Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-18
ODDITIES AND FREAKS
Queer Characters That Find
Domicile in Washington.
THE "RHYMING GUIDE"
BEAU HICKMAN" "CoL. PINCH
OVER AND OTHER OLD-TIMERS.
Magician's Joke on "Old Man Friday"
The Little Statue Man" and
Sunshine Billy"

| connected with Congress was entertaining
| a group of Washingtonians the other night
| In the lobby of an uptown hotel His theme
| was the odd characters he had met on the
east side Of Gotham, and he described some
queer ones. An old Washington newspaper
man who was among his auditors remark
| ed that there We're more human oddities in
| this city in proportion to its size than could
| be found in New York, including. of course,
| those who came here at different times
during the year to see the city and for
other purposes. Then the Washington man
started in and described some of the odd
characters he had met.
He said in days gone by Beau" Hick-
man. the prince of bummers, easily gained
the championship Of human oddities at the
capital and elsewhere, and that up to this
time there had been none to equal him.
Then he switched off to "Col." Maurice
Pinchoyer 1.-The whimsical little old man.,
as Samuel ]. Randall was wont to call him.
1t was owing to threats he made against
Mr. Randall that Pinchover was sent to
St. Elizabeth's Hospital for the Insane.
where he died several years later. At hrst
he was a great admirer of the PennsylVa-
mia statesman, through whom he expected
to get his maginary claim of many millions
of dollars against the government. Practl-
cal jokers, however, persuaded the colo
nep' that RanQdl was Ills WOTSI SICuiy,
and thereafter he swore vengeance against
| the Pennsylvania. He Imagined he had
organized a large corps OF detectives TO
| thwart Mr.. Randall and others who ne de-
clared were trying to keep him out OF his
| millions Although Pinchover had been re-
garded as perfectly harmless, and was al
| lowed to go about at will, when he com
| menced uttering open threats asaas.
| surveillance. Finally when he went to the
Capitol armed with butcher knife for the
ayowed purpose Of carrying out his threat
he was arrested and sent across 10 the hos-
pital for the insane.
| One election night, while the returns were
coming in, Pinchover, gaudliy decorated
| with flags and bunting, paraded the avenue
| carrying a banner which was inscribed;
| ''Col Maurice Pinchover, elected lndepend-
emit democratic congressman from Baltimore
by 100000 majority The banner was
| scoloner' that he had really been elected
by the unprecedented majority named.
Colored "Rhyming Guide"
One of the interesting human oddities of
| today in this city is John Evans. who is
| known as 1.-The colored rhyming guide"
| John was a soldier in the Union army dur
| ing the civil war; and proudly wears
| nedal ON his breast which attests his 10y
| atty and bravery. He says rhymes flow
| from him Just as naturally al water flows
| down hill. His business stand Is on Perm
| sylyania avenue near the Peace monument,
and he can frequently be seen about the
| government departments escorting parties
| Of strangers to the points of interest for
which Washington Is noted. Wnen ne mas
| the time has arrived to receive pay, John
| will say:
| I'm through my job,
| / hope you are pleased;
| Give me my money
| And nv mind'lI be eased."
Approaching the bureau of engraving and
printing. the rhyming guide Will point to
| the building and with happy smile say:
| ITO you, my friend.
1t may seem funny,
But in that building
| Uncle Sam prints all his money"
| And so 1t goes. Evans has a rhyme for
| every point of interest. II he has any diff
fculty in quickly finding word to rhyme
| with one he had used he promptly coins
| one to fit. His patrons are as much inter-
| ested and amused by his eccentric rhymes
and jangies az they are by the sights Of the
| city
! Another colored guide who has gone back
| to his original vocation Of welding a pick
| and shovel and who bore the distinguished
name Of Washington. had an amusing ex-
| perience with a Yale professor recently.
The man of letters was gazing interestedly
| at the great green houses of the botanical
gardens when he was approached by Wash
what building Is that with the cupola p
asked the professor, pointing to the man,
conservatory.
Dat. sah.' replied Washington, with an
air of dignity and Importance. Dat, sab, am
de main observatory of the mechanical gar
dens.''
Observatory" repeated the Yale man
refiectively. What do they observe there?"
Flowers. plants. and sich like" replied
the guide.
The professor gave Washington a quick
glance, which took In his badge, inscribed
''Washington Guide" and then made hasty
tracks in the direction Of the Capitol
"old Nan Friday" and the Magician.
The older residents OF this city remember
"Old Man Friday" who sold fruit in and
about the Capitol for many years. He car
ried his wares in a large market basket
and his patrons included a number Of SEN
ators, representatives and other men of
note. One day Friday was sitting on the
| coping near the main entrance to the Can
itol Park west, with his basket Of large,
| rosy apples before him, when he was APP
| preached by two men who were on their
way to the big building on the hill. One
was senator, the other a man with dark
complexion, a military mustache, tightly
waxed at the ends. and who wore a tight
fitting dark suit. The latter approached
Friday and with mischievous twinkle