Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-12-06
TOLD BY THE ECHOES.
The Mysteries OF the Old Hall Of Re.
representatives..

TOLD BY THE ECHOES.
The Mysteries OF the Old Hall of Re.
representatives..
SCRAPS OF CONVERSATION BANDED ABOUT BY THE
ELFINs OF THE ECHo-wHATA STAR REPORTER
HEARD-A PATCH WORK OF STRANGE UTTER
ANCEs, DC.
The echo hall Of the Capitol attracts the at
tention of all visitors. The guide who picks up
precartous living by showing strangers the
mysteries of Washington, fitting the story to his
measurement Of the creduiity of those he has in
hand, tells them Of secret vaults and mysterious
passages through which sounds are always
roaming; or, if the stranger looks like a man
who has travelled, gives him the unvarnshed
statement that the acoustic properties ofthe hall
are the most wonderful in the world. always
adding, however, that hethe guide) is the only
man who possesses the unguarded confidence of
the echoes. He alone knows where to find them
at their best If the stranger happens to be
peculiarly susceptible with a taste for the weird
aud mysterious. he may be taken into the base
ment and shown to q curious old staircase
under this hall. which winds up dark stone
turret, and ends abruptly at stone wall, which
is the floor OF the echo hall above, and leads no
where. This is sufficiently dark and damp, and
has enough OF the musty smell of a vault to &C
commodate Itself to any story the quick imagi-
nation OF guide may suggest. This staircase
once led to the hall above, which was in otden
times
THE HALL OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
but now the passage has been 1oored over with
Immense stone flags and the existence OF the
staircase Is known to but few outside OF the old
laborers employed about the Capitol. 1t Is used
By them as place to stow away their scrubbing
brushes and brooms. and the winding steps are
full of mold This was the main entrance to
the old Hall OF Representatives, and the gray
stones are worn with the footsteps Of the great
men OF those days.
In the hall above. the echoes will sometimes
take up the faintest whisper and repeat It with
remarkable distlnctness In another part Of the
immense room. Hence it has been named the
echo hall. From some spots nearly everything
can be heard that ia said by the stroers and
people passing. Sometimes whispered secrets
may be given away, and couples may have an
audience when no one Is near.
WANDERING WHISPERS.
The following are some Of the whispers of the
echoes caught by STAR man: "Now, stand
right there, while I show you the leg, 1T is per-
feet, too natural for marble a bill for the abo-
ton of cold tea Here is where Daniel Web
ster- got sat down on in his public building
scheme George Washington member ofthe
whisky ring was in the penltentiary- He is q
great orator Pumps wind into the House ven
tilates- Bad ideas, no judgment-Ill tell you
coDhdentially, I'm no common man; my consti-
tuents think I'm Just the biggest puddin'head
In congress; made speech about my darling.
amt 1t nice for you and I to be here locked up
in the committee room. and won't be reported
this session Henry Clay claimed everything
1t does not seem as five had been married such
short time and we're just on our tour
through sewer from Boundary street to
Rock creek. 1t will take an appropriation of
ten thousand dollars to- buy me new bonnet
when we get home: oh, that's awfulIy nice; how
l love whisky at the bottom Of it In his
speech on Mormonism he said You little poo
dy-poody, darling, I'd like to- put the question
by yeas and nays When they were married he
gave her a whisky ring; can't buy up this
House. This represents jefferson when he
cast an anchor to the windward- and went into
committee of the whole House on the state of
Blaines health has not failed as it was thought
it would owing to the fatigue Of kissing girl
On the domejust as we passed. A bill to put raw
material on the tree list and reduce the duty on
necessaries OF life. such as ladies who come to
see members send their cards in from the east
door, and walt there until they get the foot
and mouth disease by being brought into contact
with other cattle from the west am always
glad to see one OF my constituents; if there is
anything can do for you shall be delighted to
see you being eaten by comrades at the north
pole, Congress ought to investigate The
woman in seal skin sack is his wife, and he is
one Of The MOrmons must be put down his
throat measures eighteen inches When he
open his mouth to speak four mast schoon-
er could sail through it and save the distance
around the cape Oh, think our Congress-
man is the most old men ever saw; he is Just
five hundred and fifty feet high when finished. :"
Numerous other whispers were heard. Some
were state secrets, and some related to domes-
tic affairs that it would not be proper to make
public.
Besides the echo hall. there Is what is called
the whisper gallery. This is in the rotunda,
just above the frescoe.