The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-07-27

, how. he became paraIyzed and unable
, TO speak, though up to the time of his
actual demise he was able TO indicate
his wants by gestures. Among other
things. he showed plainly by signs
that he wished to be conveyed to the
old library. His wish was not obeyed.
and it was afterward learned that he
had hidden about $4,000 worth Of reg
istered United States bonds among the
books in his subcellar den. It is said
that the ghost of the old gentleman
haunts the vaults, looking vainly for
the missing securities.
The gentleman referred to had some
curious traits, though he was by no
means miser, such as the keeping of
every burnt match that he came
across. He would put them away in
the drawers of his private desk, to-
gether with expired street car trans
fers, the latter done up in neat bun
dies with india rubber bands. Quite
an intimate friend he had. named
Irvine, dwe1t during the working hours
of the day in sort of cage of iron, in
the basement of the capitol. Twine's
cage was of iron wire, and inside of it
made a business of stamping books of
the library with mixture of alcohol
and Iampblack. If the observation of
casual employees about the capitol is
to be trusted, Mr.. Twine's ghost is
still engaged at intervals in the BUSH
ness of stamping books at the old
stand, though his industry must be
very improbable since the govern
ment'S literary collection has been
moved out of the capitol.
Ghosts are supposed to appertain
most appropriately to the lower reg
ions, inasmuch as the ancients who
described them first consigned the
blessed as well as the damned to a
neither world. Consequently, it is not
surprising to find that phantoms of the
capitol are mostly related to the base
ment. Exceptions are made in the
case of Vice President Wilson who,
as will be remembered, died in his
room at the senate end of the build
ing, and also with respect to John
Quincy Adams, whose nocturnal per-
ambulations are also Annoying to the
watchmen. Mr. Wilson is only an oc-
casional visitor on the premises, it is
understood, finding his way thither
probably when nothing else of i'm
portance is up" so to speak, in the
spiritual realm, which now claims him
for its own. 1t is related that on one
occasion he nearly frightened to death
the Waterman who was guarding the
coffin of a Tennessee senator who was
lying in state in the senate chamber.
The startle was doubtless uncontem-
plated inasmuch as the Vice President
was too well bred a man to take any
body unpleasantly by surprise.
A Waterman, employed quite while
ago as member of the CapitoPs
police, was discharged finally for
drunkenness. No faith, therefore, is
to be placed in his sworn statement,
which was actually made, to the eff
feet that on a certain occasion he pass
ed through the old hall of representa-
tives-now Statuary hall-and saw in
session the congress of 1913; with
John Quincy Adams and many other
men whose names have long ago pass
ed into history. 1t was, If the word
of the witness is to be believed, a
phantom legislative crew, resembling
in kind, if not in character, the COB
Inns which Rip Van Wrinkle encounter |
ed on his trip to the SUBMITS of the |
stored Catskills.
But-to come down to things that |.
are well authenticated and sure. COM
paratively speaking-the basement of |
the capitol is the part of the building !
chiefly haunted. Beneath the hall of |
the house of representatives strolls by |
night melancholy specter. with erect |
figure, a great mustache, and his |
hands clasped behind him. Who he |
is nobody has ever surmised; he |
might be, judging from his aspect, a |
foreigner in the diplomatic service, |
but that is merely guess. Watchmen /
at night have approached him in the
belief that he was an intruder. but he
has faded from sight instantly, like a
picture on a magic lantern slide.
At precisely 1870 of the clock every |
night, so it said, the door of the room
by the committee on military
and militia of the senate opens silently /
and there steps forth the figure of Cen
aral Logan, recognizable by his long |
black hair, military carriage and the
nat he was accustomed to wear in |
life. Logan was the chairman of this
and. if report be credited,
he is still supervising it's duties.
Every morning several darkies come
% scrub the corridors beneath the SEN
lte wing when that body is in session
and-if it is winter and the early
hours are dark-the first thing they do
s to turn on the electric lights. The
iarkies are awfully afraid of the
ghosts, and particularly of the specter
If a dead negro who was formerly one
If their own number. He took part
n the matutinal scrubbing, and since
bis demise he has kept on at it in
way that is calculated to
Va extremely djSa prepa hIa RI rna1 1iya |
,olored persons. The swash of spec
raj water, distributed from a phan-
asmal pail by a viewless brush is I'M
pleasantly audible on occasions.
But there are all kinds of ghosts