The Arizona sentinel., 1886-02-06
A PRETTY APARTMENT.
The evice-President's Room in the Capitol .r .t and Its Appointments.

| A | | I The evice-Presidents 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-Presdent's Room. :"
 It adjoins 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
 long chain of Notifications and 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 Turkish com
 bination covers the floor, and its thick
 ness is such that not footfall can be
 distinguished, no matter how many per
 sons may temporarily occupy the room.
 misunderstanding mahogany chairs, of
 substantial make and upholstered in
 red leather, similar to the fashion so
 prevalent in library furniture, orna-
 1o,1f thn oh
 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-
 setts, peacefully breathed his last, sur
 rounded by his associates of the Upper
 House of the National Legislature. An
 open fireplace, in which 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 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 a 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 trifie over forty dollars when it was pur- chased in the early days of the Repub- lie, it was characterized in the Senate Chamber as g '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 TOT is in the compartment containing & stationary wash-stand, and its time-worn surface is not very fiattering to those who avail themselves of it for making an attractive toilet. Of all the hand somely decorated and frescoed rooms in the Senate wing of the Capitol that as- signed to the President is the least conspicuous in this respect. The walls are 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- tion of the character of the sage of Mount Vernon. It is amid such sur that the presiding officer of the Senate attends to his affairs, and the books of reference which he finds so much use for are handlly arranged in a tall mahogany bookcase, the con tents being protected from dust and ex- posture by cardinal pleated silk cur tains and glass doors. Near the door which leads into the wash-room is placed pillar of white marble sur mounted by bust of the late Lafayette F. s. Foster, formerly Senator from Connecticut and President pro ten1pore 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 MT. Foster has done duty as the marble present. ment of every Vice-President since the of the United States was declared. - Washington Post.
 When a Chicago woman wants to get seat in a Street-car she WrapS up |