The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-04-13
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.

Haze you ever noticed the manner IN
which the clerks employed here walk close
10 the walls when they ascend OF descend
the stairways2" asked q y ar Department
official in the corridor of the STATE War
and Navy Building today. This
comes partly from fear and partly from
habit as the stairways are very peculiar
~ constructed and are at all times dan
EcTOUs. It is a fact that to walk up or
down the steps with the hand on the out
side rail will produce giddy sensation
AMI an inclination TO pitch over the bal
ustrade- We have had but one IA
tai accident from this cause. however.
and that was in the case Of a clerk who
grew giddy and fell from the staircase
leading 20 the third floor TO the corridor
in the basement The employees are all
warned 10 take the inside when using he
StaIrWayS and never take any chances.
/ have noticed many visitors using the
outside VINO had to stop and steady them
selves when about half way up or down
It II a peculiar sensation of uGsteadiTeSs,
and seems to affect all alike. no matter
how steady their nerves"
The person who selected the patterns FOR
the chandeliers and gas fixtures which
adorn the corridors in the White House
evidently had strange taste and j weird
home of the President of the United
States. The common design in use in the
halls consists Of a repulsjEe brass viper
which hangs by its tail from the cell
ing Poised in nfd-air and pierced by the
viDer's fangs is a bronze vampire evi-
IDENTIFY in the throes of death. The gas
and electric light fixtures hang from the
vampires claws II has been remarked
By those visitors who have noticed them
that something less horrible than YAM
piTes and viDers might adOTn the halls
of the historic White House. The fixtures
have been in the Mansion as long as the
attendants can remember.
One day last week a tall Westerner
waited at the White House two hours be
fore he finally had an opportunity to
shake hands with the President. He
CIasped the Presidents hand with so
much earuestness that AIr. Mckinley as
sured the caller that he was indeed glad
to see him. The tall visitor thereupOn
stated that he had heard of the intended
Western trip and he requested the Presi-
dent to go a little our of his way and
stop at the callers home town, Cheyenne,
Wy0. Mr.. Mckinley asked why he should
60 out of his way to see Cheyenne
w ny replied the Westerner. for one
reason. because it used to be the wicked
est city in the world.
" neither or not TINS influenced Mr. Nc
HiDley no one knows, but vest rday the
President decided to include Cheyenne in
his itinerary
In the lobby Of the new Willard Ho-
tel a score of men arc engaged in manu-
featuring artificial onyx, and 1t is hard
to distinguish it from the real stone 1t
win be used to make columns II il were
possible to use real onyx the builders OF
the hotel would do so, but there is good
reason for substituting the artificial
The hardest stone we could use would
scarcely be sufficiently strong for the pill
tectg this morning The weight upon
them IS enormous. and onyx which is
comparatively soft. would crt1nble to
pieces in no time So we have been oblig-
ed TO make cur supporting columns out
Of steel and to cover them with imitation
onyx. Il IS made Of plaster of paris. sfz-
ing and some few other ingredients 10
harden it COlOTS are put in-green and
black and q little red 10 brighten things
up Each color Is mixed separately and
AL ara kneaded ike dough When the
mass il of proper consistency it is put on
q board and rolled until IL Is reduced 10
about half an inch in thickness It is
then ready to be put on the steel column.
The column meanwhile has been covered
with smooth plaster The fiat sheet OF
Imitation onyx Is removed on a piece OF
canvas and pressed UP against the col
uTnn, ana there II sticks. When il has
hardened, which takes several days. a
man with a puFtCe stone poIishes it of
and gives II the gloss which you admire,
and the job IS complete"