The National tribune., 1902-01-02

so this is Columbus. the capital of
the great Buckeye State said the Dea-
con. as he stroIletl out of the dingy depot,
TO put in the hours until the train should
start over the Central Ohio for GAINESVILLE
and Wheeling, looking about the city.
/ Don't think it lays over indianapolis so
terribly, though it is older, and Ohio is a
bigger State than Injianny. The build
| iugS look about tire same. And that $
the Scioto River down there, | suppose,
continued he, stopping at the corner OF
Broad and High streets, and looking out
| along the road where the endless process
| siOns of army wagons and soldiers indl-
Gated the location Of Camp Chase. IT'S
biggcrn the White River, but not so big
as the Wabash. Looks rs if there was
| fcver-an'-ager over there that you could
| lift out with a scoop-shovel. And L don't
believe them bottoms will grow any more
| corn to the acre than my GO-ilcld on Bean
/ Blossom Crick."
And that's Tod Barracks, that We've
read so much about he continued, read
| ing the sign on a long, low shed near the
depot. Great Goodness, the regiments
the papers have reported as starting from
! there for the war; coming back there on
| veteran fUrlough. and leaving there again
| for the front. What stories them old
sheds could tell of hundreds of thousands
of other mems sons, every one of them
| probably just as good as my own. only
wish that 81 and the boys were only out
| in them now. or some other place just as
comfortable"
Hi. there boys; deploy on the run.
Scatter" shouted the more sober of
crowd of registering soldiers. Here
comes Maj. Skics.'
The Deacon gaZed with interest at the
! famed disciplnarian of Tod Barracks
the man who was constantly burdened
with the hard task of preserving order
among thousands of yirile, strong willcd
/ young men, whose red blood pulsed at
| fever heat and who were either excited
over marching to the front to meet the
enemy, or bubbliug over with JOY at get
| ting back to Gods country Then, of
! all times, is when n high-spirited youth
wants to let himself loose, and give the
town a lively tint.
| Probably overy one of the 319,62J sol
diers Ohio sent to the front had, when he
went and when he came back. more or
| less of an impulse to paint Columbus red.
! The collective coloration that all these
gave the city should have turned even
| the vegetation for miles around lively
| POmpean tint.
| Therefore, and very naturally, Maj.
| SkiieS had troubles of his own and 9th
ers nearly every hour of the day for the
two years that he held his important
| place, but he managed them 80 well that
! he was retained. and his administration
officially commended.
The Deacon saw an erect, Soldierly
man, just pasE his youth, with but one
! arm, and Il sharp, decisive manner. lie
| glanced steadily and incisivcly around, as
| he walked, and every soldier near came
| Immediately to attention, and respectfully
saluted. .r.r
"Ain't u boss over big lot o men like
General" commented the Deacon, but
he's big boss over what he has, like
Presiding Elder
He walked on, and came in full view
of the State House. then much the finest
| State Capitol building i'll the United
! States. He gazed upon its symmetric
massiyeness with deep admiration, noting
| its heavy Doric columns, and imposing
entrance its impressive length, towering
dome, and ponderous layers of glistcning
white limestone. That was before the
! busy factories had come to Columbus to
CRIME the buildings with the SCOT of soft
coal.
"Gracious Goodness" he exclaimed,
they have taken Il whole 10-acre field
| for Il yard, and the building itself must
| cover fully an acre. It's the finest thing
since Solomon's Temple. Where in the
| world did they get all that big rock from
| to build it? Must'Ye pulled the underpin-
ming ont from one of their Counties. I'd
| like to'ye had the job Of hauling the stone.
| MuSt'Ye wore out all the ox-tcams in the
| State. Probably they butchered them,
and sold 'em to feed the army. Only way
| they could've got all the tough beef the
| boys complain about. Probably, though,
| ST would've been glad TO get even that
where hes bin. l declare. | believe that
| building covers whole acre. I'm going
in TO step it off, or they mayn't believe
| me when | get home"
He walked in, stopped for few min
| utes to inspect some big rebel cannon
which had been disabled by the heavy
shots of our gunboats, marveled at the
terrific power, which had shorn off thick
iron as if il had been cardboard, and then
proceeded to step off carefully the length
and breadth of the great building.
| Il declare" he said, coming back to
the main walk, and going through Il men
tai calculation, tits more'n an acre. sure's
| you're alive. It's 10 rods this way. and
! 1115 that. 1t takes 1G0 square rods to
make an acre. Ten times 10 is 1870, and
one mOrc's 209, and half more. Let's
see: how much would be onc-half mOrc!"
Two hundred and eighteen and one
| half rods, my friend" said a heavily-built
| man with an enormous stomach, who stood
on the front steps leaning on his cane and
watching the Dcacon's movements with
amused interest. The man wore Il silk
hat, black broadcloth coat and satin
vest, ana MS bTbdu, Illl lace was cur
tanned by long whskers. He spoke clearly
and dccisiycly, rs one who was accus-
toned to giving positive directions. Il
always like to see man get down to alb
solutc facts, and measure things for him
self. | can tell you, to confirm your own
measurement, that the capital is 3O4 feet
| long by 1874 deep, and covers $1,000 square
feet. or about an acre and one-third. II
is the biggest building in the country, out
| .idp pf WDShiDptnn -
'Thankee, sir" said the Deacon. "Al-
ways glad to meet man that can give
ne information. DO you work in thereiS
Yes" replied the other. ''The State
Of Ohio hired me about a year ago, and
my job will last another year"
| "Uum," reflected the Deacon. 'HTwo
years job? Rather unusual. | prefer
contracts and leases for one year, three
or five. Pay pretty good?'
Nothing extra. I've had good many
| jobs that paid better" replied the man
with the silk hat, cane, and big stomach.
coming down off the steps and joining the
Deacon in his walk toward the gate. "Fve
had a good many jobs that paid better"
We'll, at your age and mine," suggest
ed the Deacon, I'VE can't hardly expect
as good wages rs when we were younger"
| The Deacon instantly regretted having
said this much, which seemed a reflection
upon his companion's infirmities, whose
unwieIdy body could not certainly admit
of much activity in any direction, and
who seemed to lean more heavily upon
his cane even than his flesh warranted.
Yet the mans speech was as clear, ring