Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-01-09

| D1scOverteS Made by = Star Reporter
I'm the House Bath Room.
THE OFFICIAL CHIRoPoDIsT WHO HAS CHARGE
OF THE MEMBERS coRNS-rHE BATHS AND
HOW THEY ARE MANAeED-MEMBERs WHO
| HAVE NEVER PArRoNIzED THEM, &C.
| The gas is always burning dimly in the bath
| rooms of the House, and Roberts eyes are
almost gone. Robert is the colored man who
has for long time been In charge of the baths.
| William is his assistant He is younger than
Robert, and the dimness of the light doesn't
effect the keenness of his bright little black
eyes, and he is we'll suited for the duties he has
to perform. He trims the Congressmens corns
William Is rather bright mulatto, and very
spry. Robert is darker in color, has chin
| whiskers, and looks rather sedate with eye
glasses on. But the glasses don't help him
much; he has to take them of to rest his eyes,
and he can't see much with them.
| The House bath rooms are In the basement
OF Pr the Capitol in the southeast corner. under
reaches The gas, like Roberts eyes, Is very
aim and can't reach very far.
| trimmed?' asked William, as THE STAR re-
porter passed down the dim, yaulted corridor.
couple of towels over his arm and taking off hts
glasses SO as to ge: better look at the reporter.
os. Mdhy Z. 90 40, you have chiropodist heree"
am
That's him." echoed Robert. Then he added:
Hes mighty clever hand at it. i've seen him
take q corn as big as my thumb nail out ov'a
M NIB foot and never draw the red: Some
mighty clever bout 1t. II you've got any oorns
yon r,s b, better let him get hor ov'em."
wa as Tsrf bv being thus
shaped little knife on the palm Of his hand.
=! used to De a little clever in that line my:
sell" continued Robert. "1's cut the corns Of
lots OF the members, but my eyes got TOO bad
now on account Of that gas an l can't see to do
IT; That gas Is mighty bad on the eyes, and 1t
and not draw Blood
| CONGRESSIONAL CoRNs.
do many of the Congressman have corus?''
asked The STAR reporter. conscious that he
had made q discovery "This is a new field OF
study"
,, You mean the corn.neld? Yes, sir; that's, a
unconscious Of his very bad pun. ''afostiy all
ones. There's MI: - then he stopped him
self suddenly and added. I. disremeinber his
put he's got awful bad feet
me with their feet. rs got most OF those who
has been in Congress a long time in pretty good
are mighty hard to handle. Their feet's IL,
bad bad condition, With the ingrowing nails and
Soie esv h t
shoes that has the bad feet Its them that
hasn't had no one to tend to EN-. Why there's
their names. Horsepower, there amt many
That don't have corns, and most OF em are bad.
t Ina, gentleman zen emu WI whose name Just didn't
He couldn't scarcely walk about 1t was great
big fellow just under his big toe nail, but got
Are you paid by Congress especially to take
care Of the Members feet?- said the scribe.
MOT exactly for that. Robert is in charge OF
thrown in by me as a sort of extra, and If the
members mem want to give me something, for 1t,
charge anything. They're generally mighty
glad to get rid of big corn, and they amt slow
ABOUT giving me something.'
| THE BATHS.
| "How about the baths?" asked the reporter
| turning to Robert.
"Mostly all the members take 'em. Mr. Nor
rison, reckon, IS the only old member that never
did. Mr Carlisle S only been here one or twice
IN IN MS lie, and Nh. Randall comes only when
his rheumat1cS Is very Dad. Mostly all the rest
come down pretty regular once or twice u week
Mr.. lie Fevre always comes three times week
The new members come as fast as they learn
about it. Many Of them don't know there are
any baths mere, and they go long time fore
they find it out. Some of the members are very
| particular about their baths. Some battle in
rum, some in sea salt and some in sulphur
Are the baths furnished by the government
Yes, except the sulphur, the rum and the
salt. That we has TO buy ourselves, and the
members pay US for 1t. We don't ask any pay
but they know. that it comes out OF our own
pocket, so they generally pay us back. The
government pays us our salaries and furnishes
tubs, water, towels. soap, combs and brushes
and such like. There are five tubs for the mem.
Ders, ana they are most always full, and around
| The corner are four tubs for employees. Then
| there's a Russian bath, where the members can
get steamed. They can lie down there and get
! steamed just like oysters"
THE BEST BATH ROOM.
| "This Is the best bath room," and he led the
way into large room al the end of the corridor
! where there was an immense white nhr5le
| tank or tub big marble washstand, a shower
bath and a big silver faucet that would let in a
| stream OF any temperature desired in such a
volume as to till the tube in u few seconds
| overhead hung silver shower-bath apparatu us
| through which water OF any temperature could
| De poured down In q delightful shower upon
the bather. The room throughout is newly ear
peted and was as warm as q feather bed.
| 'There are two like this" said the bat!l-mas-
ter. land the rest have porcelain tubs. The
employees used to have Shower-5a:hs, too. but
| let them run all over the floor and we had to
| take them out.
These bath rooms are very popular. In the
summer during the long session the members
| e. there to wash out the heat Of u long debate.
The effects OF dinner parties often soaked out
| there in the morning and the members appear
| fresh on the floor OF the House when the day s
session opens.