The Washington times., 1935-04-30
n OW
4 Red POrtent
at the Capitol
HAPPY RICHIE
BY HELEN ESSARY

This isn't surprising.
There's a Washington cor
respondent for every important
public official.
And 32712 columnists besides.
The New Deal hates column
nists. But it admits they're so
per cent correct.
Bert Ritchie's friends have
been grieving over his disap-
pointment at losing the COVER
norship &of Maryland to Mr..
Nice.
The former Maryland Cover
nor was in Washington the
other night, looking very
happy and smiling. His skin
was clear and pink and his
step was quick.
This time last year, it was
rumored that Bert Richie was
quite i'll. Now that he has
given up running for Governor
of Maryland, he looks better
than he has for years.
The fountain before the Capt.
tol is spouting clear white
water again. The alarmists are
happier now.
The day the fountain was
turned on, it's water was vivid
red. Or at least a deep social
istic pink. 1t was just after
James P. Warburg, New York
banker, had appeared before
the Senate banking commit
tee and denounced the pend
ing banking hill as a commu.
niStic measure.
The color of the fountain
looked like a portent; one that
might well have drawn the at
tention of Representative Ham
Fish or some the recently de-
parted Daughters of the Revo-
luton.
I found out, however, from
Mr.. David Lynn, Capitol archi-
tect, that the phenomenon was
neither a subtle communistic
plot nor an attempt to add
a new and strange beauty to the
elaborate fountain. The water
used in the display is recircu-
lated continually from it's own
supply. And the color came
from a chemical placed in the
fluid to purify it.
Mr.. Lynn said he would con-
slider having the device play al
ternately red, white, and blue
jets so that Capitol Hills 100
per cent AnHericanism might
not be suspect.
The outdoor world at Chevy
Chase Club yesterday was fra
grant with new cut grass and
fresh spring breezes. In the
winding flower beds, yellow wall
flowers, purple irises, bleeding
hearts, and narcissi were
blooming.
On each side of the walk
leading to the tennis court. myr-
tie was Towering among dark
shiny green leaves. A wall of
lilacS and red bud outlined the
terrace above the tennis courts.
Pleasanter than the Elysian
Fields was the club, with a gay
touch of the world out on the
tennis court where bare-kneed
girls, including Nella Vererka,
daughter of the CZechoslovakian
Minister, were dashing after
the ball.
Spring adventure and the fire
departments
She thought when she started
up the jagged rocks around that
hideouS hole at Newark Street
and Connecticut Avenue that
the new puppy, Tony, would fol-
low her.
Tony wanted to follow her,
but the way was steep and the
rocks were sharp. And he was
just a puppy with wobbly
knees.
She kept climbing and climb
ing. Up and up until she got
farther from the ground than
second-story window. She called
to Tony to come. Beckoned
him. Stamped her foot and so
started the loose rocks to slip
ping.
The rocks slipped more and
more. She was on narrow
ledge. Sc couldn't climb higher
and she couldn't get down. She
chung miserably to the stray
honeysuckle vines. A bee came
and buzzed around her head.
She began to cry. Tony howled
and barked and yelped.
People came running to see
what was happening. From the
stores across Connecticut Avenue
they hurried. They tried to
help her down but couldn't
reach her. Tony continued to
howl. A taxi driver called
policeman.
The policeman called the fire
department. The fire m n
brought strong ropes. Climbed
to an upper shelving from be.
hind, somehow. She tied the
rope around her. And scrambled
down, supported from above by
the firemen.
The crowd, so people at
least, sighed with relief. Tony
stopped bowling and wagged
his tail until she thought it
..,a,,1d Fon off IIar ,o.o4Ia.