The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1907-04-05
ARE NOT CURIOUS
WASHINGTON CITIZENS SHOW
LACK OF iNQUls,rlvENEss.
Leading Lights Of the Nation Too
Common at the Capital to Com
mand More Than Passing
Attention from Residents.

Living in Washington is man %
gears. old who has passed nearly so
years there and has never set foot in
side the capitol.
At the Virginia end of the Aqueduct
bridge, across the upper Potomac, IL
woman past 80, who. living within
half a mile of Washington all her life.
has never been in Washington.
The old Washingtonian, who is hale
and intelligent, said when questioned
that he'd never cared to go inside the
capitol. There was no business call
ing him there. He'd always been
perfectly willing to let the folks in
side the capitol go their ways II
they'd only let him alone.
The old woman at the other end of
the Aqueduct bridge observed in re-
Spouse to an interviewer's inquiries
that she'd never crossed over to
Washington because she'd never
cared to. She'd always had enough
work to do without gadding about.
These two old persons fairly repre-
sent the lack of inquisiveness which
Is perhaps the strongest characters.
tic of the people who live in and
around Washington. Washingtonians
are probably the least curious people
On earth.
On New Years day, when the presi.
dent received the general public, the
double line of people eager to grasp
his hand curved in two directions out
of the White House grounds and upon
the streets till four or five o'clock in
the afternoon, though the reception
began at noon. OF the thousands in
those two patient lines hardly any
were Washingtonians.
Washingtonians don't attend public
receptions at the White House. The
lines We're made up of visitors who
came here especially for the purpose
and of folks residing here transiently.
If, by dropping cent in the slot, the
average Washingtonian could be in
stantly whisked to the White House,
there to receive the double mitt from
the president, "Dee-lighted!" or
two, and little narrative about a
bull moose or the art of hitting tim
Der WON OF fawn in the left shoulder
with an express bullet, it isn't in the
least likely that the average Washing
tonian would be attracted by the in
vestment.
This feature of Washington's char
acteristic indifference is growth of
comparatively recent years. Wash
ingtonians did go to Mr. McKinley's
public receptions in quite consider
able numbers. They attended the pub
lie levees Of Mr.. Harrison and Mr..
Cleveland, too, and. they fairly
swarmed through the east room
when Mr.. Arthur was president. But
they have entirely remained away
from these affairs at the White House
n recent years.
Washington folks don't flock to the
capitol at all. The big people don't
appear to interest them. Washington.
ians are pretty close to the wires Of
government, and this may account for
the lack of interest in the wire manip-
1latOrs.
A representative Of congress is an
almost inconsequential figure in
Washington. A senator isn't go
much, either.
Every day the vice president of the
United States walks down ;Pennsyl.
vania avenue from the capitol, accom-
panied by some senator or other. The
vice president is very tall person
so tall as to make him an unusual fig.
ure. on account of his stature and
the silk hat atop of the stature, al.
most anywhere. But never a Wash.
ingtonian wheels around to gaze after
the vice president