The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-04-14
LUXURIOUS BATHS.
Cleanliness, Neatness and Chiropodv 70.
the Nations Law-Makers,

mind of back county constituents fairy
visions of Oriental grandeur. Away
down in the depths of the capitol. down
still vet below the basement, the marble
tanks of tempered water into which tba
members plunge are located. When
the elevator bumps against the bottom
and can 60 down no further, there are
three steps with a brass rail on each
side, and then you are in little square
room almost as warm as steam
bakery. A door leads into q short mas
sage between the heavy foundations.
Here the air is warmer than in the
room. Suddenly it turns at right an oles
into another short passage, where the
thermometer registers still higher
Another turn and another thermometric
jump, and there are the bathrooms.
The 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 q LARGE
tank or bath-tub which can be filed
with hot or cold or tepid water in a
very few minutes. These are all in a
narrow L''-shaped room, which is
presided over by big colored man and
his assistant The cabinets, or baths
are about the size of an ordinary hotel
bed room, and the tubs arc 5ig ,Ssh6js VI
for the largest sized statesmen tori
low about in with ease and copfot.
Tom Reed, and Barnes, of George, test
their capacity more than an other
members, but they even can ill over
and founder about in one of til marble
tanks with as much ease as tey could
perform the same evolutions anywhere.
Some of the tubs are sirply iron,
nicely painted, but the newr ones are
made of marble and each Joks like q
great sarcophagus. Thre ordinary
men might get in one of item without
much crowding The maole sides are
as slippery as glass and a;warm as the
flesh that touches them. thermometers
are hung in each bath AM on the walls
in the passage. The temperature is
kept always the same, ard the member
might promenade for three hours in
nothing but his epidemis without
danger of cold. 1t was here that Mr.
Reagan struggled with tight under
shirt on the occasion of lis famous bath
while the vote on the Morrison bill was
being taken.
The temperature is Just at point
where the least exertion would bring
on profuse Precipitation, and but it.
tie rubbing in the bath is suflicientto
bring a ruddy glow. Members cdne
up in the elevator from these regDns
with the hair curling about their 1m-
pies and their cheeks as pink d a
baby's.
Some of the older members tab a
bath as the last step in their prepra-
ton for making a speech. They Fite
the speech, commit it to memory, AXE
a bath and then deliver it, If metber
has the rheumatism or a cold, DIOR
any other reason feels the necessity v
being parboiled, there is Russfsif
steam bath at the end of the bathroom
to which he resorts. 1t is little close
room furnished with a wooden bench
and coil of steam pipes that cover the
walls Of the compartment. When the
door shuts there can't much heat get
out, and the thermometer naturally
runs up into the big combinations. A
member lies on the bench, the door is
shut and the steam is turned on. He is
then in about as hot a place as he is
likely to enter in this life He gets
enough of this in little while, and he
has to be cooled off gradually by bein G
plunged first into a tub OF hot Tater,
next into cooler water. then ecoler and
cooler, until he gets back to the tenn
perature of ordinary mortals. 1t takes
about an hour or an hour and half s
cooling before he ventures out into the
colder atmosphere of the House; and it
is best for him to walk rapidly on his
way home.
Members of Congress can battle here
any day, provided not more than a
hundred select the same day; but on
Saturday none but members can enter.
On other days employees of the House,
or men who have been given tickets by
members, may battle. On Friday bust
is most brisk, and the smashing of the
water may be heard from early morn
ing until the place is closed in the even
ing. 1t is hard to tell how many peo-
pie are bathed on this day, but ordina-
rily a hundred is as many as can be
handled "in hours" After an all
night session the capacity of the looms
is strained. Members have all their
toilet made here except their barbei'ng.
The air smells moist with steam, andis
fragrant with perfume and scensal
soaps. The very finest toilet furnish
ings are used. The "black man of the
BATH will rub you down and perform
all the services of the bath.
Besides this he has proper instr-
ments for the purpose, and he will trim
off the corns and keep the feet in order.
When a new member is elected from
country district it generally takes "a
right smart while" to get his feet in
condition. They require much care
and attention. But this man keeps all
the Congressional feet in order without
REGARD to size or. Di.eviouS condition