbed the
dome. The chaperon weighed about
two hundred pounds, was very fat
and good-natured lady and was prob
ably selected by the young lady for
her immense avoirdupois. That is the
kind of chaperon to have. Whenever
any girl comes to Washington with a
lover in the party. the lady who is
selected to chaperon her should be
selected from the heavy weights of the
city or village. No fat person can
climb the dome, and 1t is one of the
finest places for Irritation on the face
Of the globe. The guides tell me that
there are from ten to thirty big fat
chaperons sitting round the rotunda
every day, waiting for the return Of
the girls whom they are watching.
IS. D. L.