The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1885-02-04
The Mysteries of the Old Hall of Repre-
saufafiyae.

SCRAPS OF CONVERSATION BANDED ABOUT
BY THE ELFINs OF THE ECHo-wHAr STAR
REPoTER HEARD-A PATCH WORK OF
STRANGE urTERANcEs, ETC.
The echo hall of the Capitol attracts
the attention Of all visitors. The guide
who picks up a precarious living by show
ing strangers the mysteries of Washington,
fitting the story to his measurement Of
the credulity of those he has in hand, tells
them Of secret vaults and mysterious pas
sages through which sounds are always
roaming; if the stranger looks like man who
has travelled, gives him the unvarnished
statement that the acoustic properties of the
hall are the most wonderful in the world, al
ways adding, however, that he (the guide) is
the only man who possesses the unguarded
confidence of tho echoes. He alone knows
where to find them at their best If the
stranger happens to be peculiarly susceptible
with taste for the weird and mysterious, he
may be taken into the basement and shown to
u curious old staircase under this hall which
winds up dark stone turret, and ends alb.
ruptly 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 vault to ac-
commodate itself to any story the quick imag-
ination Of a guide may suggest This stair
case once led to the hall above, which was in
olden times
THE HALL OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
but now the passage has been hoored 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 wind
ing steps are full of mold. This was the main
entrance to the old Hall of Representatives,
and the 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 distinctness in another part of the
immense room. Hence it has been named the
echo hall. From some spots nearly everything
can be heard that is said by the strollers ana
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 l show you-the leg,
it is perfact too natural for marble-a bill for
the abolition of-cold tea.-Here is where
Daniel Webster got sat down on in his pub
lie building schems-George Washington-a
member of the whisky ring was in the pen
itentiary-Hejs great orator-Pnmps wind
into the House, ventilates-Bad ideas, no
judgment-Ill tell you confidentially, I'm no
common man; my constituents think Pm Just
the biggest puddin'head in Congress; made
a speech about-my darling, amt it nice for
you and to be here-locked up in the CON-
mittee room, and won't be reported this ses-
sion Henry Clay claimed everything
does not seem as if we had been married such
a short time, and we're Just on our tour
through-a 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 awfully nice;
how love-whisky at the bottom of it-In
his speech on Mormonism he said-You little
poody-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
wheu he-cast an anchor to the windward-
and went into a committee of the whole House
on the state of -Blaine's health has not failed
as it was thought it would owing to the ia
tigue of-kissing girl on the dome Just as we
passed.-A bill to put raw material on the
Tree llSt and reduce Inc duty on necessarleS oil
life, such as-ladies who come to see mem
bers send their cards in from the east door,
and wait there until-tbey get the foot and
mouth disease by being brought into contact
with other cattle from the west-I am always
glad to see one of my constituents; if there is
anything l can do for you l shall be delighted
to see you-being eaten by comrades at the
north pole, Congress ought to investigate
The woman in a 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-a four
masted schooner could sail through it and save
the distance around the cape.-0h, think our
Congressman is the most old man L ever saw;
he is just-fve hundred and fifty feet high
when finished"
Numerous other whisper 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 call
cd the whisper gallery. This is in the rotunda
Just above the frescoe.
There are in the United States IL st
Pauls, 20 Bridgeports, Is Bufaloes and
Newarks, II Brooklyns, Clevelands and
Rpobocfnrc Ie Har4FCrJs TX T.,,;-,-;II