The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-08-10
SENATORIAL COMFORT.
Some Reasons Why Washington May
Be Pleasant Even In Summer.


Twenty-Three Gallons of Cologne Used a
Those of Rome-Senatorial Jamaica
Ginger.
This is the season when Apollinaris
lemonade flows like water in the cloak
rooms of the Senate. 1t is On tap all day
long in great punch bowls, furnished at
the expense of the nation. To supply
mem bers of the upper house with that
beverage will cost Uncle Sam something
like 5000 this summer. They will drink
up about forty cases of Apollinaris
quarts, with which will be mingle the
juice OF thirty live boxes of lemons the
mixture being seasoned with l 200 pounds
OF granulated sugar. Precisely why the
nation should be obliged to furnish this
drink to Senators every summer in UNI
limited quantities nobody can say. In
the cloak rooms of the House of Repre-
sentatives Apollinaris lemonade IS fire.
quently brewed at this warm season, but
it is paid for by members who "chip in"
to buy the materials.
1t is somewhat startling to learn from
the latest report of the secretary of the
Senate that the mem bers of this august
body consume-at the Capitol, mind you
and not at home--twenty-three gallons
of the finest cologne in single twelve
month. In addition to this quantity pur-
chased in bulk, several dozen bottles of
scented waters appear in the itemized ac
count The allowance seems to be about
a quart and pint per annum for each
Senator. One ought surely to be able to
distinguish Senator anywhere by his
agreeable smell. Some of this cologne
is used in the Senate bath rooms, which
are on a scale of magnifcence thatwould
not have been despised by the nigh livers
of ancient Rome. The tubs are carved
out of single blocks of marble ten feet
lo2g, so that one can lie submerged at
length in them. Attendants skilled in
massage are in waiting, and there are
hot rooms and ali appliances for Turkish
and Russian baths. All OF these ar
rangements for summer comfort are free
of charge to Senators. They can get
electric baths in the Senate barber shop,
where there is an apparatus for shutting
a legislator up in box, from which
only his head protrudes, and cooking
him with steam while current from
battery passes through his person.
More cologne is used in the barber
shop, where the tonsorial artists charge
nothing for their service, being paid by
the nation. Bottles of scented waters are
commonly to be found in the committee
rooms where they are agreeable for the
toilet. Bay rum also is freely dispensed.
Eighteen gallons of bay rum were con-
sumed by the Senate during the last
year. OF alcohol nineteen gallons were
required. Some of this may have been
for lamps, but it is mentioned in the
chased for the barber shop-dou btless to
rub Senators with. 1t may be that al
| cohol stimulates clog uence when applied
externally. Mem bers of the upper house
have taken it internally for that purpose.
These things. are paid for out of the con-
| tingent fund. Other items in the same
category are three dozen bottles of pond
lily wash, two bottles of cuticura ONT
ment, five bottles of brilliantine for SEN
atorial mustaches, four ounces of berga-
mont oil, one ounce of oil of rose, three
bottles of yucca balsam, ten pounds, of
vasseline, toilet soaps of the most costly
kinds by the gross, six and one-half gall
Ions of castor oil 1t is to be hoped that
all of this castor oil was not used medi-
nished by the bail. Mention is made
of thirty dozen boxes of backing and
sixteen dozen backing brushes and
daubers. That would allow about five
boxes of backing and three brushes for
each Senator per annum
Senators suffer from physical weak
nesses like ordinary folks. Occasionally
account several bottles of Jamaica gin.
ger are mentioned as paid for out of the
contingent fund. Over-indulgence in
| Apollinaris lemonade sometimes brings
about an enlargement of the head the
! next morning after a warm night ses-
/ sion, and so bromo caffeine is on the list.
Other items refer to purchases OF
! cafebrum powders and quinine waters.
But the favorite senatorial medicine
is the quinine pill. Fortyfpur hundred
| quinine pills were bought in the last
| year for keeping malaria away form Sen
ators. They are furnished by the hun
dred to the committee rooms. Now,
why should the Senate use twice as
| much ice as is consumed by the House:
Nobody can say, but 1t is fact. In
summer 100, 600 pounds of ice per month
| are consumed in the n orth wing of the
| Capitol, while only $4,000 pounds are
used in the south wing. The Senate il
| winter uses 1000 pounds month an(
the House about half that quantity
| Senators you see, do not grudge them
seles Injuries; legislators at that end O.
the Capitol do not feel obliged to econo
mize for the sake of producing a good
impression on their constituents
Twenty-four dozen of the best palm-lea
fans for. each Senator, who may keel
himself cool by agitating two Of then
with his toes, while ne holds one in eacl
| hand.
| Wagons Without Horses.
The steam wagon will be one of tn
L f,.f ho