Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-02-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.
How and Where Our Law-Makers
Observation-Disclosures the Wheels
Whitney's and SandersOn's-Where
the Members Go.


Whitney's and SandersOn's-Wher
the Members Go.
WHERE LUBRICATION Is PERFORMED.
WASHINGTON, Jan. p, 1S72.-A funny
scene occurred in the F street cars here, a
day or two ago. This line of cars cOmmu-
nicate with the best and most fashionable
part of the city, and is patronized by bet
ter class of passengers than the other lines.
The track runs close beside the Senate
wing Of the Capitol.
must say, to start with, what everybody
who has been to Washington probably
knows, already, that the Senate has its res
taurant, and the House has its restaurant.
These are necessary, for Congressman are
awful eaters, and one restaurant would not
be large enough to accommodate them.
Besides, it would not Ee exactly proper for
a member of the Hsuse to sit at the same
table with the grave and dignifed Senator.
Think of our friend Snapp, of Joliet, Hi
nOis, presUming to sit down with Roscoe
Conkling. There would be spontaneous
combustion on the part of Conkling at the
instant. COnkling cannot endure plebeians.
Not a great while ago, he had the man who
takes care of his committee-rOom at the
Capitol discharged because he washed his
stand, and the man is spoken Of as having
been very clean and tidy in his appearance.
SENATORIAL DRINKS.
If the Senators and members have their
separate eating places, Of course you will
see that they must have their separate
drinking places, for congressman are great
! drinkers as well as eaters; and they have
their separate places. Just across the
! Al Of ho
Senate wing is Whitney's, which has been
a nOIed drinking house for more years than
| | can remember. Here the Senators 60 for
inspiration and patience during the long set
speeches of Garrett Davis and Thurman.
l don't pretend to know which one goes
there for drinks, but l know good many
do, for the house Is well patrOnized. For
aught know, Cameron, and Chandler, and
Edmunds, ard Stockton, and Carpenter,
and I'VE, and Spencer, and Ramsey, and
! indeed all the rest OF them, go there, eX-
| cept Morton and BrOwnlOW, who are lame,
| and Henry Wilson and the Vice President,
| who are teetotalers. Across the street
! from the southeast corner Of the House
! wing of the Capitol is Sanderson's, another
noted drinking place.
! REPRESENTATIVE DRINKS.
! This is where the members of the House
! get rid of the foul atmosphere which per-
Yades their hall The House being COM
/ posed of two hundred and forty-three men,
! bers and the Senate only seventy-three,
! North Carolina having but one Senator at
/ this time,) it will be readily seen that the
| House requires greater accommodations.
/ Not that the House can beat the Senate in
! the mere matter of glzzling intoxicating
/ beverages, counting man for man, Ga thing
! hard to do, can tell yOu,) but the House
/ OvertOps them in numbers by sheer physical
! superiority. In the mere matter of walk
I ing off with large quantity Of whisky, l
/ think there are men in the Senate who can
| not be surpassed outside Of Cincinnati; but
| that is neither here nOE there. Owing to the
| superior numbers, the House drinkers re-
! quire additional room. There are, there
/ fore, two drinking places for the House
/ Sanderson's and the Casparis. Which is
the better place l can not tell. Each one
| can present a long list Of very respectable
/ references.
The newspaper men are much like Sena-
! tOrs-they don't like to associate with
members, so they 90 to Whitney's. | do not
! volunteer to tell who the quill drivers are
| who 90 to Whitney's, for their occupation
| often takes them into strange company, but
/ among them who are sharp for getting
! news are White, BOyntOn, Crounce, Painter,
! Kaufman, Shaw and Knowlton, but do
not say they frequent Whitney's-by no
! means.