Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-08-21
Calling on William Penn
TT WOULD be seemly thing, perhap

TT WOULD be a seemly thing, perhaps, Il
candidates for political office were to take
a private trip, up the tower of the City Hall
and spend an hour or so in solitary musing.
Looking cut over the great expanse of men
and buildings they might get vision Of
Philadelphia that would be more valuable to
them than the brisk pickering business of
Showing each other up"
FINDER the kindly guidance of Mr.. kel-
~ lett. the superintendent of elevators in
the City Hall, | was permitted to go up 10
the little gallery at the base of the statue
special elevator runs up inside the tower
starting from the seventh floor. Through
great echong spaces, crossed with glrders
and Uttered with iron work which the
steepleiacks have taken down from the sum
nit Tor painting and repairs, the small car
rises slowly into the top of the dome, over
800 feet above the street. linen you step
out onto the platform. Along the raiiipg
are the big arc lights that illuminate the
pinnacle at night. Over your head Is tne
projecting square toe of William fenn' MS
sturdy stockinged legs, his coat tails and
toward the treaty ground. He loved the
'.fruits of solitude" and he has them here
He is not often disturbed, save by the nlmble
acrobats who swing in a bosun's chair at
their unenvied tasks. A bosun's chair, let
.one add, is only a plank, not mnch Digger
than 'shingle, noosed in midair in the loop
of rope.
TIME street dwcller knows curiously little
i Of the atmospheric conditions. The
grounding would have said that yesterday
was n day of crystal clearness. Yet from
tho ton of the tower, even in the frank
morning sunlight, the view was strangely
restricted. The distances. were veiled In
summer haze. Camden, beyond the shore-
line. was a blush blur :. even League Island
was not visible. On the west the view
faded away into the greenery OF Oyerbrook,
and porthward the eye did not reach to the
suburbs at all Enclosed by this softened
sdimness. the city seemed even yaster than
it is. :.
At that height the clamor of the city is
dulled TO a gentle humble, pierced by the
oroan of trolleys and the sharp yelps OF
motorcars trundling round the Hall. On the
elittering pathway of the river ferries ana
. fups were sliding, kicking up rifle of white
foam behind them. One curious and ap-
nlaudable feature is the absence OF smoke.
All over the roots OF tue city nodt Httle
: nlumes and wsps of steam, detaching and
drifting away in the warm blue simmer
like dissolving feathers. cool breeze was
moving in from over the Park, where the
tall columns of the Smith Memorial were
rising over sea of green. The Parkway
seen from above stands out as the most
notable feature of Philadelphia topography.
From there, too, one sees how the north
eastern corner of Broad Street Station cuts
into the line of the Parkway, and wonders
lust how this will be rectifed.
TT is fascinating to lean over that sunny
i parapet and watch the city at its work.
Down at the corner Of Broad and Chestnut
could see a truck loaded with rolls of paper,
drawn by three horses, turning into Chestnut
street. On the roof of huge department
store was a party of sightseers, mostly la
dies going round with guide. Mr.. Kellett
and / got out our kerchiefs and gave them
a wave. In moment they saw us, and
all Auttered enthusiastic response. We were
amused TO notice one lady who detached her
elf from the party aud went dartingl about
ths roof in a most original and random
fashion. from our eyrie it looked rather as
though she was going to take eantar round
fhe running track on the top OF the store,
and NE waited patiently 20 see what she wrs
III ~. . fftntl she tlfxaDfcata ell. AZ Uie looks