Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-09
The
Rambler
Hospital Handles
Complaint Quietly
BY JACK JONAS

Government has a heart,
after all.
"Since last spring my wife
and l have had an apartment
in back of the VAS Mt. Alto
Hospital" he writes. Were
one building removed from
being right across from the
hospitals boiler plant. 1t was
noise from the plant that
began all this.
Several times a day a great
huffing and putting would
arise from the plant and con-
tinue for some minutes. We
discussed the sound, finally
celebrating a theory that the
hospital was blowing off ex-
cess steam it had no use for
during the warm months.
But one of the occasions
for what we got to calling the
big blow was decidedly annoy
ing-the morning blow, which
happened anytime between
$50 and $50 am. Since we
are people to crowd the wee
hours of the evening and
luxuriate in those delicious
sleeping hours of the dawn, we
could not take the morning
blow without some distress. :"
So Mr.. Flagg sent off a note
to the hospital superintend-
ent, asking if it couldn't be
postponed until 7 am. Then
he settled back to wait three
or four weeks for a reply he
was certain would be mega
tive.
But right back, in two days,
came an answer from Ralph
F. Webster, the hospitals act
Ing manager. Mr.. Webster
said routine cleaning of the
boilers was responsible for
the noise. He wrote:
instructions have been is
sued to delay this process
until later in the morning
whenever it is possible. We
are sorry for the annoyance
caused and to the extent per-
mitted by our needs adjust
ments will be effected"
Since then" Mr.. Flagg
says, "the boiler cleaning has
been done every morning be-
tween 7 and 7:30. We are
most appreciative of Mt. Altos
and Mr.. Webster's kindness"
Clubs
When the Cosmos Club
moved to its new location
on Massachusetts, avenue, it
at first put up no signs
bearing its name.
The only signs at the front
were the "In" and "Out" on
the driveway. In London,
where clubs do not post
signs with their names, the
Naval and Military Club on
Piccadilly has similar en-
trance-exit signs. 1t has
been known popularity as
1.-THE In and Out Club"
A journalism professor
here boosted for a while that
he held membership in the
only two I'm and Out" clubs
in the world. Now, sadly,
it's only one, because the
Cosmos Club has put up a
name plate.
Tanks
The upcoming meeting of the
Daughters of the Ancient and
Honorable Artillery recalled to
one member a World War l
story.
In those days, she said, the
Ancient and Honorable Artil-
lery members were proud of
their capacity at the festive
board, and the girth of many
reflected their pride.
Generals in the field, during
the war, we're sending pleas
for more tanks. One member
of the Ancient and Honorable
Artillery sat down and penned
a letter, in serious terms but
with tongue in cheek, to Sec
rotary Of War Baker.
In it she offered several
hundred volunteers and an
equal number of tanks" The
letter got pretty high up in
channels before secretary
recognized it for what it was.
The War Department sent re-
gretS that it could not accept
the offer.
Meies
Robert E. L. Garcin of
li4S ParkwOOd place NV.
has yet another Meigs bridge
to report. He writes:
you all are many thou
sands Of miles away from
the real Meigs Bridge.
after all the worlds en-
gineers admitted inability
TO build the OrOyOn Railroad
in Peru, Col. Meigs built this
railroad to a great silver
mine at Casapalso, 1890