Evening star., 1923-11-25
Heard and Seen

This happened before the police
decided to make every radio receiving
| set owner in the District get a per-
| nit for the erection of an outdoor
aerial.
| a certain householder in the north
west section of the city decided to
! string up his antenna across the
alley to a friends house.
The friend agreed. so steps We're
taken to do tbs inD one of those
mild afternoons. Indian summer stuff
Just as the men We're reeling out
the wire, along came an employe Of
the District government.
Here. you he said. in no ungentle
tone. Don't you know that it is
against the law to cross the alley
with that wire?"
The housrholders did not care for
the tone of voice used by the other,
or something, for they Immediately
began to answer back.
Take that wire down at once. or
I'll call the police shouted the man.
The radio fans informed him just
where to go.
Anyway, in about ten minutes. here
: came a police patrol, filled with of
fcers of the law.
But everything was serene in the
alley. The two men had decided that
discretion was the better part OF
valor, and had taken the wire down.
and strung it up in the back yard In
, which II properly belonged
When the police hove in sight. all
they saw was a sedate gentleman
working in his back yard.
Have YOU seen anything Of two
men singing a radio wire across this
alley?" asked one of the policemen,
/ as the patron ground to a halt. The
; wagon oozed with cops
Not a thing" smiled the house
holder. leaning chummily over the
fence. why, has somebody been
doing anything like that "
I'VE got a call that two birds were
violating the law in this alley" said
the officer
Il don't see any wire strung across
the alley. SOME one must hare been
stringing you"
No, he said if We hurried up we
would catch EN-"
Maybe you got the wrong alley"
No. this is the alley. Now.
WONDER
Still wondering. the officers depart
ed All the rest of the afternoon po-
| licemen, at intervals, wandered down
that alley. trying to locate a wire
| crossing forbidden territory.
Speaking of alleys.
Why is it that no ash. trash or
garbage man will replace a lid on
can, OF even set the can back on
its bottom?
Such useful employees of the Dis
trict government must have a code
of ethics all their own.
Evidently they fine each other IF
they fail to do any of the following:
Throw the ash can one way, and
its cover another, after dumping out
the ashes.
Make the can lie on it's side.
1t is against the rules Of the alley
to put can back, right side up
AS for replacing the lid, not to be
thought of for a second.
Yet the city could not get along
without the ash man. the trash man
throw the cans around as they will
They will, anyway.
An invisible traffic cop seems on
the job these days at 18th street and
Columbia road.
Recently motorists arriving at that
tremendously busy crossing, one of
the most dangerous in town for pc
destrians, have heard vigorous blow
ing of whistle.
One car driver. when he heard the
signal, threw on his brakes, and
came to an abrupt halt. He looked
around, but could see no officer.
Then he happened to look up.
The whistle came from a mar
hoisting material on the Immanus
Baptist Church now under construc.
tion.
Drawing to one side. feeling a bit
foolish the while. the automobilist
| waited to see If any other car owner
would be fooled in like fashion.
He soon had the satisfaction OF
seeing that he was not the only one.
Four car drivers came to abrupt
halls, at the apparent command OF
| the traffic officer. while UP above the
buildil men were blissfully unaware
| of the commotion they were causing.
CHARLES. e. TRACEWELL