Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-27

recitals of facts and figures concerning the
Capitol. Visitors do not care to hear guides
reel off dates concerning the building of this,
that, and other parts OF the piecemeai structure
They want to see the rotunda, the Supreme
Court Chamber, the Senate, the House of Repre-
sentatives the Marble Room, Statuary Hall,
and all places of interest: but they do not care
about dates and cumbersome historical facts
which they cannot remember and do not try to
remember.
g always have made it point to show the
places of greatest interest and to converse with
visitors casually and good humoredly. / have
not always confined myself to strict regard for
historical facts, either; but my customers have
been properly cared for, and they remember
the good times have had in our Journeys
about the big building
Entertaining Oriental Visitors
IN one occasion | had four Chinese mer-
~ chants from various parts of the country.
One of them leading man in the Six Com
panies of San Francisco and when l called on
him a couple of wears later he received me gen.
erouslv and exuberantlv, and loaded me down
with all sorts of presents. Well, as was gu1d-
ing those Cinnamon about the Capitol, we
came to Statuary Hall, and they stood IN
amazement before the heroic statue of Ethan
Allen. One of them asked me If the man was
really so large. The statue is eight feet high
and shows man of generous proportions. L
told the Cinnamon it was John L. Sullivan the
great fighter. They had heard OF him, and they
greatly admired that statue.
"They asked me if there was much fighting
going on in the Capitol and told them that
the statesmen were fighting all the time. Re-
ferring to the din of debate IN the House,
told them they were getting ready tor big
fight and took them up to the gallery. No
sooner were we seated than two Representa-
tives got into fight. genuine fisticufts affair.
1t required the interference OF the Sergeant at
Arms and a number of members to separate
them. The confusion tremendous and
nv Chinese guests were delighted to have seen
a fight in that body. | suppose they have told
their friends that statesmen do all their
debating with their fists
ION another occasion | entertained the
Chinese Minister and several of his suite After
| had shown them all the building and
they were about to depart one of them, prob
ably the treasurer. handed me two silver dol
lars which he took out of his sleeve. l held
I'D three fingers. He shook his head: but
slipped another silver dollar out of his sleeve
and reluctantly handed it to me. | held up
four fingers. He shook his head violently: but
slipped another silver dollar out of his pocket
and gave it to me though parting from his
last friend. Then held up my four fingers and
thumb. and nodded to him smillnglv, indicating
that needed five dollars in my business. He
shook his head violently but continued hold
ing up my fingers and thumb, and nodded my
head earnestly. Finally he surprised me by
saving in good and emphatic English:
"You rascal YOU have already received
twice as much YOU are entitled to recelve'
We are heather Chinee," of course; but we are
not what you call muttonheads, and | will not
give YOU another PENNY
Il vas too dumbfounded to argue the mat
ter with him; but replied that ! was entirely
satisfied, and that l hoped to see him with
others of his friends in the future. assuring him
that should be glad to wait on them for two
dollars the next time. He gave me his hand
good naturally. and we parted with kind
words
A Question of Authorship
YOU know, of course, that Ella Wheeler
= Wilcox wrote that beautiful philosophical
poem, Laugh and the world laughs with you
and of course you know that it also origi
nally written by Colonel John A. Joyce. Each
claims the authorship. Well, one morning not
long ago | played trick on Colonel Joyce.
Statuary Hall is one of the greatest echo cham
bers in the world of architecture. The guides
of the Capitol know which blocks echo to each
other. There is one block right in front of the
Franconi clock which is the echo block for the
doorstep sixty-five feet away.
II happened to be on that step when | saw
Colonel Joyce enter the hall from the opposite
side Just as he stepped on the echo block
l called out, Laugh and the world laughs with
you
Colonel Joyce stopped suddenly turned,
looked all about him. and then looked up into
the gallery where the clock is embedded. He
heard voice apparently coming out of the
clock, or from the gallery back of it, saving,
Colonel, you have claimed that poem about