Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-03
The
Rambler
Libruriuns Have
Headaches, Too
By JACK JONAS


must expect some queer ones.
One that had been fetched
pretty far came when a visitor,
armed with an ethereal name,
asked for some background to
go with the name. The libra
rian checked various sources,
unSuccessfully.
'If you could tell me a little
more about the man." the IL
brarian said, 'I might be able
to find him in one Of our ref
erence books"
The visitor heSitated.
ado you believe in spiritual
iSm?" he asked eventually.
Moderately" the librarian
parried warily.
II got his name from the
spirit world" the visitor said,
with full confidence in the
Library. It want to know more
about him."
The librarian shook his head
regretfully. 1t was, indeed,
one for the books but he was
stumped.
On occasions, librarians on
Capitol Hill have been con-
fronted with requests like: 81
want to see that book that has
the names of everybody in the
United States. I've lost con-
tact with Uncle Jim and want
to write to him."
And a lady told a reference
clerk: 1--WE been visiting a
psychiatriSt. Something that
happened to me in New Or
leans when I was 4 has been
affecting my life. He told me
II I could relive the expert
ence, 1t might clear my psyche.
I'd like to see a map of New
Orleans for that year. l
thought staring at it might
help"
The Library tries, but some
times it's too difficult.
Excuse
A suburban lady went
home from downtown Wash
ingtOn a few days ago with
q new hat. Her husband
complained, (the cads are
always complaining), but
her excuse, he says, left him
cropping:
II was walking along f
street." she said, when
was overcome with a feeling
that all the mannequins
in the windows resembled
Grace Kelly. Wedding
dresses, sports clothes, bath
ing suits-all seemed to be
draped over Grace Kelly
images. / don't know what
caused 1t - newspapers,
magazines, TV, or what.
But 1 was 50 shaken 1
had to buy q new hat to
calm my nerves."
AIurmist
Today's mind, conditioned
to alarms, plays tricks.
For example, on crowded
Sixteenth street the other
morning, in the 1000 block,
11remen worked to wheel a
ladder truck and a rescue
squad car past parked auto
mobiles and into q narrow
alley.
From a window, a woman
watched, interested.
I'm trying to tell you that
I'm all right" she heard q
cultured voice say next door.
There's nothing the matter
with me-"
whats wrong over there?"
the window watcher asked the
janitor Of her own building.
II don't know" he answered.
"I'm going over to find out"
He came back with this re-
port: Somebody on his way to
work saw a light under a door,
and turned in a fire alarm"
Name
Why do they call it Cabin
John?
That, apparently, is one Of
those things lost to history,
but the legend is that on
the banks of Cabin John
Creek, at one time, a hermit
named John lived in q cabin.
He was called John Of
the Cabin" and sometimes,
Captain john"
Early maps show the
stream as Captain John
Creek" One theory is that
Cabin John is a corruption
of Captain John; another
that it comes from John of
the Cabin. Take your pick.
Rambling
1t must have made Latin
American visitors here blink
when they noticed the flags
and banners outside hotels
welcoming the National Auto
mobile Dealers Association.
The flags bore the legend