The Washington herald., 1906-10-22
SIMPLE
AND OTHERWISE

AND OTHER WISE.
When Mr.. Wagner author THE Sim
! pie Life, and close friend Of President
Roosevelt, was last in Washington he din
ed en- famine one night at the White
/ House. There were but four at table
the President. Mrs. Roosevelt, Mrs.
Roosevelt West, OF New York, and the
distinguished author
/ Tho conversation turned upon sleep
and the manner OF it especially with
regard to children. The President ex-
| pressed a willingness that his own
should give evidence as TO the point in
question.
Where are the boys?" he asked.
"They have already taken off their
shoes to go to bed. some one replied.
Let them come down anyway, to
speak to Mr.. Wagner" said the Presi-
dent.
/ SO the boys were summoned 90 the din
! ing-room, and they came in fatigued, EVIL
IDENTIFY from the days exercise. and dis
playing in their eyes the fact that they
would shortly be asleep.
/ Il have a very important question TO
put to you" said Mr. Wagner TO one
Of the boys When you sleep, do you
do so with your hands wide open, or
with cicnched fists@
Why, ] don't know. replied the child,
after a seconds hesitation, because /
am asleep"
The President laughed heartily at this
/ response to Il psychological query-the
only natural One-and the boys hurried
of 10 bed
One Of the industrious people Of WASH
ington. on a Saturday morning is the in
dvidual who spends his days in the lit
tie house within the court Of the state,
War and Navy Department. His abode
/ Is a wooden oasis in the midst Of stone
/ desert, and is as cool a location, all the
year round, as is possible to imagine.
/ By profession ne is a Waterman; by rea-
son Of his excessive neatness he is a
good hOusekeeper as well. His business
/ is 20 attend TO the weighing OF the coal
/ that goes into the bins OF the colossal
building, and to stand guard over the
/ bicycles that are ranged in hundreds
about the quadrangle
/ On a Saturday morning this faithful
watch dog Of Uncle Sans arbitrary resi-
dence is as busy as any housewife with
/ his weekly cleaning. All the furnishings
Of his miniature shelter are removed.
Even the carpet is taken up for the
sweeping and scrubbing. The calendars
are busted, the wash pitcher filled, the
cushions Of the easy chair aired, and
the clock wound. The medicine bottles
are wiped clean. and the place rendered
home-like and attractive
II the view OF innumerabie depart
mental windows stretching to the sky
line on four sides. ever pals upon the
Waterman he al least has the satistac-
ton, on Il Saturday OF y O'Clock, Of sit
ting down 10 his luEch-spread board and
beholding the limits Of his domain
I through Immaculate winuvw panes.
The trophies of war that have hitherto
decorated the lawn Of the north front
OF the state, War and Navy Department
have been removed to positions of more
solid base the Spanish guns, taken
from the ships Of Admiral Montojo's hees
in Manila Bay. have been of such enOr-
nous interest 70 sightseers in Washing
ton that the immaculate appearance of
the lawn has suffered materially from
the pressure of many feet, The supeTin-
{
wishing % preserve the beauty Of This
wonderful stretch OF green. than which
there is no other Of equal splendor in
town. has decided upon the placing OF
the cannon at the entrances to various
public buildings ira order that the Amer
lean patriot may behold the national
treasure trove al close range, while
standing upon a irmer foundation than
Timothy turf
There is regret as well as reason. III
the attitude OF criticism assumed by Ger
tain residents i'm OF near Sixteenth street
toward the Washington herdic II Is one
of the lingering relies Of early days for
which We entertain. impartially, senti-
ments Of respect and contempt
Fifteen or twenty years age the heroic
was monarch in Washington. Ii car
ried residents frequently and proudly into
the popular new section OF the city. II
was not exactly a monOpOlist; there were
others Of its kind which also ran" To-
day the herdic is a thing of such infre-
iQUency as To lead 10 the belief that there
IS but one remaining species in existence
On a cold and wet day in winter Their,
was questionable comfort in the straw
that foregathered on the herdic floor
individual who happened TO sit in front
of the ticket box when the 4 o'clock rush
Was or. But better far "a thousand bales
OF sJTsW and a permanent position as
ticket Gepositor than the present-day lack
Of travelling convenience.
A year ago this oue-Of-its kind coach
played part in a painful episode II
may be accused of perpetrating Il foot
loose trick upon an entirely innocent in
diyidual, Let the public Judge A certain
lady of the fashionable set, being caught
i'm a snow squat took TO the herdic Sht
did not take 20 it naturally; Il was a case
of propinquity. She was the sole p5s
] senger. and the vehicle took a pace al
unaccustOmed celebrity in its down
reaches toward the ShOTeham Hotel
The herdic is not a reposeful or Equiet
medium OF lOCOmOIiOn. once it is started
upon its numbering way; hence il hap
pened that the sole passenger could not
convey 20 the driver the exigencies Of hei
situation when, in stepping forward tC
deposit her fare, one foot and limb mad.
a swift descent through a hole in the
floor though she raised her voice Justify
The unhappy 5ady was forced TO journey
in this unnatural posture for nearly 2
block before a sidewalk pedestrian catch.
ing sight of the singular appendage
dangling from the herdic's bottOm-if not
q fifth wheel at least an extra spoke
shouted 10 the driver To stop. In tbs
lady's chagTin at the appearance she may
have presented-though she realized theT,
was no circumstantial evidence as tC
her identity-she forgot her resentment
against the herdic company.
Upon viewing the situation, the driver
remarked: Exactly what I've been ex-
pecting to happen ali along
Now, If the herdic OF a year ago Ian
guished in this condition of decrepitude
and presupposing that there is but one