OCR Text |
Show BV ARE NOT CURIOUS H WASHINGTON CITIZENS SHOW H LACK OF INQUI8ITIVENE8B. BBJ' Leading Lights of the Nation Too BBb Common at the Capital to Com- BBb mand More Than Patting BBn Attention from Residents. 1 Living In Washington Is a man 89 BBb years old who lias passed nearly 8C BBb years tlicro and has never Rot foot In- BBb sldo the capltol. At the Virginia end of tho Aqueduct BBb bridge, across thu upper Potomac, Is BBb a woman past SO, who, living within BBb half a mllu of Washington all her life, BBb has never been In Washington. BBh Tho old Washlngtonlan, who Is hale BBb and rntclllgcnt, said when questioned BBb that ho'd never cared to go lnsldo tho BBb capltol. There was no business call- BB lng him there. Ho'd always been M perfectly willing to let tho folks In- BBb Elde tho capltol go their ways If BBJ they'd only let him nlono. BBb Tho old woman at tho other end of BBb tho Aqueduct brldgo observed In re- BBb sponso to an Interviewer's inquiries BBb that alio'd noter classed over to BBb Washington becauso slio'd never BBb cared to. Slio'd always had enough BBb work to do without gadding about. BBh Tlicso two old persons fairly rcprc- BBh sent tho lack of Inqulslvenuss which BBb is perhaps tho strongest charactcrls- BBb tic of the people who llvo in and BBb around Washington. WaBhtngtonlans BBb aro probably the least curious people BBb on BBb On New Year's day, v en tho prcsl- BBh dent received thu general public, tho BBb double lino of pcoplo eager to grasp BBB his hand curved In two directions out PH of tho White House grounds and upon BBB the streets till four or llvo o'clock In BBB tho afternoon, though tho reception BBB began nt noon. Of tho thousands In BBB those two patient Mum hardly any BBB wero Washlngtonlans. BBB Washlngton'ans don't attend public BBB receptions at the Whlto House. The BBB lines wero mado up of visitors who BBB came hero especially for tho purpose BBB and of folkn losldlng hero transiently. BBB U, by dropping a cent lu the slot, tho BBB average Washlngtonlan could bo In- BBB stantly whisked to tho Whlto I louse, BBB thero to recelvo tho doublo initt from BBB tho president, a "Dce-llghtcdl" or BBB two, and a llttlo narrative about a BBB bull 1110030 or tho art of hitting a ttm- BBB ber wolf or a fawn in the left Bhoulder BBB with an express bullet, It Isn't In tho BBB least likely that tho nvcrago Washing- BBB tonlan would be attracted by tho In- BBB B This featu:e of Washington's char- BBB acterlstlc Ino'iffeicucc is a growth of BBB comparatixely recent years. Wash- BBS Ingtonlans di-1 go to Mr. McKlnlcy's BBB public receptions In T to consider- BBB ablo number'. They attended tho pub- BBS Ho levees of Mr. Harrison mid .Mr. BBS Clovcland, t :o, and they fairly BBS swarmed through tho east room BBS when Mr. Arthur wa3 president. Hut BBS they havo entirely romalncd away BBS from these affairs nt tho White Houso BBS in recent years. M Washington folks don't flock to tho BBS capltol at all. Tho big peoplo don't BBS appear to interest them. Washington- BBS lans aro pretty close to tho wires of BBS government, and this may account for J tho lack of Interest In tho wlro maulp-J maulp-J BBS A represcn'atlve of congress Is an BBS almost Inconsequential flguro in BBS Washington. A senator Isn't so BBJ much, cither. BBJ Kvery day tho vlco president of tho BBS United States walks down I'ennsyl- BBB vanla avenuo from tho capital, accom- BBJ panlcd by some senator or other. The BBJ vlco president Is a cry tall person BBS so tall as to make him an unusual flg- BBS ure, on account of his stature and BBS tho silk hat atop of tho stature, nl- BBS most nnywhoro. Iltit never a Wash- BBS ingtonlan wheels around to gnzo after BBS the vlco president. |