Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-03-16
WASHINGToN's CAPITOL GUIDES
They Have Pooled Their Interests and
Formed a Syndicate.

listing condition of affairs, the capito
guides-the dozen men who initiate the
brides and grooms Of the outer world
into the mysteries of the great build.
ing-lately merged themselves into 6
syndicate. They elected one of theil
members chief, declaring themselves
willing to be governed by his orders
and subjecting themselves to the rules
OF the organization known as Guides
Of the United States capitol, duly ap-
| pointed and sworn This trust
was formed December l, 1895 the Il
guides agreeing to stop the game OF
hog which has been continuing ever
| since the guides started in business. a
great many years ago. Howard Ken
nedy, who has been a pilot through the
| intricate shoals Of the nations political
harbor for 20 years or more, was
chosen chief. He may be seen any
day in the rotunda, short and swarthy,
astutely Sizing up the persons who
walk through the large vaulted cham
Der. He strokes his mustache con-
templatively and beckons one of the
juliet SulueS 10 uln.
Il just saw a nice looking couple
walk in toward the house, JIM" he
says. Follow 'em up and see if they
don't want somebody. I think there's
something in it,
Since We started in the POOLING
SYSTEM said one of the guides to the
correspondent, I'VE have found that
the thing has worked to the best in
terests of all concerned. We wonder
now why we never tried it before.
Why, sometimes we used to lose more
money than we made. How? This
way: Suppose there was a Sunday
school excursion or some other coming
to town. One of the boys who
thought he was pretty cute, would slip
off to the station and make himself
thick with the excursionists. Like as
not, he would spend some money on
car tickets, if it was a Sunday school
excursion, or drinks, if it was some
other, with the chance of getting moth
ing in return. Before it was case of
do one another. Now, we all work
together. I tell you, it's great. Ev-
cry day when the sightseers have gone,
we put our earnings in a pot and d.
Woe equally. We bind ourselves to
pay any member of the association IS
a week as long as he is unable to work,
collected from the other guides. That's
what we are doing right now in the
case of one of us who is SICK
fThncn 80
class to themselves, the men being we'll
known to all of the senators and rep
resentatives who have served any time
and the newspaper correspondents. 1t
is not an uncommon thing to see a
senator cracking a joke with one of
them or relating an incident, the tenor
Of which is, when | was member CT
the 46th congress-" or recalling some
circumstances of an even earlier date.
The majority of them are men who
have passed middle age and are of emf
nent responsibility. AS in every other
shape with affairs in Washington, the
office of guide is secured only by the
eNertion of not a little influence.
The sergeant-at-arms of the senate
and house and the architect of the cap
itol constitute a police board. A.
their hands lies the selection of the
guides. The candidates must be pre-
pare6 to furnish the best certificates
Of character and conduct before their
claims can be considered. The num-
Der is limited to y. Each IS furnished
with a nickel-plated badge by the po
lice board, for which the sum of 81 is
ex3cted. Whenever the badge is re-
turned the money is repaid.
Some, if not many, of the jobs in
Washington are sinecures, with good
pay at that. The office of guide differs
entirely in this respect from any other.
They are positions the appointments to
which are not sinecures and have no
salary attached. Whatever is made S
in the way of tips from the visitors
who are shown the sights. Hereto
fore the guides have been allowed 10
charge so cents an hour for party not
exceeding three persons. Since the
guides association has been formed
Iuc SuL1 vi ID CSuGS 10 usually dShSu
from each member of the party which
is piloted around, unless a fixed charge
is arranged in advance. The guides,
according to their regulations, while
not actually engaged in their duties are
obliged to stay in the rotunda, under
the eye of the chief. He sees that
they are not loaing and do not have a
chance to make little ION the side, ;"
if any one Of them should wish to do
such a thing. Then, the rotunda is a
common center to which every one
who visits the capitol gravitates.
The fact that the congressional IL
brary is now located in it's own build
ing is a great loss to the guides.
Guides are not allowed in the new
building Washington Post.