The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-23
WHATTHE SENATOR'S EAT
TAKING EVERYTHING FROM A
SANDWICH TO TERRAPIN,


munds, Broiled oysters and Cold
Corned Beef
From the Philadelphia Inquirer.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1s-The personal
ueculisrities Of men in public life are as in
teresting almost as their public actions.
With the same peculiar interest with which
they comment on the unbrushed hat or tho
colored waistcoat of a well-known man. /
have seen crowds of the curious, in wrapt
attention, watching Senator Mitchell of
Oregon consuming a piece of pie at the
lunch counter OF the Senate restaur-
ant. It was not that Senator Mitchells
figure was more striking than that of anv
other man about them or that he dissected
the pie more gracefully than the ordi-
nary PIE eater, or that he took into his
mouth larger or smaller portion of the
great American comestiple than is Gus
tomary But it appealed to them as par
rcularly striking that a senator of the
United States-a man who helps to make
laws and who is granted a reasonable degree
of immunity in breaking them, a member
of the mathematics clubn-should be
standing next to a colored messenger at a
long lunch counter, munching a common.
everyday piece of apple pie
1t is not an unusual thing to see Senator
Mitchell eating pie at the lunch-counter.
and the spectacle is one that is open to ali
beholders. But the majority of senators
who eat their luncheon at the capitol are
less callous to publicity. The Senate
restaurant is divided into two departments.
One of them is for the general public and
the other is reserved ''for senator's only,n as
the signs over the swinging doors announce.
The injunction they contain is not inter-
preted literally; if it was Landlord Page
would find little occupation for his
walters Senators are at liberty to
bring their friends into the inner room and
many a cosy dinner party has been enter
tanned there. Members of the HOUSE of
Representatives come across the Capitol to
take luncheon in the little back room, espe-
cially members from New England, for
Mr.. Page holds the Senate restaurant
largely by virtue of the great pot of Boston
baked beans that stand daily on the lunch
counter. Members from New England say
that there is only one place outside Boston
where the true Boston flavor is impaired to
the succulent bean, and that is in the Senate
restaurant.
In the inner apartments of the Senate
restaurant are gathered every day in
friendly conversation the leaders of debate
from both sides of the United States Senate
Even the presiding officer, Vice preside It
Morton, seeks nourishment for his weary
brain and body among the senators over
whom he yields the gavel. Speaker Reed
has his luncheon sent to him every day
from the House restaurant, but we are not
to draw from this fact the inference that
the Vice President is more dem 1cratic than
the speaker Of the House. If the speaker
ventured in the House restaurant he would
be overrun by the 329 other members of the
House with requests for fav0rs and in
formation, and he would probably require
the greater part of an afternoon to absorb
a small sandwich. The Vice President eats
his bread and milk in comparative solitude
and perfect tranquility. He seldom temDts
nature with anything more substantial.
Sometimes he INDUCES in an oyster stew,
and his luncheon is washed down with milk,
tea or beer. The fact that the Vice Presi-
dent occasionally empties a bottle of
beer, l hope, will not bring about his
head another storm Of indignant protest,
such as greeted the revelation in re-
gard to the sale of wine and LIQUOR in
the Shoreham cafe. Nor. trust, will the
Women's Christian Temperance Union pro-
lect another crusade against the restaurants
at the capitol. There is a joint rule of the
TWO Houses of congress to prohibit the sale
If liquor within the capitol. No attempt
mas been made in many years to enforce it.
Someone Introduced a resolution in the SEN
ate nearly four years ago calling for an in
of the subject, but the only
result was discussion on the floor Of
Senate one afternoon, during which the
grave senators 'guyed" the clerk as he en-
to pronounce correctly the French
titles on one of the restaurant menu cards.
Senator Ingalls,, the president pro tenn
bore of the Senate, is not q heavy eatsr
Last winter he lived with his family di-
'ectly opposite the capitol grounds, and
zach afternoon, at a stated hour, unless
ome important vote was on, he went homo
or dinner. But this year he is living up
own at a fashionable boarding house,
where he dimes in the evening, and in the
afternoon he eats light luncheon in the
Senate restaurant. His luncheon is usually
If raw oysters, and he eats them standing
1t the oyster counter in the outer restaurant
Senator Edmunds has his luncheon sent
20 the room of the committee on the Judi
,iary. AS the Oldest member OF the Senate,
le is never disturbed in the exercise of the
title privileges to which he has accustomed
himself. The door of his committee room
opens on the elevator which takes him to
The Senate floor, so he has little difficulty in
'eaching the Senate chamber when the roll
S being called But he is more in his COM
nittee room than he is in the Senate cham
Der, aud in his committee room he eats his
iaily luncheon. 1t is seldom the same two
lays in succession. In spite of his 70 years
40 eats broiled oysters, cold corned beef or
\ chafing-dish stew with the impunity of
nan of 80, and washes it down usually with
pint of champagne. Senator Edmunds is
among the good liversn of the Senate.
Before his illness Senator Blackburn
frank great deal of champagne with his
meals. This year he is drinking beer. Sem
ltor Kenna drinks beer, if anything. Sem
ltor Stanford has patriotic fad for Cali
fornia wines, though his champagne bill is
as heavy as any that could be
shown in the Senate chamber. He carries
lis patriotism to the extreme of sending
California wines and fruits to his friends in
The Senate, He always has box of Cali
fornia figs or oranges in his committee
'oom, and he frequently sends some down
to the cloak rooms, where the senators re-
tire to lounge and smoke.
Senator Hoar is a substantial feeder. Ter
rapin Is one of his favorits dishes, and he is
fond of a chafng-dish stew. He eats a
hearty meal every afternoon, and always
rounds it off with a red-oheeked apple,
which he carries with him to the Senate
Senator Dawes, his colleague, is
much more moderate. He contents himself
with prosaic sandwich aud a bottle Of
Deer
The Missouri senator's seldom take lunch
BON at the capitol. Senator Cookrell, who