Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-09
NM

these brass gratings in the floor. Through
out the Fifty-second Congress / often won
deIed whether the sweepings and the drop
pings Of pieces of paper and of cigar
stCmps were ever cleaned out of these
ducts On the first day of this Congress ii
was gratifying to find new carpet on the
floor. There was also some varnish on the
wood and polish on the brass gratings of
this white sepulcher. But, Mr.. Speaker. l
found right there in front of your desk in
the open area under the grating in the floor
the same appearance OF litter, OF cigar
stumps. Of paper an of dirt and rubbish
that had been swept and kicked down for
years into these places through which the
air must come tina we have TO breathe; and
I thought that / would not keep live stock
on my farm in such an unhealthy atmos-
phere we are bound to breathe when we
sit here
broke forth thus:
"An that the gentleman from North Da-
kota said the other day about the filthy
condition of the ventilators in this House,
and much more. is true. and has a good
deal to do with the vile. bad air in this hail.
1t is the first hall / have ever seen where it
Is arranged that the fresh air and ventila-
ton should come to us through spittoon.
That is about what these ventilators
amount to under the present practice Of the
House. These ventilators are incubating
machines for bacteria. They are incubators
for catarrh. consumption and other dis
eases. Only yesterday a member of this
House told me that he had been out of
health ever since he came here, and as
serted that he would not be a candidate
for reelection If he was Obliged to sit in
this vile atmosphere. We ought to have
he Of
these ventilators. that they would not
be incubatng machines to propagate dis
ease"
The ventilators to which these gentlemen
refer are simply brass gratingS beneath
the desks of the members They run down
the main aisle, around the Speakers desk,
and the well in front of ii. where the MEM
bers congregate when exciting scenes occur.
They were put there to funnel pure air
from the Capitol grounds into the hall Of
the House in summer and to give warm air
in winter. This air is famed through an
air shaft into the ducts. There are eight
rows of desks grouped in semi-circle
around the triple-L.-Hked marble elevation
occupied by the Speaker. The rows of seats
are in parterre- There are nine aisles be-
tween these desks. The brass gratings also
run beneath the desks from aisle to aisle
There are metal cuspidors at each desk.
but they are not used as often as the graf
ings are used. 1t is frequently easier for
member TO drop a tobacco quid through :he
grating than to use cuspidOr. The latter
gets jammed between the chairs and kicked
out OF reach under the desks. and is fire.
quently upset upon the grating II requires
some eXeriiOn to bend down and place a
cuspidor where il will be handy. Old pens.
nut shells. bits of tin foil, butts of cigars.
strips of paper. tobacco guilds, dust and dit
of every kind can be seen through the graf
lngs- Much of it Sits through them when
the hall is swept. The air beneath the graf
ings is so foul that DIR. Sewers Of Washing
ton says that If a good. healthy cat was
Il oF - t. Mt .INsar. a
iuct. ii would drop dead before 1t could
reach the grating beneath the main aisle of
the House. Yet this is the atmosphere
breathed by the members.
No Report.
The House has always had a committee
on ventilation and acoustics. For the last
ten years 1t has never made report con-
corning ventilation If Old members are to
be believed, this system OF ventilation mas
prevailed since 1851. Nothing mas been done
to remedy the defect.
In the Senate the system is different.
The air comes through a vertical grating
inserted in the step beneath each row of
desks. 1t cannot be used as a depository
for tobacco guilds. The real secret of the
bad ventilation in the House seems to be
parsimoaiousness. Any proposition to
change it at the expense OF several thous-
and dollars would. undoubtedly, arouse the
economists. These Representatives seem to
take real pleasure in tying their own hands,
reducing the number of their own employ
es and nJurins their own health while voJ-
ing Iull supplies Tor the Senators. This
economical cneeSe-paring is now at ats
height The House has cut down the num-
DSr OF its committee clerks and it has not
Is many attendants as 1t once had. although
lis membership Is greater than ever before.
The great git frames surrounding the
pictures Of washington and Lafayette,
which flank the Speakers desk. are green
no int
iuSs themselves need varnish. There are
i've very remarkable pictures in the panel
ings thanking me dais. The one of I.afay-
cite is probably The most valuable. 1t was
painted by AIRY Scheffer, and was brought
to this country in lN24 by Lafayette him.
self. 1t represents him when he was about
sixty years old. hat in hand and wearin y
heavy uvercOat- The p2Sting of WASH
inGtnn was made by Eandcrlyn. The Cap
concerning this painter. They say that
Re WIS helper n blacksmith shop near
Kingston, y. y. Aaron Burr was travelling
that way one day and StODDed to have III o
shoes of his hCrse reset. He saw shock
headed boy making charcoal sketches on
the door OF the shop. The blacksmith gave
good for nothing. He could get no work
OUt Of him He spent his time in making
charcoal sketches. which the smith thought
was entirely worthless Burr asked the boy
several questions ard was much impressed
with his answers. He gave him his On ri
and told him If he ever came to New YORK
ward While Burr was entertaining several
gentlemen at dinner az his house in New
York. he heard a great noise In the hall
outside. He was told that there was a
h7rn-fOOte1 boy out there making trouble
I'VE had him brought 10 the table. The boy
rr0ve1 10 be The sketcher in charcoal At
first R'rr dill nor recognize him. but when
fha I'D identified himself Burr fed and
clofhaf him. he all more than this He
sent him to BENJAMIN West. where he de-
veloDed \ taste for painting and eventually
became almost as famous as his master.
Other Famous Paintings.
There are two paintings by Bierstadt in
the panels fanking the Speakers desk.
One represents the settlement of Monterey,
California: the other the landing of Hen
drick Hudson near Peekskill. y. Y. Be
yCnf the latter there is painting by Rru-
midi It depicts CORVALLIS visiting Gen.
Washington at Yorktown and asking for
an armistice- CORVALLIS is surrounded by
his STAFF. in scarlet coats Gen. Spinola. in
the days OF Tom Reeds Congress always
called these gentlemen Hessians and aver
rel that the Speaker frequently counted
SAein as beng present and not voting so
a 10 secure a quorum. There is one va
cant panel In the wall. 1t is in the south
east corner To I'LL this fate NAV have
s9mething far more unique in store for the
House. e.
thomas Il. Reed advises that the naneIs
Beneath the galleries ha MET !.