The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1888-04-12
LUXURIOUS BATHS.
Cleanliness, Neatness and ChiroPody fol
the Nations Lawmakers.

L
The bath accommodations of the
House are luxury that brings to the
mind OF back county constituents fairy
visions of Oriental grandeur. Away
down in the depths of the capitol. down
still yet below the basement, the marble
tanks OF tempered water into which the
members plunge are located. When
the elevator bumps against the bottom
and can go down no further, there are
three steps with brass rail on each
side. and then you are in a little square
room almost as warm as steam
bakery. A door leads into short pas
sage between the heavy foundations.
Here the air is warmer than in the
room. Suddenly it turns at right angles
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
i'll row along the wall. There are
nine of these. and in each is large
tank or bath-tub which can be filled
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 IN ordinary hotel
bed room, and the tubs are big enough
for the largest sized statesmen to wal
low about in with ease and comfort.
Tom Reed, and Barnes. of Georgia, test
their capacity more than any other
members. but they even can roll over
and founder about in one of the marble
tanks with as much ease as they could
perform the same evolutions anywhere.
Some of the tubs are simply iron.
nicely painted. but the newer ones are
made of marble and each looks like a
great sarcophagus. Three ordinary
men might get in one of them without
much crowding. The marble sides are
as slippery as glass and as warm rs the
flesh that touches them. Thermometers
are hung in each bath and on the walls
in the passage. The temperature is
kept always the same, and the member
might promenade for three hours in
nothing but his epidermis without
danger of cold. 1t was here that Mr.
Reagan struggled with tight under
shirt on the occasion of his 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 perspiration, and but lit
tie rubbing in the bath is sufficient to
bring ruddy glow. Members come
up in the elevator from these regions
with the hair curling about their tenn
Piles and their cheeks as pink as a
baby's.
Some of the older members take a
bath as the last step in their prepara-
ton for making a speech. They write
the speech. commit it to memory, take
a bath and then deliver it. If member
has the rheumatism or cold. or for
any other reason feels the necessity of
being parboiled, there is a Russian
steam bath at the end of the bathroom
to which he resorts. 1t is little close
room furnished with wooden bench
and a 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
int fba
member lies on the bench, the door is
shut and the steam is turned on. He is
then in about as hot 4 place rs 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 being
plunged first into t'-b of hot water,
next into cooler water. then cooler 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 bathe 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-
riiy hundred is as many as can be
handled sin hours" After an all
night session the capacity of the rooms
is strained. Members have all their
toilet made here except their barbering.
The air smells moist with steam, and is
fragrant with perfume and scented
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 instru-
ments for the purpose. and he will trim
off the corns and keep the feet in order.
When a new member is elected from a
country district it generally takes ga
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 previous condition.
WdShinQton Star.