Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-18

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How much are your apples. old manf'
/ he asked
give cents apiece. and they're nice
ones"
bought one and with significant wink
| at the senator produced his pocket knife
and as he cut the apple in two he re-
marked:
II have reason to believe these apples
are valuable"
Friday gazed at the apple with blank
establishment as the stranger extracted APP
parently from the very center OF 1t bright
$40 gold piece.
Let me have another apple" he said,
land here is 10 cents for it"
Friday grudgingly handed him another:
and the stranger repeated the operation OF
extracting $40 gold piece from its CEN
ter. The old fellows eyes were bullying
and his mouth was wide open with aston
ishment when the stranger said:
.1'H take the entire basketful. what
will you charge me for them? Name your
price,
Friday slowly gathered up his basket
and as he started away he said:
II guess I won't sell any more OF 'em
l want 'em to make pies.
He proceeded to quiet nook in the Capt.
tol Park and with his pocket knife cut every
apple into pieces with the hope OF hnding
some of the gold coin, but not one did
he find SO great was his disappointment
that he was not seen at MS accustomed
places about the Capitol for several days;
was Hermann, the magician, who was on
his way to the Capitol to give private
performance in one Of the Senate COM
mittee rooms.
Another Celebrity.
1.-THE Little Statue Man" is a Washington
character well-known to the officials of the
Capitol. He frequently visits the building,
going first to statuary hall, where he holds
communion with the bronze and stone
images of great Americans. To the statue
of George Washington he always makes
an impassioned speech, regardless OF the
people who are standing around gazing at
him with wonderment He next talks with
General Phil Kearney in bronze, and In
variably winds up with talk with Robert
Fulton the inventor of the steamboat, VINO
is represented as abstractedly studying his
model of a steamer. To Fulton the Little
Statue Man" usually says:
Good morning, Robert. Still working
on that model, see. You had better hurry
of you. This is an age of rapid advance
ment and electricity, you know"
The aCpitol police say the Little Statue
Man Is harmless and does not interfere
not NEEDLE with him and his speeches to
stone and metal heroes and statesmen"
Sunshine Billy is character OF re-
cent appearance here. who forms a study
in eccentric humanity for the lawyers
about the city hall and others who fire.
quent Judiciary Park. Billy Is an old SOL
der and his mind has been somewhat af-
fected ever since the battle OF Gettysburg,
when he lay slightly wounded between the
Union and confederate lines under a rain
Of bullets and cannon projectiles. On sunny
days he can be seen at almost any day.
light hour occupying one OF the benches
near the 9th street entrance to Judiciary
Park He has one particular bench ne
occupies, and IL he finds other persons
sitting on it he will wait a reasonable
time for them to vacate 1t: Upon their
Fafl, 70 do 20 hn
politely says:
II will thank you to let me have this seat
and you take another. This was assigned me
by the sun god and he Will get angry with
me II I occupy any other"
Should the occupants decline to vacate he
will sometimes offer them money consid-
Grafton to do so. To Attorney John ONeill,
Sunshine Billy" said sunshine was life to
him and that should he fail to take his sun
bath when Old Sol Is shining 1t would re-
suit in his death. He added that electricity
is only 'transplanted sunlight and the
moon is a great storage house filed with
bright sunshine, on the order of the electric
storage batteries. At certain times during
the day, Mr.. O'Neill said, Billy offers up
fervent prayers to the sun god.
The Clam Fritter Man.
Tom Parker, 1.-The original oyster and
clam fritter man." Is another up-to-date
quaint capital character. He attends every
base ball game, circus and other outdoor
gathering and his LOUD ana resonant VOICE
is announcing the virtue of his oyster or
clam fritters, or telling the crowd an alleged
funny story, can be heard for long dis
lance. In turning fritter in his hot skillet
he deity losses 1t high in the air and
catches it right side up on his cake turner
as it comes down. Tom claims that among
the distinguished people who have patron
lied him was Buffalo BILL who after eat
ing an order Of three fritters, ordered three
more and then remarked to the fritter man:
You are a black Delmonico."
Some of the other ODD Washington char
acters and they are legion, are Star
Mary" the aged woman ''newsboy;" DR..
Simon Green, q negro voodoo; Fhe Fit
Man." well-known to the police. who can
conveniently go into spasms when he needs
money or a drink of liquor. and who quick
" RECEIVERS when the police or others douse
him with water or turn the hose on him as
one saloonkeeper did; THE chief of the fire
police" a queer white man who visits the
fire houses and imagtnes he has charge OF
all the hose and fire plugs in the District,
and who wears blue uniform extensively
decorated with old badges, buttons. to-
bacco tags and what not, and sometimes
carries a police baton embellished with
thick crimson cord.
Washington, because of its unique nature,
is verify sort of garden spot of human
oddities and freaks.