The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1910-07-12
FROM The CAPITAL
BY CARL scHoFIELD. Washington Cor
respondent.

~ S<AENA w d5IllIlBIOIb AOE-
respondent.
Upward of 100000 people visit the
city of Washington every year, and
most of them come in contact with
those unique individuals who are an
interesting part of Washington life
the capitol guides.
There are twelve authorized guides
in the capitol building. all of them
gentlemen Of experience, culture and
maturity. They are known to be relia-
Bile men of good character and reputa-
tion before they are given badges au-
thorizing them to act as guides within
the great legislative building. But
they receive no salaries. They are
Wholly dependent upon the semichar-
ity of the tourists. 4s
Guides of the Capitol.
There are scout guides on the list
They are stationed one each at the
main entrance of the senate end and
at the house end of the capitol When
sightseeing visitors enter the door at
either end of the building well dress
ed gentleman. wearing conspicuously
a silver badge certifying that he is a
capitol guide, approaches and offers
his services. Frequently the tender is
rejected with rudeness, but the guides
soon become accustomed to that and
continue to wear their professional
smiles while they turn to welcome the
next visitors and proffer their serv-
ices. When the scout guide receives a
hearing he briefly explains the bust
ness of a guide and escorts the stran-
gers to the floor of the great rotunda
and introduces them to the chief guide
of the building.
System of Remuneration.
eve are not allowed to make any
specific charge for our services" the
chief guide states. I'VE are simply
authorized to act as guides, and we
accept whatever tender is made after
the services are rendered, and usually
we receive so cents for each person.
That, however. is wholly optional with
the visitors"
After each party has been shown
through the capitol the guide reports
to the chief and hands over to him the
amount received for services rendered.
Each evening the chief guide foots up
the amounts and hands out to. aeach
guide his equal share Of thestotalare-
ceipts minus percentage for the
chiefaguide., Thus all accounts are kept
square daily.
Center of the District. ~
Under the shadow of the Washing
ton monument as the sun rises is a
small stone nearly buried in the earth.
which is likely to be overlooked and
whose very existence is probably I'M
known to nearly all visitors and resi-
dent Washingtonians. Yet this unob-
trusive little memorial marks the pre-
else center of the original District of
Columbia, and the intersection of
two cross lines notched on the upper
surface determines with the utmost
possible exactness the very point in
question. Just enough earth has been
removed from the face of the stone,
which stands near the bottom Of the
monument hill, to allow the following
inscription to be written:
Jefferson Pier.
Erected 1904. Recovered 1889.
District of Columbia.
Lost and Found.
What is now visible of this monu-
ment is of granite. An examination of
the archives of the city discloses the
fact that the original Jefferson pier,
or stone, stood on what was the bank
of the old Tiber creek. 1t had blue
rock foundation, which was six feet
high on the creek side, and was Gov
cred by large sandstone cap. about
five feet square and eight inches thick
This capstone and part Of the founda-
tion were removed In 1872 by order Of
public buildings and grounds. through
mistake as to its identity. 1t is said
and what remained was covered up by
earth several feet deep when the road
way ana grounds were made. As re