Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-12-12

term, serving only SIX weeks, out IOnS
enough to break all records and to set
precedent which has never since been
equaled.
There are instances Of men represent.
Ing two states In the senate, and II IL
said one other man has represented three
states In one or the other branch Of con
gress, but General Shields Is the only
man who at different times In his career
has represented three states In the sen.
ate. A man who could win fame IN the
Mexican war. afterwarl serve with dis
tinction In the war between the states,
and 80 commend himself to the people
OF three commonwealth as to receive
from them seat In the upper branch OF
congress, certainly deserves place In
tho national pantheon.
Funny Incidents.
The old hall OF the house Is not only
one OF the most beautiful. but one OF the
most interesting spots In tho great capi.
tol. Lateabe. the architect OF the old
capitol, designed 1t ns u typo Of the an.
cient Greek theaters, and lle Succeeded
admirably In his purpose. To help him
perfect the design aud embcllish the audi.
tOriuin, he imported u nuniDer Of Italian
artists. After the British soldiers had
partly destroyed the hall with their van.
dal conAagration, Lateabe repaired II
and made II finer than ever, adding the
marble colums and other ornamentation.
The hall always had one great defect.
Its acoustics were imperfect. In some
manner the roof formed an echoing gal.
lery, and those Of our forefathers who
served in the American house OF com.
mons were not long In discovering that
from certain points within 1t the most
resonant voice was dwarfed to wbis-
per, while at other spots the gentlest
tones were swelled to mighty roar.
In the old days some exceedingly fun
ny incidents arose from these peculiar
properties Of the hall. Tho orator who
was not cautious enough to remain In
one spot during the delivery Of his AL.
dress found the acoustics of the hall tax.
ing CELEBRITIES with his elocution,
transforming his crescen'lo sentences into
comical squeals, or causing his piapissi.
mo phrases, his stage whispers. To shrek
and wall as he moved to and fro from
one echo point to another. An old writer
quantity said these acc istic pralss were
a lucky circumstance, for without them
the noble army Of fault finders would
have found the chambers 30 perfect that
nothing would have been left for them
to do but to hang themselves from the
galleries.
Dust and Cobwsbs.
To this day these echoes are one Of the
most attractive features Of the hall. The
capitol guides know every one of them,
and always have = lot Of visitors In tow.
The beautiful chamber Is pre-eminently
the show place Of the capitol. II is spec
tacular In every way. Its architecture,
It's decorations, its memories, the statues
Of the great men Of the republic, all
carry one back to the days of the dim
past. This effect Is heightened, though
perhaps unfortunately. by the economy
Of the congresses Of the present, which
do not appropriate enough money to Keep
the ceiling In repair, and In many spots
the paint is scaling of and the dust End
cobwebs are accumulating.
Now that congress Is again In session
the number Of visitors To the capitol has
vastly increased. Statuary hail Is nj.
ways thronged. Here tho guides find
their best customers. for every one wants
to know all about the strange echoes.
Every one wants to go into the corners
known M the "whispering galleries"
where family spoken sentence Is echoed
from one side Of the hall to the other
without loss Of distinctness. Every one
wants to see the brass tablet In the floor
which marks the spot where John Quin.
cy Adams fell fatally stricken after near.
| ly half century Of public service. While
some visitors are gnxing sadly at this tab
let or at the statues Of the martyrs Lin.
coin and Garfield, others are laughing
1t the echoes. Old men and women and
bridal couples abound. This Is not only
the hall Of statuary-it II also the hall
Of contrasts.
This effect Of contrast is unpleasantly
heightened in . way which the designer
Of the beautiful hall never dreamed Of,
and II IL happens that II is known to him
In his eternal consciousness no must
turn In his grave with vain protests and
indignation. One corner Of the hall.
Just at the rear Of the statues OF Gar
neld, of Cass and Of Ethan Allen, has been
sst apart - ladies' reception room for
members Of the house.
whsrs ws.sa cssgrssats.
This corner and the scenes which daily
may b witnessed In Il mar the picture
liks Q blot Of ink upon classical canvas.
The purity OF the architecture. the white
statues, the dreams OF bygone day ofval.
OF, wisdom and eloquence which they In.
splre, are rudsly broken upon by the
coarse laughter, the hirtations, the In
triguss, the brsxenness displayed In the
corner. There al sorts ana conditions
Il women come to Bee members OF con-
Ersss. Like ths s,stesmen themselves.
Ihsy ara good. bad and indifferent.
Women with pathetic stories. with wid.
ow's weeds, with tales OF great na-
tioab injustice 10 than and thsirs. are
sonvslla 70 fub elbows with painted,