The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-05-03

the Senate wing during the superntendence of
the present Sergeant-at-Arms Col. Valentine
attributes q permanent throat trouble to q
green velvet carpet that was laid upon the
House floor at the beginning of the Forty
seventh Congress. Before the close of the
first session throat affection became so preva-
lent that arsencal poison was suggested, and
such universal cry went up against the car
pet that it was removed before the next ses-
sion. A number of Senators complained of
this same difficulty last session, and Col. Val
entine has no hesitancy in pronounciDg these
green carpets extremely dangerous, more es-
pecially in the chambers of Congress. This is
explained by the fact that under each Sena-
tors desk is ventilator. Carried upward
by this perpetual draught is cloud of invisi-
BILE and poisonous dust that is kicked and
scraped and shuffied off the carpet by these
eminent but restless gentlemen.
INGAII.s's CHAIR AND sPooNER's 8 COAT CLOSET.
The king is dead and another fellows name
is on the door-plate. Immediately after his
defeat Senator Ingalls, had removed from his
Senate coat closet the brass plate bearing his
name. Senator Casey's name shines instead
upon the narrow door, and hereafter North
Dakota beaver, coat, and overshoes will oc-
cupy the cupboard so long dedicated to the
uses of those elegant Kansas trappings.
There is also an unsightly space on the door
of the closet belonging to Senator Pierce.
Moody's name is down, as is also Spooner's.
With the exception of these obsequies no
changes will be made in the Senate cloak
room and none could be suggested unless
few hammocks and green table were added
to these eminently comfortable quarters.
The big chair in which Ingalls, rocked and
smoked in his elegantly methodical fashion
has been reckoned good enough for his long
couches that suited Senators Pierce and
Moody only too well are not to be changed
for the DEVILS Lake victor and the religio-
political Kyle from the two Dakotas From
now until next December these sacred pre-
cincts will be entirely deserted except when
old Capt Bassett, who has served as first as
sistant doorkeeper for fifty years, goes in to
rest on one of the soft couches, or when
Alonzo Stewart, the first messenger of the
floor, permits some unusually curious person
to walk through.
sLovENLY AND EXTRAvAGANT MASCULINE
HoUsEKEEPERs.
The Fifty-first Congress being adjourned,
there reigns throughout that vast building a
delicious quiet, splendid silence, and un-
limited dirt. Under the feather-headed four
teen-thousand- pound Chickasaw goddess that
perches ON the apex of the great white dome
there are tons and tons of unnecessary dirt.
House-cleaning at the Capitol will not begin
until July, but the permanent force of scrub
bers have given 1t what an old housekeeper
would call ia lick and promises" that is, the
entire building looks as If it had been given a
premonitory firt of dusting maids broom,
for from basement to dome dust is king. The
late mob of statesmen, with their attendant
army of clerks, messengers, and pages, have
melted into history. The visitors are reduced
from hundreds to dozens, and indefatigable
reporters and numerous lobbyists are no more
| The great ediice is in the hands of the Capitol
police, the guides, and few under officers
all of whom are holding high carnival of in
action. Nobody is doing anything. The clerks
and listless officers have plenty of time for Wis
itors, and the police loll about the rotunda in
| the fullness ofrelief 'This has been the worst
session ever saw said Capt. Albaugh, chief
! of the police. 81 never remember being so
tired of those people, and this is the general
sentiment of the Capitol employees.
Whatever may be argued against states
women in national council it cannot be denied
that one competent woman housekeeper, with
! brigade of trained kitchen maids and scrub
| women would soon have the interior of the
| Capitol in harmony with the stately exterior.
| If a woman did the Capitol house-cleaning one
would not feel like comparing the inside and
outside OF that great structure TO before and