Evening star., 1900-12-15

corresponding numbers. In these modern
days the front door of the White House Is
not locked at night. Practically no doors
are locked, and If the steward should look
around for keys he would probably not
find half Of those formerly in use. Big
policemen are about the only doors at the
Executive Mansion. They guard the main
doors at all hours of day and night, and
there is need to close and lock the inner
doors. Before President Lincoln's time
policemen were rare at the President )
home, and when all the clerks and servants
Lad gone home at night the housekeeper
went around and carefully locked all the
doors inside and outside except to rooms
occupied by those going in and coming out.
The next morning it was necessary to look
at the numbers on the keys and doors 50
that the keys and locks would correspond.
1t is not known how many rooms were
originally in the building. as some small
rooms have been made into large ones
The numbers on the doors, however, run
to 81 That is the number on the room
used by Secretary Cortelyous executive
force of clerks. Right across the hall is
No. so, occupied by Col. Montgomery as
the telegraph room. No. 40 Is Secretary
now used for the reception Of such visitors
as the President intends to see and talk
with. No. 46 is the Presidents own room,
also the cabinet room. There is on this
door. on a little piece of brass. another
number-5. On No. 30 is and on 81 is l.
All the doors seem to have been numbered
twice. The little brass plates are so small
as hardly to be noticeable.
X X X
"One of the most unusual experiences
have ever had said commercial traveller
to a Star reporter yesterday. occurred tw.
or three days ago in Lebanon county. Pa.
While there I met at least fifty colored
men. women and children who spoke moth
ing but German. l tried to converse with
these folks in English, but not one of them
apparently understood me. asked how
this came about and was told that the col
ored people came twenty, thirty and forty
years ago. up from the south and settled
among the quiet Pennsylvania German
farmers of the Blue mountain districts.
The colOred children grew up on the farms
where they worked and heard nothing but
German spoken They soon forgot nearly
all the English they knew, and now they
rarely speak anything but German. The
children go to the English county schools
in winter. but quickly as they are out
of sight Of their teacher they begin to talk
the German dialect and nothing else. l
have been told that in recent years in Ger
many colored people speaking the language
can be found In numbers, but they also
speak English. These Pennsylvania Ger
man negroes of whom 1 speak use abso-
lutely nothing but the German in their or
binary affairs of life. They are good farm
ers. live on Pennsylvania German cooking
ana nave all the naDltS ana customs OF the
Germans"
y n X X
Two wise-looking ladies sat in the mem
bers gallery a few days ago deeply in
terested in the proceedings on the floor of
the House of Representatives They We're
strangers viewing Congress for the first
time.
Tell me-" one OF them said, addressing
another spectator in the gallery, "who Is
that now in the modeIator's chair?"
The House being in committee of the
whole, Mr.. Sherman of New York was
presiding. On being told that Sherman
was in the chair. the lady remarked:
"Then General Henderson is no longer
moderator? Or Is 1t that he sits at the
other wing of the Capitol?"
What women are there in Congress
now?" she asked after a brief survey of
the House. None, do YOU say? Why. I
was sure there was at least one woman
representative in Congress. / thought there
were two. When did they retire?'
Being told that there never had been a
woman in Congress she could hardly give
expression to her surprise.
Why, you must be mistaken! What Is
this have seen in the New York papers
so often about people asking What is the
action In Congress? l have heard a lot
about the doings of Hannah in Congress.
and there was another woman, too, Bertha
Or Bertie: yes, that's 1t, BERTHE Adams"
Having thus convicted her informant Of
error she asked no further questions, but
devoted herself to informing her compan-
ion about things congressional.