Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-21
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entire rooms for their use. while the por-
tons occupied by the War and Navy De-
partments are terribly crowded. Rooms
which were designed to be occupied by five
clerks at the most have in some cases as
many as fifteen clerks, and taking the
building all the way through have, on an
average, ten clerks or double as many as
it was intended should go in them. The
board has decided to q k for the construc-
ton of an entire new building for the State
Department though they have not yet
agreed on site. several available ones be-
ing under consideration. Even then if the
country keeps on growing and get one
or TWO more wars on hand. in ten years.
or twenty at the farthest. there will have
to be another separation. and the entire
building will be used by either the War
or Navy Department and another building
erected. BUT be this as il may one thing
is certain for it is a condition. not the
cry. which presents itself. the State De-
partment will in the course of the next five
years have new domicile, simply because
it will be crowded out"
This is a story of actual occurrence The
principals area high-bo-n society woman
and Waterman in the Navy Department.
On recent holiday. when the great gram
tie building which contains the State, War
and Navy Departments was closed Ito all
save a favored few. she presented herself
at the Navy Department entrance. He
barred the way. She gave her name and
said she wanted to see Mr.. SO and So, nam
ing well-known army officer. The mes
senger said the building was closed to Wis
itors and that she could not come In that
doorway under the rules. He added. how
ever that if she went around to the War
Department entrance she could send her
card to the official she desired to see. She
was visibly veXed, but was compelled to
accept his suggestion and walk around TO
the main entrance on the avenue. The sug-
gestion worked all right and the lady was
soon ushered into the presence of the Off
cial. She told of her experience and added
the statement that the Waterman had in
suited her grossly by placing his hands on
her. The officer was naturally indignant
and at once laid the case before the cap
tain of the watch. That official said he
would investigate the matter and that il
the doorkeeper had offended in the manner
described he would be dismissed Shortly
afterward- he returned to the officer and
said he was satisfied the principal charge
was not true. for the simple reason that
the Waterman who was complained of had
no hands. having lost part of both arms
in an accident, their places being supplied
with an iron continuance ending in hooks.
The officer remembered the man and was
entirely satisfied with the explanation
What he said to the lady is not known. but
his faith in the veracity of the fair sex Is
not so strong as it was.
x X X
NidI5tS dlt uipuSul very SLOWLY
in and about the Capitol. Every object has
grown sacred in the eyes of legislators who
have the greatest veneration for relics of
the past and are 10th to permit an innova-
ton unless the demand for it is of char
acter that cannot be resisted On the lawns
about the building are stately trees that are
as safe from the woodman's ak as any ar
ticle of the Constitution is from change
And for a LONG Tina tha oil Of
hardy bushes that almost lined the drive
ways. Many one with an eye for beauty
in landscape gardening had placed his
disapproval on these clumps of green, which
interfered with the view and added little or
nothing to the beauty Of the grounds. But
they were there, and that was sufficient rea-
son wig they should be allowed to remain
Finally, a narrow escape from an accident
caused the downfall of the bushes. A SEN
ator suddenly emerged from behind one of
these clumps of green in going from the
walk to the roadway and a bicycler, not see
ing him. barely escaped running him down.
That was enough. Then the issue was not
one of landscape beauty against an estab-
lished condition. 1t was an established con-
dition against senatorial safety, and the
bushes went, and went quickly. A clear
view can now be had throughout the
grounds. and after the innovation was once
made everybody who had INSTRUCTED it
Joined in commencing what had been done
X X
The robins which make their homes in
the White House grounds in the spring and
summer had a great feast the day after
Easter Monday egg rolling" said White
House attache. Il never saw birds eat SO
much in my life. If hard-boiled eggs will
hurt man. then I'm afraid that many
bird had to hunt up squilis and other
things at the bird druggists for over-indu-
gence. The children who celebrated Easter
Monday on the grounds left hundreds of
pieces of eggs. as well as a great many
whole ones. The birds found out the true
situation late Monday afternoon, but they
didn't have time to do much before dark.
and apparently passed the word around
among the robin family about the picnic to
he had on Tuesday morning. There must
have been $50 robins in the grounds eating
hard-boiled eggs before the gardeners
could get the grounds cleaned. There are
usually not over fifteen or twenty robins
which stay here in the grounds in the sum-
ner, but l m sure they sent out invitations.
Not many birds of other species got much
out of the feast, as the robins ran them
off. l was surprised that there was not a
great aggregation of sparrows. There
We're not many. and they remained on the
edge of the grounds. They seemed to care
more for scraps of bread than for eggs,
but the robins surely love eggs. Yes, the
robins have just come back from spending
the winter in the south They go south in
November and come back north about
April l. Not many stop here as the others
go on to their homes in the north"