The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-04-01
Queer Things Seen from the Press
Gallery Of the Senate.
Statesmen Who Are Entitled to Seats In
the Front Rows of Variety Theaters
"A Rear View of Senators Blod-
gett and Hill.
Especial Washington letter.

of an important bill, I was struck with
the remarkable similarity in the ap
pearance of Senator Hill, of New York
and Senator Blodgett, of New Jersey
The front seat in the senate gallery is
about twenty feet higher than the
desks of the senators, and the two dis
tinguished gentlemen mentioned, who
occupy chairs in the back row on the
democratic side, were about fifty feet
from me. Both of them were engaged
in writing letters, and as they bent
over their desks their smooth, bald
heads were strilingly similar in size,
shape, and, had almost said, alike in
expression.
Two other bald heads, directly op-
posite, on the back row on the repub-
ican side of the chamber, were in
striking contrast Senator Carey, Of
Wyoming, and Senator Shoup, of Idaho,
might readily be mistaken for each
other if only the tops of their heads
were photographed. Hill and Blodgett
have long, narrow heads, while Carey
and Shoup carry their brains in larger,
rounder skulls which look much like
elliptical billiard balls. In the house
of representatives the gentlemen who
have been honored with seats in that
popular body are, in the main, very
much younger than the potent, grave
and reverend seignior5 who deliberate
in the senate. This is probably because
the representatives are selected for two
years, and frequent changes are there
by made; while senators arelelected for
six years and each of them generally
has two terms, so that they are more
apt to grow old in the service.
Senator Harris, Of Tennessee, has
been in public life SO long that, but for
bis bristling mllstache, he would be en-
tfrely devoid of capillary ornaments
tion, and he has probably by this time
forgotten how he used to look before
nature deprived him Of hair. Senator
Allison, of Iowa, who has been MEM
Der of the senate for eighteen years,
still retains luxutiant suit of hair,
and his face is almost entirely covered
with dark-brown beard which has
been rapidly saivering during the re-
cent months. Senator Hoar, of Massa-
chusetts, has complexion as ford and
pink as that of baby in long dresses,
and the red corpuscles in his blood are
SO plentiful that bis bald Uranium is as
well colored as his face. His colleague,
Senator DAVIS, still wears a little shock
of hair upon the apex of his Uranium,
and supplements the loss of top-knot
with short cropped. bristling beard
which is rapidly becoming snow-white.
Ex-senator Ingalls, was distinguished
during his last six years in the senate
by most magnificent crop of silvery
hair which seemed almost iridescent
from the gallery distance. His success
sor, the celebrated Feffer, not only has
2 full suit of black hair, but a very
handsome long, brown beard, which
has been the subject of iests from the
pencils of political scribblers He is
very worthy and able man. Senator
Wilson, of Iowa, who thirty years ago
was the most vigorous debater in the
house of representatives and very
athletic, handsome man, is to-day one
of the quietest members of the senate,
and to look upon his saow-white hair
and beard he would not be recognized
as the aggressive man Of former days.
Senator Henderson, of Nebraska, who
had brilliant career as a soldier and
who has been in public life for we'll
nigh forty years, still wears full suit
of dark brown hair, and with his fresh
complexion, large mustache and small
goatee looks not more than thirty
years of age. Senator Butler, of South
Carolina, perfect Chesterfield upon
the floor of the senate and probably the
handsomest man on the demo-
cratic side of the chamber, has
a rapidly thinning crown of sill
yer and bristling, snow-white
mustache. With one well-made artificial
limb, he stands or walks with perfect
ease, and only those who know him
well would suspect his physical infrm-
ity. Senator White, Of Louisiana, has
more face than any man in the senate.
He is always clean shaver, seldom oc-
cupied in writing, usually leaning back
in his chair gazing upon the ceiling, so
that with his high forehead, big cheeks,
large chin and thick neck he looks,
from the gallery, like an amplitude of
face. Senator Mitchell, of Oregon, is
trying to look like himself again. For
ten years or more we have known him
as tall, well-for1ned, handsome man
with long black beard. One year ago
for some occult reason he despoiled
himself of his whiskers, and came to
the senate one morning looking like a
beardless boy. The messenger at the
main door refused to permit him to
enter the chamber until he smiled and
spoke his name. Even then the faith
full old employee feared that it must be
a long-lost brother instead of Mitchell
himself. He is now permitting his
beard to grow again, and, although it
is short and stubby and anything bat
pretty, it makes the genial and like
nble senator from the Pacific slope look
more like the man we have known and
liked for SO many years. Senator
Hansbrough, Of South Dakota, looks
more like Jack Haverly, the famous
minstrel and theatrical manager, than
any genuine member Of Haverly's
family could look His hair is thick