The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-31
THE CAPITOL.
THE NATIONAL BEEHIVE AND
SOME OF ITS INMATES.

The Little Woman Who Sells Trink-
ets-Ladies' Reception Room
Lively Lobby Scenes s. The
Bank of the House.
Some of the most interesting scenes
about Congress do not get into the news
papers. The capitol is little city in it.
self, and its four floors cover nearly twslve
acres of space, every inch of which just
now booms with the life of hot con-
gressional session. The population Of
this city is made UP of the busiest, wit
tiest and brainiest men from all parts of
the United States. 1t has its aristocrats
and its plebeians, its millionaires and its
paupers, its masters and servants. It
contains citizens of both sexes. 1t
abounds in queer characters, and its popu
lation is as cosmopolitan as that of Paris.
All that the public knows of this
mighty beehive city is that which goes
on in the chambers of the House and
Senate and in the parlors of the supreme
court. 1t enters only the places where
the leading men of the capitol city pose
for the outside world, and where the god
of buncombe is all supreme
The main boulevard of the capitol is
the lower passage which runs from the
Senate at one end of the building to
the front door of the House at the other.
1t is a grand, vaulted, arcaded street
twenty feet wide, paved with gayly-
colored tiles, and during the session
filled with jostling, hurrying throng
of sighseers, statesmen, messengers, lob
byists and people of all classes, con-
ditions, ages and sexes. Booths of DIFF
ferent kinds are kept in the recesses
which jut off from its side, and as it nears
the House door it is walled with tele-
graph offices, cable Offices and cigar
stands.
The little old French woman, just be-
yond the rotunda, is one of the charac-
tiers of the capitol. For years upon years
she has been standing behind the counter
selling trinkets to generation after gen.
Grafton of bridal couples and Washing
ton sight-seers. No one knows when she
first came to the capitol, and old states
en- will tell you that she looks as young
now as when they first came to Congress.
She is petite little body, with very
fair complexion, and eyes, which, though
beautiful once, are now deeply sunken,
The little iron gray curls hang down
upon her forehead out Of the big broad
brimmed hat which she always wears.
She has on a cream-colored necktie,
and her shoulders are covered with
curious little cap of bright
red plaid, fringed at the should
ers. She talks with a foreign accent,
and bustles around as busily as though
she were in charge of the whole build
ing. Every day she pays five minutes
visit to the ladies' galleries of the House
and Senate. She knows most of the
prominent men in public life, and the
statesmen speak to her as they pass by.
She sells photographs of public men, pic
lures of Washington, models of the
Washington monument and little images
of cancelled greenbacks ground into pulp,
So that you may get a paper weight
made up of money that was once worth
5000.
Just beyond this cigar stand you come
to the lobbies of the House, and here are
found some of the liveliest scenes of the
capitol. The widej boule' ard branches
off at this point in two directions like
the head of "T," and runs all around
the House chamber. The grand entrance
door has always great crowd surround
ing it. Two doorkeepers are kent busy
guarding it, and cal: ing cards into the
members. The card writing is done by
frowsy- headed little fellow at desk to
the left of the enhance.
You see but few ladies at this door of
the House, but Congressman will tell
you that the ladies of the lobby are the
create bore of their lives. By this I
do not mean lady LOBBYISTS. There are
few purely business lobbyists among the
ladies of the capitol, and the character
abounds more in fiction than in reality.
But there are scores of women with
claims, women Office seekers and adven-
turesses of different kinds that come to
the capitol, and the rooms reserved for
their reception are always full while Con-
gress is in session. The ladies' reception
room of the House is opposite the north
door 1t is long room, with great white
marble corinthian columns running
Through its center, and with number
of red cushioned leather chairs and sofas
around its walls. AS passed through
it to-dly 1t contained forty ladies, some
sitting and waiting and others
engaged in talking to Congressman. The
ladies come to this door and give their
cards to man at the desk within it. He
sends the cards in to their respective
members by a page, and the members are
expected to come out and see their call
ers. Sometimes they come and sometimes
they don't, and some members instruct
the boys tn 90 out and tell the ladies that
they are not in. A moment later the lady
in question goes to the gallery and sees
her member in his seat. She then comes
down with fire in her eye and charges
the boy with lying. The majority OF the
women callers are Office seekers. Several
hundred lady callers send in cards every
day, and it is not an uncommon thing to
see a kind-hearted Congressman give
monev here to needy women whom he
cannot furnish with Offices.
Just opposite this reception room away
around at the other side Of the capitol is
the sergeant -at-arms' office, or the bank
of the House of Representatives.
Mr.. j. P. Leedom is the sergeant
at arms and the banker Of the
House. It is in his Office that tie
members are paid, and here many of them
do all their banking business. 1t is
lono hall-like room. with high vaulted