Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-19
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zone of the most amusing things that
happen during the trips of the elevator 10
the top of the monument, amusing because
there is so much of it explained one or
the Washington monument elevator con-
ductors to Star reporter lis the constant
talk of the people about their feelings on
arrival at the top of the monument. All OF
them state that they have but little conf
dence in themselves. as far as their perso-
nal control of themselves is concerned; that
their experience has always been on reach
ing the roof of high building or monu-
ment that they feel impelled to jump on,
and that they can hardly resist the desire
to jump off. Now. this feeling Is all pure
Imagination. for a matter of fact there
is no jumping off of the tops of monuments
ever reported. and none takes place. here
or elsewhere. 1 presume 1 have heard one
hundred thousand persons during my ex-
perience an elevator conductor talk
about this irresistible desire to throw
themselves off into space and eternity: but
i have always noticed that the persons who
talk most about their utter inability to con-
troll themselves are the most careful OBJ
servers of the rules on arriving at the top
and that the idea of jumping off never Sc
riously enters their heads until they are
from the top. They talk constantly, how
ever. about jumping off. but it is all talk
and in my opinion, is simply a sign of ner-
vouSness consequence of the excite
ment caused by the trip. 1t is the same
way all over the world. and in connect: on
with the towers, exposition wheels and the
like
Suicides now and then DESTROY them
selves by jumping off monuments. but the
statistics show that there are more suicides
in churches than from monuments The
same kind of talk is heard on the steps
leading to the dome of the Capitol Every
one who has ever been on the top of the
capitol knows that beyond the railing there
are no precautions taken to prevent persons
from jumping off if they desire, and yet
the history Of the Capitol shows but two
suicides in connection with jumping. and
those who suicided only used that method
because it was the handest when the desire
for self-destruction seized them. The man
or woman who talks about jumping off
monuments need not be watched for 1t
is tons of gold to a toOthpick that they will
not lnjure themselves. notwithstanding all
the opportunities offered. Children never
talk about jumping off and seem to be sur
prised at hearing their parents induIging
In such talk. One of them recently said to
me: Papa talks about jumping. but he
can't jump as far as l can Another evil
dence of this nervousness or excitement Is
the statement heard from about 5 per
cent Of visitors that they distinctly feel
the monument moving; that 1t is swaying
with the wind. Indeed. some feel the monu-
ment swaying when there is no wind at all,
and they are just as positive about it
others are on windy days. Now, as a mat
ter of fact. the monument does not sway
with the wind to any extent whatever and
never has. This has been proven by accu-
rate and careful scientific observations.
But a certain percentage of visitors do
sway, and the swaying is confined in them
selves. They feel the sway the most if
they go up the monument after they have
been sightseeing in Washington for
eral days and are rather tired out. On this
account l would advise all who can to do
the monument the first day they are in
Washington, rather than postpone it until
their iast Gay, when they are necessarily
hurried and not in shape to properly APP
preciate the trip thoroughly and enjoy
their obSerV lions.
X x
There were no field blackberries this
season. as far as Maryland and Virginia
are concerned said commission dealer
TO a Star reporter, land the result has
been that there were but few on the mar
ket- These sold high, indeed; they aver
aged double the ordinary price. The sup
ply of cultivated blackberries, however,
was very large, the crop this year being
unusually heavy. The supply of dewber-
ries or ground blackberries, as they are
called, was also large and was in a high
state of development. The intense cold
weather last February killed every black
berry bush in the fields, and it was known
as carly as April that they would not bear.
This loss of the field or wild blackberry
crop is very serious thing for thousands
of colored people in the immediate vicin-
ity of this city, in Maryland and Virginia,
for they could average 81 per day on field
blackberries If there were any. They gen
orally begin selling at 10 cents per quart
and get lower as the season passes along,
but rarely ever reach lower than 3 cents.
The field blackberry means shoes and
school clothing for many children, and
without the income they earn picking the
berries / do not see how they are to get
along this year. 1t is true the cultivated
blackberries did well, but these berries are
grown on farms on which other things
grow, and are never the property of what
are known rs the berry pickers, who have
to depend for their summer support on the
berries grown i'm the fields. though they
occasionally earn something picking at a
cent to two cents per quart when they are
scarce, the cultivated berries. for the own
of the bushes. There are more black
berries ordinarily put up than all other
berries combined, Strawberries Eanling
next. and IL makes a very serious differ
ence in the sale of fruit jars and sugar.
There were some southern field blackber-
ries on the market for few days, but
they were held too high for those who
in the habit of putting them up, and they
held off buying. thinking that the supply
would increase. But it failed entirely.
This is a small matter to the average
person. but. as l said before. it is really
about the most important one that happens
in connection with the school life of thou
ands and thousands of colored as we'll as
white children in Maryland and Virginia,
as l have had reason to know, for in my
schooi-boy days II happened to be my lot
to be berry picker"
y r +
1.-THE experiences of recent modern
Nidocq have been the occasion of considera-
bic gossip among railroad employees as well
as Others" observed railroad conductor
to a Star reporter, ''in which the Vidocq
figured on the wrong side. 1t appears that
some weeks ago a well-known young man
satisfied himself that he was about to make
an important discovery of gang of coun-
terfeiters. who were engaged in making
money which was soon to be placed in cir
culation through a combination of agents
wholesale and retail. Much of his informa-
tion came from the fellows who afterwarI