The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-02-21

Familiar with Ccuntances OF 4I0l
Representatives.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21.-Four stall
wart sons of the Green Mountain state
daily stand watch and ward in the ma
tional capitol against assaults from with
out upon the peace and dignity OF the
highest legislative body in the land, the
United States senate. Visiting Vermont
ers know them and greet them with out
stretched man-Col George II. Bond of
BrattIcboro: Alonzo Emery of Ran
dolph; ii. S. Knight Of Royalton; and
Prentice Butler of Jamaica, nephew of
Judge F. NJ Butler of Rutland.
Down at the east door of the senate
chamber, one on each side of the door
WAY. are established Messrs. Bond and
Emery. Here pass and repass through
the portals more persons provilegcd toI
go upon the floor of the senate than
through any other avenue. and the task
set before these guardians involves no
small amount of responsibility and calls
for the exercise of any quantity of tact.
To begin with. they must know ana
recognize on the instant every member
of the 96 comprising the upper branch OF
congress. and permit him to pass IN or
out without CHdltlEC. NJ iAlSlItA ~ ~
new he may be to these classic halls,
no senator hurrying to his seat, ENJOYS
being held up and questioned as to has
identity, and, generally speaking. the
newer a conner ne is the more jealous heI
Is likely to be of all the privileges and
sDrerogativcs that 90 with the office.
Similarly. your door man is expected
to be sufficiently familiar with the coun-
tenance and general perspective OF each
congressman to let him into the chamber
the moment he presents himself at the
door. and when it is considered that the
house has a membership of 435 it be
comes apparent that it takes a genius at
that sort of thing to know them all.
There are various attaches of the senate
who have the right of entry; 200 or 300
secretaries and clerks to senator's; the
official reporters of debates certain
ewS-papermcn; cabinet officers: eX
members of the senate, etc. The total of
those whom MeSSrS. Emery and Bond
are expected to recognize and pass at
sight foots up to more than a thousand
souls. and it is n personnel that Is more
or less continually chanTs ing.
In company with all capitol officers
generally, the door men are called upon
to keep their eyes open at all times
when on duty for CrankS and people with
any evident anarchfStic or B0lSheyist
SlantS, and this nCccSSitatcS keen, i'll
usually brief. scrutiny of practically ev-
cry person who trayCrScS the corridor
past their post. Not long ago Col. Bond
held a counting machine on them for two
or thee days, and he says that the num-
Der daily included in his tally ran from
5000 to 15.OG0-aIl sorts and conditions
of men.
Not less pronounced are the demands
made upon the time. energies, and men
tai alcrtncSs of MeSsrs Knight and But
Ter. stationed, respectively. at the men
and woIcuS galleries. Theirs is the
fffy n that ADMITTED
to seats who by outward manifestations
give any hint of intending t" contribute
any disturbing element. Though. like
the celebrated frog whose prowess a. a
jumper can't be guaged necessarily from
his appearance. it isn't always within
the ken Of man to say what propcnSitiea
for mischief may Turk beneath a we'll
brushed thatch of hair or the latest fash
ion i'm spring hats, these gallery door
keepers get to be pretty expert observers
and it would take Il wise one indeed toI
slip anything over ON them.
However. visitors, even the most well
intcntiOnel, win now and them persist IN
leaning on their arms at the edge OF the
rail If they are lucky enough TO get u
front seat, and frequent admOnltlOnS arc
needed Presumably the theory of the
prohibition is that some careless person
might at some time thOughtleSsly drop a
fatiron upon the head of some dlgnltIcd
s0lon passing on the senate floor beneath,
OF cold bite of lunch might stray away
from lis mOoTingS and become preclpl-
tated into the legislative and forensic
arena Further. your gallery guardian
must be able to tell each inqulring in
dividual what subject is at the moment
under discussion (and at times the sub
iect4 are shifted with Kaleidoscope
Swiftnc>sl, and he must be ready 10 en-
tighten the curious aS to the identity of
whomevpr may be presiding or tie gen
tlcman holding the floor.
Among the thousands who come and
90 before our Vermonters daily now and
then Il wandercr gets within the gate>I
who apparently has no conception OF
where he is, or. doubtless, of how he got
there. y couple of days ago well
dressed young man who looked I" be-
certainly of the average intelligence.
slipped cut Of the elevator and after
some hesitation approached Col Bond.
Clearing his throat with some cmbarraSS-
mcnt. the while making a brave attempt
to appear entirely at his ease. he in
quircd in stage whisper:
Can you tell me where l can get a
marriage Hcense?'
City hall, probably" replied the door
keeper making way for a Congressman
to enter the senate chamber.
''Isn't-e'er-isn't-" began the vis-
itor'
ticntlv. this isn't the city hail. Don't
you know where you are, Young man."
Reckon / DON'T. answered the puz-
lied youth. Where Is it,
Haven't you ever seen 4 picture of
this building?" pursued the inquisitor.
Not as I knows Of" came hack the
stranger. "Tain't the railroad depot is
it, I've seen picture of that
NO. tlfiS isn't the railroad station. nor
the Washington monument, nor the Lin
coin memorial. nor Mount Vernon an
nounced the colonel. It's the United
States capitol. my boy -
We'll. now. yOu don't say SO. said
the prospective bridegroom, as he turned
away. Pm much obliged to You. |
reckon nv mind amt exactly on sight
seem t'day."
GENTLE sen ENJOYS BOUTS