The Washington times., 1908-08-09
VISITOR IS SCARED
BY PNEUMATIC TUBES
All Previous Long-Distance
Walking Records Broken
by Oficeholders.

4
while waiting for board session TO close.
1t began a rumble, increased to a roar,
as Of some rapidly approaching cyclone,
grew louder and louder, and while the
| citizen was trying TO locate the coming
/ catastrophe, ended in a BOOM that
caused him to lesp from his chair "a
fright Then he suDsided. smiling sheep
| ishly
| that's just the pneumatic tube" said
| the Commissioner private secretary,
VINO mad been watching the visitors
! gyrations with enjoyment
Might 9 Wen shoot a man as scare
MIN TO death with that thing" protest.
| ca Inc citizen But it's all right amt
| IL ne commented admiringiv.
! sidney Bishop is the young man who
/ IS responsible Tor the subterra mean
| sIoHlngs ana mutterings of the tubes.
ana ne saves the poor OverWorked uoes-
| sengers many weary step For the
| tuDe transmits most Of the office papers.
| But II IS when an empiOye has 10
| 90 on special errand that he realizes
| the great differences between The old
ana the new District Building Of1c-
1 ldIs whose custom il was 10 usa a
| nlght oI steps IN their communication
| with ofnces near by are now 10 be- seen
| waiting patiently for an elevator. a
| tAlng they never did in the old building
] weary citizens who have business viii,
/ many offices may be observed rnoDnir.e-
/ their brOws and resting on tt-e be5tl,lss
4
| ~ the mans. There are SOM employees
| whose EFFORTS at stair-climbing Il would
| De indeed cruelty even 10 imagine.
,I-Ouls q Wilson, who, Il IS FjIuOred
1 culnDed up ArlZOna's Grand CANYON m
| AIDED, Just as matter Of pleasure Oc-
casionaily tolls up a fight or two with
| JdL any signs or pleasure whatever. J.
/ 3 Welmers Of the property clerks o.
/ nee. VINO, Notwithstanding his asyoird,1-
pos, used 10 skip lightly upstairs and
/ down several times a day has give, ~
| that reckless habit. Or TindsiI v-h6
| though somewhat short in stature
| Walks 10 the Office every morning and
oL.ener' now has hard time getting
out 70 luncheon and back on time. he
| suggests movable sidewalk on ssrS
/ noo<- The walkers-for-e exercise Waldo
/ hloos ana w N. ONeiL, admit that
| they are tired 10 death every night iust
| from going around seeing about things.
| assessor W. p. Richards, whose natural
STRIDE is something. less than sixty
| lhcnes. and who used TO travel upstairs
| -FOUR steps at time with ease. now
makes sure by telephone that the Of
/ hclal ne wants 10 see is ia before ne
| essays journey TO his office
1 Inquiry revealed that Il is over lZs
4 Ieet from commissioner Morrow's 70
| commissioner VESTS Office, so that
| even their secretaries Pratt and TAa
/ whose unusual length OF limb has been
/ enVyingly commented upon under the
! circumstances, view with a sigh the
grand sweep Of III feet farther 70 Com
| missioner Mcfarland Office and avoid
| when possible the necessary 1z9 feet
more that would take them to the
southwest corner Of the building The
feet 5 IL q inc "HOis hsii"ay Is 81 90
In the rooms OF Electrical Engineer
Allen, who Is very systematic Official,
/ the nors have been waXsd 20 preserve
| them in their pristine purity, so that
! distances are not so burdensome as
! the employees and citizens conveniently
| act business, whether they wish 70 or
not.
| Nobody knows what would happen IL.
| when the offices are IN full operation
| every single one of those numerous eles
VatOTs were - go on q strike. Those
VINO would perish on the stairWays
| would doubtless be numbered by scores.
A barrel stood on the sidewalk beside
! the District building and beside the
| barrel stood man. The man was
| dressed as a lRborer and apparently
| was IN Quandary about how TO get
! the barrel TO one OF the upper floors,
| He scratched his head and pondeTed.
| and meanwhile a crowd Of District Of
| ficials on their way TO their various Of 8
| fees began TO gather
| Get a rope and pulley and hitch
! horse 70 the rope. Thatll get the thing
up in Jig ume,'' said c. c. Rogers, dis
bur e officer Rig up a derrick and
Inspector SRowden Ashford.
The man beside the barrel made no
answer.
1 ~ lA the lEthEHE 0DI I nc put NM5
| thing on the elevator and take IT w
| that way asked Ralph Pratt, secre-
| tary TO Commissioner West.
| Suddenly the man took red bandsnna
from his pocket, wiped his forehead.
! took a chew of tobacco, put the barrel
| on his shoulder and carried it 70 the
| second door.
Ire barrel was empty.
Ralph Pratt. secretary to Commits
sioner West, spent Saturday and sun
day at Fort Washington.
The following employees Of the En-
| gineer Department have applied foH
| leave in August: W L Marsden G. L.
/ Dowdere, John Lacoppidan, g. p.
Staples, Edward Kern, J. F. Oulahars
| R B. Campbell. F. B. Sheldon, w. L
Boyd, and ]. V. Birch.
Commissioner Mcfarland left Nom
! day for a months vacation. Mr. Mac
/ fariand VIII make New York city his
| headquarters and viii visit the nearby
| resorts.
Engineer Commissioner Morrow spent
| Saturday and Sunday on the golf links
! of Lakewood, N. ].
| Commissioner West viii not take an
| extended vacation. contenting himself
| with weekend trips to the Blue Ridge
Rod and Gun Club and short excur-
sions
| Among the District employees SUM-
| mering at Washington Grove Nd, ars
| Daniel z. Garges, chief clerk OF the
! Engineer Department; W. A Hipkinss
/ OF the auditors office; Judge Gage. OF
! the assessors Office ". T. Teepe, OF
/ the property clerks office, and c.. B.
/ DeShields. Of the Engineer Department.
Capt E. D. Markham. Assistant En-
/ gineer Commissioner, and c. 3. Hunt.
/ Engineer OF Highways, spent the week
| end at the Blue Ridge Rod and Gun
/ Club. W. Va.
! ". A. Mcfarland. superintendent OF
/ the Water Department. has gone 70
| Buffalo 20 inspect the methods OF water
| distribution in that city.
E. NJ. Talcott, Assistant Engineer Of
| Highways, in charge OF street extern
/ sions,. has left for a months vacation
/ on the New England coast
E. 81 Talcott, Of the Engineer De-
/ partment, will leave within a few days
| TO spend his vacation with his family
on the New Jersey coast near Atlantic
City.