Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1886-03-23

and you are carried in peace and quiet,
pas, Gen. Ba,ler's big stone house. up to
the sa., from, Of the capitol The city
fathers. when the capitol was built. expect.
ei that wsshingioa would grow toward
the east. but with the total depraviiy OF
inanimA,e objects. |, has extended we'i-
ward. and the capitol. therefore. presents
iu back door TO the majority Of the eici.
Een.. They. no; 20 be in'ul,ed Ia this
way, have decided to call that eide the
west fron,-and the capitol has tso
fronts and no back. The e., fron,,
however. /. the handsomer, and the one
usually shown in all pictures. The mid
die poi,ioa was made oa, Of wood. While
the righ, and lef, wings. for the Repre-
ssn,a,ives and Senators. we're built out
Of marble Over the center i' the dome.
Architects find a grea, deal OF faul, with
the body Of the building. They say !,
/. 90 small tha, IL looks libe a spring
chicken trying to dap the wings Of m
eagle. They complain that !, was made
Of wood and iha, IL !. 30 short ,ha, the
dome resting upon |, resembles a GAin..
boro hat on the head Of an infin, in
arms. There seem, TO be some truth IN
these criticisms. and perhsP, some day
the center will be rebuilt. Il could be
made Of marble. aud taller. but !, would
Dc impossible TO increase ia lengih with.
ou, pallins down the entire building.
Going up the broad steps in the cen
ter. the frs, room you enter i' the roiun'
d.. which, a. l.. name indicates. i' round
Iu .irs doe, no, impress one |. anything
rmarkAbli a, fr., only when you walk
across Il or around Il. can yoa realize i,'
larsene.. |, was here ihA, one Of the
Inaugural ball. was held many year'
ago; here that the Eaglish aud French
Official. who came over in 1881 TO eele-
brat. the anniversary of York,own. were
received by the Pre.idsn, sni Secretary
Of State: and |, We. here ,h, Garfield
lay in state TO be seen by the mourning
crowd. Ba, the ordinary everyday as
pee, Of the ro,undA !, no, ,hA, OF ball.
room or Of church. Around ia wall,
are hung huge pictures representative OF
American history: The Surrender OF
CORVALLIS. The Baptism OF Poe,hontA'.
DsSo.o aud hi. Followers, and various
Others Of national interest. The only
article, Of furniture are the sPii,oons and
the everywhere pre.en, 'e,,ecs. crowded
with city loaier., who hnd this a most
comfortable sitting room. and with ',rAn-
ger, Who are doing" the capitol. Peo'
ple in Washington seem 10 80 more A'.
.iduou,ly than those in other cities. E'.
ery~here in the capitol you will had
numsrou, bIus.eo.,ed officials. Who are
very ooar,eou. TO answer questions and
very quick to preven, the American van.
dal from carrying away msmsn'oe' OF
hi. visit. One said thu, In spite OF all
their vigilance, visitors would dsfie, the
building. They silly snip pieces from
the curtain, and chairs in the Presidents
room they hack a piece from the wood
work on the .,aip; And som, have even
gone - far a, 10 Try TO ca, pieces ifom
the pictures. An oihsial needs /" m.ny
eye. a. iiy. and even then zone spider
would catch him n.PPins.
II you leave the ro,unda BY the door
a, the lsil. you enter the old hall OF Re-
representatives., now used a. hall for sta
,aau. Like the ro,unda !, Is eirealn
in shape, bu, i, ornAmsn,ed With statues
Instead Of pictures. Almo,, every State
in the Union hA. contributed a statue.
and some has sen, two. Nermonts gilt
va. the barly figure Of E,han Allen.
With hi. .hor, knee.breeehss. hs point
ed hA, ana hi, sword in hi. good nigh,
h,nd, he look. a. II he were jus, going
in,o battle. Massachusetts, has given
John Quincy Adams. while New York
contribute. Fulton. lie i, represented
As sitting down. holding bis model for a
steamboat, over which be bends bis
wrinkled forehead. Ba, the statue tow
ard, which mos, people turn frs, ' ,ha,
Of Abraham Lincoln. and mos, turn away
disappointed. lie looks weak-n II he
might possess the passive virtues Of en-.
dursnce and long suffering, bu, no, TIE
ae,iv. ones Of resistance and opposition
to wrong. 1, na pity ,hl, one Of our
ables, Pfe,iden,s. one whose face IL "a.
milisr to every American, should bs 50
undeniably hOmsly. Ba, although he
wa. homely. he was no, weak He had
the beauty Of strength, and that redeem.
ing quality has been left out Of bis care.
worn face in his statue. The Repre-.
.ea,a,ives mus, have been glad when
they ou,grew this hall, fOr something is
i. the matter with its acoustic properties.
The poor Representative, making his
maiden speech. had to contend. no, only
with bis own bashfulness. but also with
provoking and unconquerable echo.
There are two stone, In particular. which
the guides deligh, to poin, out, between
which sound passes in a mlr'eloas man
ner. II you stand on one and whisper,
your companion on the other will hear
distinctly. while the friend beside you
can no, distinguish . word. Altogether,
the old hall. like Oscar Wilde. is better
suited for ornament, than for service.
Going TO the left from this hall, we
leave the center Of the building and enter
the eas, wing. given up to the uss Of the
Representatives. The room in which
they NEE, Is oblong ia shape. with the
floor slightly raised like thA, Of theatre.
The Speakers desk is placed again', ons
Of the walls, and |, elevated little. jus.
below il are the seats for the clerks Of the
House. The desks for the members,
very much like the ordinary school ones,
are auayed In half circle around th'
Speakers desk, the Republicans being or
one side and the Democrats on the other
Very little can be said for the order eth
er Of the desks or the occupants Of them
Ink Is everywhere excep. In lis proper
place. and pens and papers are scattered
over the floor. When school opens ih'
clerk calls the roll, TO which the Repre-
sentstives answer, like obedient boys
"Here." and then they take up the bust
ness Of the day. Sometim.s they Ar
II a. .ot ~.