Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-02-11
CONGRESSIONAL CLEANLuNESs.
Luxurious Bathing Facilities for Legts-
IatOrs and Their Friends.

| Luxurious Bathing Facilities Tor Legis-
| Iat0rs and Their Friends.
BArH-rrss FOR BIG xRs ~ THE DEPTHS OF rHI
| -KEEPINa CONGRESSIONAL FEET IN CONDITION.
| THE ABsKST-hINDED MEMBERS MIsrAXI.
When q Congressman wants to show especial
| attention to a visitor h. asks him to take bath
| This watery refresh ment is much appreciated by
those who have once tried 1t, buC sometimes the
| kindn' IS Is misunderstood by the uninitiated.
| The oatn accommodations Of the House are lux
ufy that brings TO the mind Of back county constit
down In the depths OF the Capitol, down still yet
| below the basement, the marble tanks or tempered
water into which the members plunge are To-
| Gated. When the elevator bumps against the
| bottom and can go down no farther 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. An Old green
velvet carpet that used to be In the House covers
| the door, and photographs OF some OF the natural
wonders OF the West hang on tine wall just the
other side Of glass door little toy OF q steam
| engine Is breathing hard as II tugs away at the
elevator ropes, hauling a load OF heavyweight
| strikes bottom and the members make for
| The BATHROOMS.
This room is the LOBBY or vestibule OF the bath.
double door side leads on. to the yauted pas
! sages that run down with many turns and angles
| among the foundation walls of the building where
| are all tn organs or ltfe-the engines that warm
the great marble monster pumping the warmth
through Its veins ike great heart and firing the
electric nerves and there are the big fans that are
the lungs o pump air into its great body.
But That's not the way to tne bathroom. The
new members would get lost II they proceeded by
this route.
HOW TO GET rHERK.
There is another door leading from the little
square room. This leads Into short passage be-
tween the heavy foundations Here the air is
warm-r than In the ROOM Suddenly II turns at
,gnt angles Into another short passage where the
thermometer registers still higher. Another turn
ana another thernometric jump and there are the
bathrooms. The plural applies 70 the big walnut
cabinets with blind doors which stand in a row
along the Wall. There are nine OF these, and In
each Is large tank or bath-tuD which Can be
filled with hot Or cold or tepd wafer In very few
minutes These are all In narrow "L"- ped room
which is PRESIDED over by big colored man and
ms assistant The cabinets, or baths are about the
size OF an ordinary hotel bedroom, and the tubs
walow about In with easa and comfort Tom
Reed, and Barnes, OF Georgia, test their capacity
more than any Other members but they, even, can
ron over and FOUNDER about In one OF the marble
tanks with Us much ease as they could perlol N
the same evolutions anywhere.
LEGISLATIVE BATH-TUBs.
Some Of the tubs are simply iron, nicely painted
but the newer ones are made OF marble and each
looks like 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 as the flesh that touohes them.
thermometers are hung IN each bath and on the
walls In the Passage. The temperature Is kept al
ways The same, and q member might promenade
for tnree nours In nothing but his epiderms with
out danger or cold. IL was here that Mr.. Reagan
struggled with a tight undershIrt on the occasion
OF his famous bath, while the vote on the Morrison
Dill was being taken.
The temperature Is just at q point where the
least eXerti0n would bring on profuse perspira-
tion, and put little rubbing In the bath Is suf-
ficient TO bring ruddy glow. Members come up
In the elevator from these regions with the hair
curling about their temples and their cheeks as
pink u, baby's.
ABATH BEFORE SPEAKING.
Some OF the older members take a bath as the
last step in their preparation for making speech.
They write the speech, commit ii to memory take
a bath, an then deliver IL. II a member has the
rheumatism or cold, or for any other treason
feels the necessity Of being parboied, there Is a
RUSSIAN steam bath at the end OF the bathroom
10 which he resorts. II Is little close room fur
niShed with a wooden bench and a coil OF steam
pipes that cover the walls OF the compartment.
w en- the door shuts there can't mucn heat get
out, and the thermometer naturally runs up into
the big combinations. 4 member lies the
bench the door is shut and the steam is turned
on. lie Is then In about as hot a place as he is
likely TO enter in this fe lie gets enough OF this In
little while, and &c has to be cooled off gradually
by being plunged first into tub OF hot water next
INTO cooler water, then cooler and cooler, until he
gets back 10 the temperature OF ordinary mortals.
1t takes about an hour or an hour-and-a-nalf'
cooling before he ventures out into the colder
atmosphere OF the House, and 1t is best for him to
walk rapidly on his way home.
WHO MAY Battle.
Members OF Congress can b the here any day.
provided not more than 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 business Is most brisk, and the swash-
ing OF the water may be heard from early morning
until the place Is closed In the evening" 1t Is hard
to tell how many people are bathed on this day,
but ordinarily a 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 ste IN, and is fragrant
toilet furnishings are used. The "black man Of
the bath" will rub you down and perform all the
services OF the bath.
THE CONGRESSIONAL CHIROPoDIsT.
Besides this he has proper instruments for the
purpose and he will trim of the corns and keep
the feet in order. When a new member is elected
from country district 1t 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 10 size or previous condition.
Some members visit these rooms every day, some
three times a week, some twice, some only once a
week, While few do not call SO often.
ATTENTION TO CONSTITUENTS
The last mark OF attention from q member to
his visiting constituent is "to give him q BATH
After showing voter through the building, ex.
planning and testing the mysteries OF the echoes
IN the statuary hall, giving him lunch, and
finally conducting him TO the Speakers gallery
where he can SIT and watch [ e ''whirligtg OF the
House whlrl." as a final and special honor the
Representative invites him to take bath II the
RepreSentativ makes this offer in the ght way
and tO'the right man. IL Is appreciated; but they
have been known TO make enemies by making the
proposition too abruptly and without expfana-
ton.
AN EMBARRASSING MISTAKE.
Tine story Is told OF an abSent-mnded member
who always went to the utmost to entertain hi,
visitors, but id 1t In that perfunctory way that
comes from habitual courtesy without discrimina-
tion. He was showing lady the wonder, OF Con-
gress. He had taken her to the north wing and
pointed out all the great senators; he had r,lng
the changes on the echors, had with her In the
Speakers gallery, pointed out his own seat and
thcn the seats OF all the other great members
and they were going down In q crowded elevator
when suddenly thought flashed upon his pre-
occupied mind, and he asked quickly:
'WOnt you go down and take a bath?,
some one in the elevator tittereI, and the mem.
Der awOke to realization OF his position The
Lady viii scornful and indignant look pretended
she had not heard him, and their parting was cold
and embarrassed.
q Across the River.
THE PROPOSED FALLS CHURCH RAILROAD-AN EFFORT
TO SECURE SCHOOL FACILITIES.
Correspondence OF THE EVENING STAR.
FALLS CHURCH, Va, Feb. 3.
The bill Incorporating the Falls Church and PO-
tomac Railway Company has become law The