The times., 1899-03-19
PILOTS IN THE PATHS
OF TIE CAPITAL
Guides Who Instruct Excur-
sionists Visiting the City.
Brides and Bridegrooms Ever Wei
come to Their Care.
Many Renew Their Pledges of Love
Where the Floral Marriage Bell
Swayed Over Nellie Grant.

Few citizens of Washington fully appre-
ciate the grandeur of their city or possess
an idea of many of the interesting details
of its history. Some Of the Oldest inhabi-
tants live in total ignorance Of histori-
cal spots located in the immediate vicinity
of their homes. The average Washing
tonian's knowledge of public buildings is
limited to their names and functions.
Many persons who have lived in this city
all their lives have been heard to say that
they never visited this or that building,
excepting once when friends or relatives
and expected to be shown the sights. The
majority of these confiding friends in COM
pany with their novice guides will make
hurried tour of the different points of in
terest, continually asking questions, be-
yond their companions power to answer.
and will return to their homes, impressed
with the magnificent structures, but
possessed OF little knowledge concerning
them. For instance: On an average 500
people visit the White House daily. II
they go in company with Washingtonian
they are told that it is the Executive Man
sion and the home Of the President. This
is usually the limit OF the information
obtained from a resident OF the city, while
as a matter of fact there are enough in
teresting features of the Executive Man
sion and surrounding lawns to fill book.
There is no excuse for visitor to the Ma
tional Capital to leave the city without
full knowledge of what they have seen.
Guides are plentiful.
Lettering near the gateway which leads
to the White House, can daily be seen the
weather beaten faces of two or three men,
whose appearance belle their stored up
knowledge of the White House and sur
rounding buildings. These men are au-
thorized guides, who are given permis
sion by the municipal government, TO pilot
strangers through the city, and instruct
them as to the points of interest. Their
knowledge Of public buildings is not con-
fined to the White House, but for rea-
sonable compensation they will guide a
person through majority of the buildings
of the city, explaining as they go, every
little detail which meets the eye, and
call the patrons attention to wonderfully
interesting places which would be over
looked under ordinary circumstances.
o. s. Florence and T. S. Stelle, two of
the White House guides, have spent the
greater part of twenty years in collecting
facts and details concerning points of in
terest, until they now possess a stock of
knowledge. which not only surprises their
patrons, but makes them wonder at their
memory. Pat Williams is another guide
who has not been in the business quite
SO long, but who is rapidly acquiring the
knowledge possessed by his fellow work
ers.
The guides live in the atmosphere of
public buildings, and glory in their voca-
tion. They possess not only great stock
OF information but have an interesting
manner of telling what they know. They
consider themselves, benefactors and
boomers of the city, economizers of time
and enlighteners of the ignorant and take
much pride in instructing their wondering
patrons. They naturally have the most
sublime contempt for uniformed persons
OF Washington, who endeavor to guide a
stranger through places unknown to
themselves. Continually coming in con-
tact with people from all parts of the
country the guides have become excellent
readers of human nature. 1t is quite as
easy for them to name the State from
which stranger comes as to locate the
different points of interest. bridal couple
can be detected as far as the eye can see.
The men who stand at the entrance of the
ronage from everyone who visits the place.
Experience has taught them to spot cheap
people" Immediately.
The egotistical Washingtoniap. CAV
countrymen. and people from the North
have long refused their solicitation and
are now left religiously alone to go heir
way in ignorance. The pick of the people.
the guides say. is the old groom with a
young and pretty bride. They figure that
she has married him for money and he
knows enough to spend it. Next to the
young married couples come the people
from the larger cities, New York and Bos-
ton furnishing the majority of their pat
roDs. The guides have also learned by e1-
perience that the most appreciative per-
sons are the educated ones. AS the size of
their fees depends largely upon the gener-
osity of the patron, they select people
who in their judgment can follow and
appreciate their rapid explanations. and
who will give correspondingiy handsome
fee. Excursonists are never patrons OF
the guides. This is accounted for by Pilot
Stelle, OF the Guides Corps, on the theory
that people who come to Washington on a
cheap excursion intend to see the city at
as small cost as possible, and consequently
have no money to pay for an education.
The different seasons of the year have con-
siderable effect upon the guide business.
Particularly during Lenten season, visitors
are less numerous than at any other time
OF the year. During the early summer
months of June and July, in which so
many loving couples join their fates for
life and come to Washington on their hon
eymoon, the guides reap their greatest
harvest.
Many instances OF ignorance on the part
Of people concerning the White House are
rpCItan oil
whose posts of duty are about the Execu-
tive grounds. While standing at the gate
way they are often asked in reference to
the White House, II the Capitol was open:
and probably dozen times a day enquiries
are made as to the name of the building.
In Steile's opinion, the most ignorant man
with whom he has ever come in contact
was a well-dressed and fairly intellectual
fellow, who did not know what the White
House was after being told Countrywo-
men who visit the Executive Mansion are
usually interested in the culinary depart
ment and express chagrin that they should
be denied peep into the Presidents kit
chen.
Slow to Take "a Hint
In the White House there is but one
room open to the inspection of the public.
This is the famous East Room, which has
been described hundreds of times. On the
casing of the door leading into the room
hangs sign announcing in large black let
tiers that ii is the only room open to the
public. OF the hundreds OF people who
visit the White House daily four ffths of
them after reading the sign will turn di-
rectly to an attendant and ask IL that is all
to be seen. The marvellous patience and
politeness which the White House ushers
display in answering this question for the
ten thousandth time is very commendable
On the glass vestibule door hangs another
sign, which. through the day, before 2