The Republican., 1890-07-18
IN THE LOBBIES.
People and Things at the Door OF Con-
greSS.
Montreal Witness

gresS.
Years ngo the lobbies of the Sen.
ate were swept and garnished. The
apple woman and cigar venders we're
turned out and the precincts reduced
TO order and3 dignity befttiug the
place.
Now the Houses seems likely to
follow suit. Speaker Reed has issued
an edict that the hucksters within
the House wing shall scatter and de-
part. Andithere is much consterna.
ton among long tolerated pharasites.
Yesterday every member that step
ped out of the House was instantly
seized upon by one of the humble
servitors and tearfully implored to
promise" something ; probably that
he would try to assuage the virtuous
wrath of Reed. The photograph
men and the cake and apple women
were excited and solicitous about
their future.
The most Interesting specimens of
humanity are the back numbers that
are still to be seen in these old famil-
lar places. The card man at the door.
"Aunt Clara" at her notion stand in
the corridor just off the dome, old
"Aunt Hannah" the apple woman,
and Mrs. and Mr.. Patrick Callahan,
with their milk and pie stand in the
basement. Promptly at 12 o'clock
old Hannah comes trudging into the
House corridor with her basket of
red and yellow apples. carrying her
little footstool. on which she seats
herself in one of the window case.
mentS.
Old "Aunt Clary" looks exactly as
she did 25 years ago when she first
came to Washington. She was once
prosperous millinery merchant in
New Orleans, although her history
runs farther back than that. She is
a French woman, who in her youth
it Is said, was remarkably beautiful
One of the most famous American
statesmen conceived passion fer her
and for many years she enjoyed his
fullest confidence and friendship.
The war cost her her little fortune in
New Orleans and she came 10 Wash
ingt0n somewhat unsettled in mind.
She used to go into the Senate gall
lery and wave a small silk flag,
making wild expressions of delight
whenever strong Union speech was
made. Charles Sumner became her
friend and secured for her the privil-
ege of keeping a stand in one of the
Senate corridors. From there. a few
years later. she was moved over into
the corridor just off the dome on the
House side, where she is now ION
needles and pins" she declares. She
has made a handsome living from
her sale of noti0ns and has educated
her son and daughter as we'll as they
would have been had they been the
children of millionaire. The bov
was sent to Yale College and is now
living in Europe. Aunt Clara's
name is not Clara, and probably there
ls no one in Washington who knows
exactly what 1t is or what her ante.
cedents were. She seems to be- as
familiar with the German as with the
French language.
The pages in Congress are always
an interesting lot OF boys. The older
ones are bright. shrewd aud well.in.
formed as boys can be. The fresh
ones are interesting because of their
freshness and their burning desire to
learn all the tricks and ways of their
older comrades. The fact that sew
eral public men, including Senator
German. of Maryland ; Dick Town
send, of Illinois. and the multi-mil.
lionaire. Congressman Scott, of Penn
sylvania, were at one time pages
seems TO fire the breast of every boy
who gets an appointment with the
notion that some time he, too. may
become famous and come back to
take seat in one house or the other
as a statesman. Their favosite caper
Is to draw off In a bunch and 90