Evening star., 1925-05-16

Lack of observation on the part of
the average person has been demon
strated many times at trials, when
two so-called eyewitnesses would tes.
tify as to exactly opposite facts"
In everyday life one may prove the
almost any one to tell offhand whether
his watch face bears Arabic or Roman
numerals.
When went to get my watch from
| jeweler, with whom had left it to
| be cleaned, I found several score time.
pieces hanging on a velvet.faced
board. and was extremely surprised to
| find that l had to make six guesses
before ! located my own watch!
could have sworn on oath that the
big ticker I have consulted thousa nds
or times bears the numbers /, 2, 8,
etc, but, as a matter Of engraved fact
1t has Roman numerals, as 1 learned
when actually looked at the face for
the first time.
Ask any friend to tell, without look
ing. what is on any coin, and you will
find Immediately how little the aver.
age person observes when it comes to
familiar things.
1t has occurred to me, therefore. to
describe the route taken by a. certain
public transit company line, in an eff
Tort to see If readers who ride it will
recognize it.
Directions will be left out, of course.
as well as all names Of streets. parks
etc, and the descriptions will be con-
fined to sights along the route that all
see-but few realize they see.
X y X y
The route begins in a residential
section. row houses. we'll kept lawns.
Washingtons usual trees, paved
street. triangles for vending papers
at the curb, children. dogs, elders.
Not much of a clue there, eh?
Wait till we get started. Here we
go. We are lucky, for three blocks
from this corner every seat will be
taken. We. comfortably seated. start
to read our paper. but give 1t up to
look out the window. We must OBJ.
serve, today. :
Now we round the bend into a wider
street. an old street, one of the oldest
in the District of Columbia. There.
to the right, stands one OF our high
school buildings. To the left are
residences.
Farther down, in the distance. we
see fields, and girls school, but we
turn before we reach it, and start
sayly on our way downtown
Downtown, 1900
That word holds vision of work
AZ is packed with meaning for men,
1t tells the tale of the average mans
biggest daily adventure.
And many there are who go, like
Shakespeares schoolboy with men.
tally dragging feet, as if whipped to it.
There be others to whom downtown
calls with thrilling voice. renewed and
surcharged with glamour each day.
Thrice happy, these, who meet the
call of downtown with equally glad
some answers.
To them is given to enter the King
dom of Work, and to be masters there
There are executives who go to ii like
galley slaves, and there are Office boys
who already have entered the king
dom. -
Downtown is no respecter Of per
sons, you see. The difficult adjust
ment OF man to his work has SO
many faces that no school or person
can solve it for others, except now
and then. -.-
1t works itself out. That is why
the executive may make the most
money, but be unhappy, whereas his
clerk, on a small salary, may be the
best off Of the two.
Here we are going down another of
Washington's old streets. Here the
green boughs arch overhead. To the
left stands a big estate with yellow
house placed on a hill, and to the