The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-14
CONGRESSMAN AWAKE.
how CONGRESSIONAL VETERANS
INSTRUCT NEW MEMBERS.

-LGIGG4c1AJ 6oRROAo no Lays a
Bait with Loaded Cigars-A Panic in
g Cloak Room-He is Devoured by
Office Seekers and Made Frantic by
Feminine Appeals to His Calamity
In the Primary Class.
From the Nelo York Sun.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 9.-The new member
Is now fairly in harness. The road to f ed
eral legislation is becoming familiar to him.
He knows what cars to take to go to the
capitol He usually enters beneath the arch
of the House wing of the marble pile. and
wends mis- way to the postoffice. Here he
taps his letter box with his forefnger and
receives his mail with all the grace and dig
nifty of an old member. After securing it.
If a republican, he turns to the right and
takes the republican elevator. This lands
him at the left of the speakers lobby. If a
democrat, he turns to the left and takes the
democratic elevator. This places him at
the right of the same lobby. There is
another elevator in the restaurant which he
occasionally patronizes.
There are two cloak-rooms: one is used
by republican representatives and the other
by democratic members. The new con-
gresham has learned here to hang his nat
and coat. His name, title, and state are
placed above the hook allotted to his use.
Upon entering the cloak-room a colored
attendant is always at hand to take his hat.
coat, and umbrella. His knowledge of the
capitol is increasing. He can thread the
corridors leading TO his committee-room.
and he has learned to enter and depart from
the building without losing his way. He
can distinguish the capitol guides and door
keepers from his fellow members, and he
has learned that 90 cents is the regular cab
hire
Some Of the new members have not vet
learned how to avoid importunate visitors
who lie in wait for them. The old mem
bers do this very dexterously.
There are two barber shops adjoining the
chamber of the House. Republican repre-
sentatives patronize one and democratic
members the other. These shops are lighted
by electricity. They have marble floors
and frescoed ceilings. Huge double windows
OF ground glass open upon unfrequented cor
ridorS. Old members, wishing to enter or to
leave the House unobServed, use these win
dows. They are really pair of glass doors.
Two wooden steps bridge the way from the
sills to the corridors. The doors are opened
and the representative descends into the
corridor and escapes. Others use private
staircases, which lead to the lower corridors
of the capitol. These staircases run from
each end of the speakers lobby By using
them the members can get out of the build
ing without being annoyed.
Inc barber shop exit and entrance is a
mystery to new members. A member of
the Fiftieth congress patronized the demo
cratic saloon for six months without faith
omlng It, he saw brother members occas-
lonally slide out through the glass doors ard
heard others tap upon the ground panes for
admittance. He never dreamed that the
doors opened upon IL side corridor. Upon
making inquiry of an old member, he was
told that the doors led to Turkish bath.
The inexperienced member thanked the
Wag for the information. He got glance
of the tesselated flooring when the doors
were opened, and had no doubt of its truth.
his delight upon ascertaining the real use
or the doors was intense, for no one had
been more badgered by impecunious visitors
and alleged constituents.
Very few new members have vet learned
this secret. The Maryland and Virginia
representatives are usually the first to dis
cover 1t. Some of their districts border
upon Washington, and their alleged constit-
uents are here by Scores The number of a
members visitors depends upon the distance
OF his district from the capitol. Repre-
sentatives from California, Oregon and
washington are not seriously troubled
On the contrary, they are rather pleased
when constituent appears. These men,
bers have no use for the glass doors.
Although the new member is now able
TO reach his committee room without a
guide, he is still at sea when hunting for
the document and stationery rooms. They
are hidden in the basement of the capitol,
His associates have instructed him how to
draw acquisitions on the superintendent of
documents and stationery, but he will re-
main IL congress good many years before
be finds out exactly what documents he is
entitled to, and how to secure them. If he
comes from great city he will be over
with offers from representatives
of agricultural districts to swap for seeds
and agricultural reports, commercial re-
ports, and statistical information. A
score of House attaches will badger
him for a barter. Some will offer
a set of the official records of the
late war for his seeds. Others will want to
trade set of the Surgical and Medical His
tory of the Rebellion for his agricultural
reports, and others again will exchange a
set of Wharton's International Law or vol
ment works on Diaries and Dairy Farm
ing" The new members ought to be wary
in dealing with these gentlemen. Peter
Funk himself would loose his eye teeth in
driving a bargain with some of them. The
representatives best course is to secure the
books desired before he signs the transfer of
his seeds and agricultural reports.
The fledgling representative is gaining
other valuable information. He finds that
1t is not safe to leave pens, pencils, congress
sional directories, Congressional Records,
plotting paper, or, in short, movable prop
erty of any kind, including even pocket
book, upon his derk. Frequently, when his
back is turned, they disappear.
In the last congress a New York member
had a singular experience. He was in the
habit of leaving two or three cigars upon
his desk while attending to business in an
other part of the chamber. Upon his return
the Havanas were not to be found. There
are always a greater or less number of
members smoking in the cloak-rooms They
sit around the fireplaces conversing and en-
loying their cigars. Day after day the New
ork member missed his Havanas. One
afternoon, however, there was a sensation
IN the cloak-room. Several members who
were smoking were astounded when their
cigars exploded. 1t turned out that the
New York member had received fifty |
loaded" cigars from New York dealer. |
he had left these on his desk from time to |
time, and the explosions in the cloak-room
The new member will find much to inter
est him in his committee room. The most |
important committees occupy rooms near |
the entrances to the House. Minor commit |
ices Ices meet in the basement of the capitol. |