The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-02-03
A PRETTY APARTMENT.
The Vice-President's Room in the Capitol
and Its Appointments.

A PRETTY APARTMENT.
\ The Vice-President's Room in the Capitol
\ and Its Appointments.
\ Probably the best appointed and fur
nished room in the Capitol is that occu-
pied by the President of the Senate and
known as "the Vice-President Room. y
1t adioins the celebrated Marble Room,
in which visitors to Senators are re-
ceived, and it is intended as the private
office and retiring room Of the Vice
President. Two large windows facing
north afford magnificent panorama,
embracing the heights of Washington,
among the features of which are the
Soldiers Home, Howard University and
| the sweep of country bordering Rock
Creek, made historic during the war by
a long chain of Notifications and q can:
vas city, which was the temporary abid-
ing place of hundreds of thousands
of soldiers. Lace curtains of an
exquisite and rare pattern partially
conceal the bare outlines of the window
frames, and the heavy lambrequins are
both costly and magnificent in design
and material. Carpet of a Turkish COM
| bination covers the floor, and its thick
ness is such that not football can be
distinguished, no matter how many per-
sons may temporarily occupy the room.
Misunderstanding mahogany chairs, of
a substantial make and upholstered in
red leather, similar to the fashion so
prevalent in library furniture, orna-
ment the inches and corners, while a
capacious blue-cloth-covered table is
the central object of attraction. On the
comfortable leather lounge, which
matches the chairs, and is placed at the
left of the Vice-President's table, Vice
President Henry Wilson, of Massachu-
sets, peacefully breathed his last, sur
rounded by his associates of the Upper
House of the National Legislature. An
open fireplace, in which a blazing fire
of oak logs is constantly maintained
during cold weather, adds to the
cheerful aspect of this apartment,
and when the heat becomes
too intense for the Vice-President
a japanese three-winged screen is
placed in position behind his revolving
cane-seat chair. When it becomes
necessary for night work, light is fur
nished by drop from the gilt, bronze
and crystal chandelier just over the
table, and from the same source the
Vice-President's secretary obtains light
for his desk, which is placed at right
angles to the large table and close to the
window in the northeast extremity of
the apartment.
Over the marble mantel-piece is
large plate-glass mirror, occupying the
entire space between the two windows,
and the top of which touches the ceiling.
This handsome piece of decorative fur
niture is fianked on either side by bronze
figures of sworded cavaliers, and the
whole is in striking contrast to simple
gilt mirror, about four feet long by two
wide, which is the only piece of antique
furniture in the room. There is history
connected with this mirror, however,
and, although it cost a trifle over
forty dollars when it was pur-
chased in the early days of the Repub-
lie, it was characterized in the Senate
Chamber as a "piece of shameless ex-
travagance. President John Adams
was the offender, and he brought the
mirror home from Paris, and eventually
had it put up for his convenience in the
room used by him. At present this MIR
ror is in the compartment containing a
stationary wash-stand, and its time-worn
surface is not very tlattering to those
.x-{1a fhof ho1x1 of So1.
an attractive toilet. Of all the hand
somely decorated and frescoed rooms in
the Senate wing of the Capitol that as
signed to the Vice-President is the least
conspicuous in this respect. The walls
arc kalsomined white, and the only re-
lief to the monotony is single line of
green, not more than half an inch wide.
Visitors to this room are attracted by a
large bust portrait Of George Washing
ton, said to be the best picture extant
of the Father of his Country. It was
painted by Rembrandt Peale, for whom
Washington sat, and the artist did the
subject ample justice. if the
benign countenance which looks
down from the canvas is any indica-
ton of the character of the sage of
Mount Vernon. 1t is amid such sur
roundings that the presiding officer of
the Senate attends to his affairs, and
the books of reference which he finds
so much use for are handily arranged
in tail mahogany bookcase, the con-
tents being protected from dust and ex-
posure by cardinal pleated silk cur
tains and glass doors. Near the door
which leads into the wash-room is
placed a pillar of white marble sur
mounted by bust of the late Lafayette
F. S. Foster, formerly Senator from
Connecticut and President pro tempore
of the Senate. Strangers who are taken
into this room by the Capitol guides are
charmed with interesting but not abso-
lutely historical stories about its former
occupants, and the bust of Mr. Foster
has done duty as the marble present
ment Of every Vice-President since the
independence of the United States was
declared. Washington Post.
When a Chicago woman wants to
get seat in street-car she wraps up
her poodle and carries it in her arms,
AS thouoh IL were a hahv Ruf tho triok