South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-19
Yarns From
Washington
By Fred G. Kelly.

WASHINGTON, March 19.-The
day after congress adjourned, Ed.
Heating of Colorado entered on what
considering that he is a congress
man-was an odd form of vacation.
Accompanied by his wife, Heating
became a Washington tourist. He
has been in Washington, almost con-
stantly for the last two years, but
has had no time for sightseeing.
Always he has intended to do sight
seeing on the morrow, but with un-
failing regularity has put it off. he
lived at a hotel near the capitol and
the Office building and the line of
least resistance was a little path
between those three points. Until he
became a Washington tourist, the
other day, Heating knew little more
about the nations capital than II he
had remained out in Colorado.
Within an hour after congress ad-
journed Heating had locked up his
desk and his office for the season,
and was studying a nice, fresh, new
% cent guidebOOk His wife already
had kodak. but at Heating sugges-
ton she got a carrying case ana strap
and slung the outfit over her shoulder
in true tourist fashion.
1T seems to me-" remarked keat-
ing. that most of the tourists l have
seen on Pennsylvania av. wore light
colored spats We mus have some
spats.'
BY the next morning Heating not
only had his spats. but in other re-
spects had entirely ceased TO look like
a congressman Even the expression
of his face had changed There is a
sort of Open-eyed, wondering look
goes with the tourist. Heating had IL
well. I suppose the first thing we
ought TO see" suggested the congress-
man TO his wife lis the capitol"
The wh-a-a-t
The capitol repeated Heating;
eve been in it, of course, several
hundred times. but have always had
something on my mind. Many's the
time when I've seen guides pointing
out the historic paintings 10 tourists
that / had curiosity 10 know what
they we're about but / always inquired
that I could just as we'll wait until L
wasn't quite so busy.
So they hired a guide ana were
shown about the capitol. The guide
Ie9rning that Heating was con-
gressman. seemed 10 take especial
mains to give them every courtesy.
Heating asked numerous questions
and even went SO far as TO 1Ot rev
facts and figures down in little Dook'
Never was there a more palnstahIls
or enthusiastic tourist
Then tneN CllluNCQ dhpel " -
rubbernecI< wagon and listened TO the
megaphone man as he pointed out the
homes of the nations great men.
After that they went up IN me
washington monument Heating mad
seen IL "A thousand times or saw II
from the window of his hotel room.
hut never before had be ben up close
To IT, ~
ON. they took i'm everything me
tomb of George Washington at Mt
Vernon. the Lee mansion AT Arllhs
tom. the bureau of engraving even
the pension bureau, because keaung
is ON the pension committee. Every
little while they paused 10 buy souNe-
mir postcards TO send home TO friends
And every place the Keatings went
they were accosted by hack drivers
and prOprietOrS of sightseeing autos.
During his two years in congress
Heating was never once noticed by
these persons That was because he
had not previously been "a tourist and
he lacked the tourist expression.