Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-29

quite recently that some of the
governments palatial structures, it's Of
fees and scientific institutions may be
hIsh! sound the tremolo, turn on the
blue lights-yes. haunted,
Vague rumors to this dread effect have
been, it may be conjectured, spread
about among the watchmen themselves
Tor some time past. But it was only
upon a reporters undertaking the task
of tracing these rumors to their fountain
heads that satisfactory results were OBJ
tanned. The quest. pursued during the
chilly watches of the night, in corridor,
vault and official sanctum, lead to the
conclusion that several government build
ings are, in the belief of divers of their
guardians, haunted by ghostly vista
tons.
For example. there is one of the book
stacks in the Congressional Library that
no night Waterman will approach at or
about the hour of IL pm. Why? Just
ask the watchmen who, through curlos-
ity. have visited the stack in question.
They won't enter much into details. But
still-well there's enough to make YOU
want to give that boOkstack a wide
berth if you had to perambulate the edi-
fce alone at the time when
The midnight bell
Did, Did with its iron tongue and bFs f ns threat
1t is whispered, too. that the reading
rooms are not visited with positive
pleasure by the watchmen. If it were
not for the fact that one of the latter
was of a more communicative DISPOSE
ton that the generality of his iik, it
is doubtful if these weird facts would
ever have become known.
11Nn
of the night watch, II don't much mind
ghosts-that is to say, I'm not afraid
of them ! respect them, and don't
do. which. perhaps, makes them so
scary. Yes. if you ask me, l believe
ghosts come here of nights. Why:
Well, one reason Is because I've seen
Read? Sure they read. Light-why
their own. they're self-lightin. see?
in inf ns seemed and 70 ne Light in
more senses than one. The Waterman
was apparently possessed of valuable
and unique information, due to his, his
matters. and was questioned further
with some interest. Yes, they carry
their own light on EN-; he continued.
They're all different colors, too SomeS
greenish like, some pink. some yellow
I've seen as many as half dozen at
once in different parts of the room
and I tell you it was a pretty sight.
The lights are not bright-sort Of glow.
like what comes from an old lobster
shell in the dark
look that's the funniest thing about
it. They've got ghost attendant. sure
thing, He fetches the books and seems
to take cards for them. He comes and
goes in a fash--very unlike the day
time attendants. I'm told The ghosts
don't have to wait a couple OF hours
with not in on 'em: Like as not
too, they get their foreign papers sew
erai weeks before they're put on the
n srtp ioI reading room. 10. you can't
get close to ghost reader-vanlshes
right on
:: x
law, say put in a confrere of this
Waterman, don't you believe him-that's
all moonshine he's giving you. l think
he believes it himself. though. Other
night he took me in to look at his ghost
readers What do you think it was?
Why the moonlight coming through the
lantern of the dome and shining among
the desks. i took old Jack here round
to where he said the ghosts were and
showed him it was the moonlight.
Wouldn't believe me. Said he saw the
ghosts go into air as We came near.
He's dafy on the question.
Here ensued what promised to he
long and heated argument, and the inter
locutor made his way across to the Cap
itol 20 pursue his Investigations into al
legged ghostly phenomena. Az hrst tne
blue-coated guardians of the historic halls
of the lawmakers were not inclined to
talk upon the subject. Just as the query
seemed hopeless the group at the en-
trance on the western terrace was joined
by a somber-looking individual. who
seemed to prick up his ears at the men,
ton. of the word ghost. the othefs
glanced significantly at one another.
H.
ampsed silence was succeeded by deep
.'ahem," from the newcomer was you
talking about ghosts?' he asks sepui-
chraily. you've seen something OF the
kind haven't you. BilI?' asked one of the
group. III tell YOU he said. and care
fully cut a small guild of tobacco.
1T was the other night. not quite II
O'Clock, the weather rainy and, something
rather unusual at this time of year, a
rumble of thunder. / had been to part
OF the building where my duty takes me,
and was returning to the western en-
trance. Just outside Statuary Hall there
is an iron staircase. and this / turned to
descend. 4 fash of lightning through a
window looking upon the stair lighted up
the latter for a second. and IN that Dflel
time I caught a glimpse of a figure de-
scending in front of me. 1 thought 1t
must be one of the other watchmen. The
view ] caught of the person was not dis
tinct. for he was at the bottom OF the
steps while | was at the top.
Il
what struck me as peculiar was that
could hear no sound of footsteps The fig
ure Kept on ahead of me at about the
same distance as when first saw it, even
though / walked considerably faster iii or
der to come up to 1t. 1t descended GER
tain staircase. and when it reached the
bottom. as l should say--for. owing to the
intense darkness just there, l could not
see it-there was loud report OF pistol.
and, as I fancied, cry or groan went
down. expecting to come upon the scene
Of q tragedy of some sort. but there was
no trace of anything of the kind, and no
signs of anybody at all. OF course, fully
expected that the man at the west door
must have heard the pistol shot-it had
rung deafeningly through the corridors
and though he was there, and not very far
away from the steps, he told me he had
heard nothing. That was the first and l
trust ii will be the last ghostly experience
] have had since / have been on duty
here, and / have been with the force for
about dozen years.
"Oh, there have been Others, remarked
an older but livelier one of the group.
Why he continued when Jake was
here-Jake has been with the spooks HIM
self for some time-we had no end OF
ghost stories. Jake was the greatest fell
low. for seeing ghosts / met; they
seemed to come his way, SO to speak. / re-
member one time when ne was sure he
had spotted ghost-was spirit trail,