The Portland daily press., 1900-03-17
THE GUARDIAN OF THE
DOME.
An Old Man i'm Washington Whose
Days Are Spent Far Above Other
Men.

Washington. March 10.-ks visitors
climb the iron spiral stairway to the
dome OF the Capitol voice gives them
friendly greeting when they are Mt PAR
tleulaily steep angle of the stairs about
halfway up. Many young couple have
been startled by this greeting as they
look up to the whispering gallery above
and ovsr at the pigmies on the floor OF
the rotunda below. Ihsy look at the
blank walls about them aud the dark
stairs winding above and bslow, and
conclude that 1t is Another Of the re-
markable Capitol echoes until another
greeting reaches them, and through an
aroh In the wall they sec the old man
who livsa In the dome.
a curious character Is this old man.
He Is tall and well-huilt with remark
plsxion, and would scarcely be called the
"oId" man except for his white hair and
beard. With his CHEEKY good-day he
som etimes disturbs q cosey couple, but he
is so sooiabls and good that they
cannot complain, and few words with
him awaken the interest OF the stranger.
He is a philosopher In his way-a student
of human nature From his high perch
In the dome he looks down each day at
the statesmen passing through the ro-
tunda from House to Senate and from
Senate to House, and at the never ending
procession OF sightseers looking like
crawling turtles. From the high win
dous he gets birds eye view of the oity
and his vision is broadened. His philos-
opby 10 directed by the expanse OF his
vlAion and as looker-on he has slowed
away In his capaoious head some quaint
and original ideas. Hour after hour, day
after day, month after month for ten
years or more he has sat there in his tow.
or Of observation and gathered In his i'm
pressions. He Is not traveller. but the
world, represented by tho thousands OF
strangers from ali quarters Of the globs,
passes before him like q panorama and be
knows much that the widely travelled
man learns. He onn tell strangers at
sight, what little oorner of the world
they first opened their eyes upon, and
many other things about themselves one
would not be expected to know en- such
short acquaintance. He gives expression
to many quaint ideas. causing the INTEL
ngent stranger 20 try further TO draw
diary when the talk Is ended. But the
old man Of the dome Is too much Of a
philosopher to be much Of a talker, and
he cuts conversation on just where he
wants 10 to end. de is one of the inhabi-
tants of the dome there by authority. he
does not actually live, eAt, sleep and
dream In the dome, but his days are
spent there the year round. Every hour
that the dome is opened he Ii there, and
when he goes be looks all the doors be-
hind him In his winding way down and
hangs his keys In the watch room for
the night.
duty 10 10 10 see that no vandalism IL
committed and that no harm comss TO
the visitors. II his sudden appearance Is
sometimes q shocking Interruption to
affectionate demonstrations by young
people who hope In the future TO climb
the winding stairs OF life together, it 10
aleo an Insurance. against danger from
injury or rudeness. As q philosopher the
old man never sees anything IL Is not
necessary to see, and neser tells half that
he sees. He is not an ordinary policeman
who goes his inquisitise rounds. He
used to be on the Capitol force, years ago,
aud after he wss retired from the forV .
be secured Judgement In the domes
HIS castle In the air IL the AxohWay TO tins
first gallery Of the rotunda above the
frie 70 work, which 10 now CLOSED of. Ha
has ths cracks stopped TO keep the viii
axny, and on Q shelf In one corner he
ksepa the books which he gets from & Q
National library. sitting there be o. n
look over the top Of his books and o5m ,
mAnd view OF the staircase, and his
books are his companions on dull days.