Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-14

sunken garden is now smooth green and
white, with close-croped bluegrass and
white clover. The walls Of the garden
are being laced with south-side ivy, or
Boston ivy, or that ivy which is not ivy,
but which clings to SO much of the stone,
brick and marble of the capital
Secretary MacVeagh believes in roses.
and this flower is being re-established,
specimens having been planted in the
garden. until the planting of the roses.
was an example of formalism-laWns and
box trees-and the west garden at the
south front is saved from stiffness by a
beautiful jungle of rhOdodendron.
The hanging gardens of Washington are
on the marble terrace of the Capitol.
Giant granite flower boxes are sunk in the
concrete roof of the terrace, and these
upstairs blossoming beds extend along
the north, west and south faces of the
building. AT the west front, cannas, pink,
yellow and blood red, some with green
and others with bronze foliage, yellow and
red snap-dragon, scarlet sage and other
blooming things sink their roots into
above the tops of the tall plane trees and
elms that shade the Capitol grounds.
The Wooden Indian.
THE wooden Indian is nearly extinct
in Washington Time was when a
tobacconist did not hope to sell goods
without a wooden Indian assistant. Usu-
ally the savage held a packet of cigars
or bundle of tobacco in one hand and
a tomahawk in the other. His attitude
was half inviting and half threatening.
cigar store could not do business with
out a wooden Indian any more than a
barber shop could or can get along with
out its spiraIly striped red and white pole
or a drug store without it's red and green
window lights or a pawnshop give relief
to hard-up men without the sign Of three
golden balls. Many stores seem to at
tract business today with a big red bor-
der across the top of the show window
and a slot vending machine at the front
door.
The wooden Indian was all right. So
far as known he never drank whisky,
smoked his own tobacco or massacred the
citizens. He was faithful to his post
But as the flesh-and-blood Indian is
passing from the plains, the mountains
and the forests. so has the wooden In
dian been crowded off the sidewalk. He
survives only in places where the to-
becconists are reverent toward tradition.
One staiwart brave stood for uncounted
y
D streets. He was gathered to his ia
theirs, reduced to kindling or something
like that years ago. In answer to a
question, the owner Of that Indian said:
THAT Indian? Why, he was the finest
in Washington. He stood seven feet tall
and cost me $50. All tobacco stores OF
any pretension had to have an Indian.
1t was our business sign. But when the
tobacco companies began to merge as
trusts they sent out big autographs and
other advertising matter, and late COM
ers In the cigar store business concluded
that they did not need the Indian. Though
it had not been suspected before 1t was
found that men would buy tobacco
without being called in by an Indian.
Men old in the business believed in the
Indian as a mascot and a partner They
held on to the Indian till he decayed or
dropped apart or lost his eyes or nose
or hands or head, or until the police said
that he could not stand outside the build
ing line Then he came inside the store.
There he got in the way and was thrown
to the cellar, where he cracked and
warped and moldered until some day,
kindling being needed, he would be split
up to start the fire. No. do not know
of a wooden Indian in Washington,
though believe 1 have seen some re-
Gently"
Some Indians survive One stands on
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