Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-04-03
CONVERSATIONAL BATHROOMS
Olennl,ness, Luxury and Inspection far the
Nsion's Lsu-Msksrs

Ns,ion's Lsu-MsksrB
Washington Star.
The bath accommodations Of the House
are luxury that brings to the mind Of
back country constituents fairy visions Of
Orlentsl grandeur. Away down in the
depths of the Capitol, down still yet be
low the basement, the marble tanks Of
tempered water into which the members
plunge are located. When the ELEVATOR
bumps against the bottom and can 60
down no further, there aIe three
steps with brass rail Cd
each side, and then you are
in a little square room almost as
warm as 8 steam bakery. A door leads
into short passage between the heavy
foundations. Here the air Ia warmer
than in the roon. Suddenly 1t tnrns 8,
right angles into another short passage
where the thermometer registers still
higher. Another turn and smother theT
mometric Jump, and there are the bs'h
rooms. Tine plural applies to the big
walnut cabinets with blind doors which
stand in row along the wall There are
nine OF these, and In each is
a large tank or bath-tub which
can be filed with hot or colo
or tepid water in very few minutes
These are all in anarrow L shaped room,
| which is presided over by big coloreo
man and his assistant. The cabinets, or
baths, are about the size OF en- ordinary
MOTEL bedroom, and the tuos are big
enough for the largest-sized statesman 70
| Sallow about In with ease and CON-
fort. Tom R ed, and Barnes Of Gsoreis,
test their capacity more than any other
members, bu5 they even can roll over and
founder about In one Of the marble tanks
with as much ease as they could perform
the came evClutlOns anywhere.
Some Of the tubs are simply iron,
nicely painted, Int the newer ones art
made of marble, and each locks like 3
great sarcopbogus. Three Ordinary men
might get In one OF them without much
crowding. The marble sides are as sip
perry as glass and as warm as the has0
that touches them. Thermometers SIRE
hung in each bath and On the wslls in the
passage. The temperature is kept Away
the same, and member might promenade
for three hours in nothing out his cpl
dermis without danger Of cold. II Was
here that Me-. Reagan struggled with q
tight undeIshlrt on tue occasion Ct bis
famous bath while the vote on the MoTrl-
son bill was being taken.
The Temperature is just st a point
where the least eXertion would bring on g
profuse perspiraiion, snd but little rub
bling in the bath is sufficient to bring 8
ruoGy glow. Members come up in the
elevator from these regions with ,he
hair curling about their temples and their
che. Ks as pink 80 baby's.
Some of the older INT N bers take bath
as the last step In their preparation for
making speech. 1hey write the speech,
commit it to memory, take q bath, ana
then deliver 1t. II q member has tn,
rheumatism or cold, or for any Other
reason feels the ne essity of being par
ooiled, there is Russian steam b.tn at
the end Of the ballroom 10 which he re
sorts. II is little, close room, furnished
with . wooden bench and q coil OF steam
pipes that cover the walls Of the conpsrt.
mept. When the door shuts there can't
much heat get out, and the thermomet +
naturally runs up into the big combina
lions. A member lies on the bench, tn.
door Is shut, and the seam is 'urped on
He is then In about as hot place % ne
is likely 70 enter in this life. BE gets
enough of this in little while, ana he
has to be cooled of gradually by being
plugged first into tub of not water, next
into cooler wster, then cooler and cooler,
until he gets mack to the tempera ure VI
ordinary mortals. II takes about xn hour
v ntuTes out into the colder atmosphere
of The Houss; and IL Is best for MIN to
wax rapidly on his way home.
a. ~
any dsy. crowded not more than hue
dred select the same day; but on Saur
days one but members can enter. On
other days employes Of the House, r.
uen wac have been given tickets ty
members, may bsthe. On Friday busl-
ness is most Drtsk, and the swsshing Of
tue water may be heard from early morn
ing unul the place is closed 10 the even
ing II Is hard to tell how many people
are bsth. d on this day, but ordinarily
hunored Is as many as can be handled
sin hours" After an au-nignt ses
sion the capacity Il the rooms is
e,Iained. Members have all their toilet
mode here except their barbering The
air smells moist with steam, and Is
fragrant with perfume and scented soaps
The yerv faest toilet furnishings are
used. The "black man OF the bath" will
rub you down and perform all the ser
vices Of The bsth.
Besides this he has proper instruments
for the purpose, ard he will trim OF the
corns and keep the feet In order. When
q new member Is elected from 8 country
district It generally takes "a right smart
while" TO get bis feet in condition. They
req lire much csre and attention. Bot
this man keeps all the cons ressional feet
In order withou. regard to size or
previous conc ition.