Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-16

1t has no more use for an expert" than
Senator Aldrich has for water in his shoes.
But Senator Aldfich, as the parliamentary
and tariff leader of the republican side,
needs expert services frequently, and, in
deed, almost SANITY, especially when
financial matters are before the senate
for consideration. Then the expert Is a
very handy piece of furniture. Thus, 1t
will be seen that there are more ways than
one of getting at the contingent fund
Experts come high, but they must be had
Ice and ApoIlinaris.
Senator Allen has already called atten-
ton publicly to the expenses of the Senate
in furnishing and maintaining the restau-
rant. which is ruh by an outsider for his
own profit, but for the convenience of
Senators and visitors at the north end or
the Capitol. All tthe restaurateur has to
pay for is his marketing. All the furniture
of the kitchen and the restaurant are 1ur-
nished to him free, as we'll as coal, gas,
electric lights and ice. These items are
Jumped into the general bills for those
articles that paid out OF the contingent
fund Here is sample ice bill picked at
random from the secretarys report: Ma
tional Capital Ice Company, for 13s,9il
pounds of ice furnished the United States
Senate. from September / to 30, 1893. at
30 cents per hundredweight $416.S2' That
is $3.50 day for ice alone during the
month OF September ON page lol OF me
item just mentioned, is the note OF
voucher paid October TO- 1888, amounting
to S1I5 for ice chests and refrigerdtorS
furnished by local firm for the Senate.
the restaurant and the Maltby building.
There were two refrigerators for the res
taurant one at sS5 and one at $50.
On the same page, chosen as a mere
bered 66. and paid on the same day to a
local firm of grocers: September 1. for one
box of lemons, 81; September 4, for one box
of lemons, 81; September 30. for sixteen
boxes best lemons, at $3.50. So; for 620
pounds graduated sugar, at 51e cents,
S4.1O; for twenty-Six cases of ApollinariS
ade for the Senate! Soft drinks for states
men! That is the simple explanation Of
the foregoing item.
Life is not parched and bowling wilder
ness in Congress. 1t is sweetened with
cooling drinks by the way. Craftsmanship
finds its inspiration in hot weather from
the flowing punch bowl. 1t is perhaps a
wise preCautfon, for Apollinaris lemonade
is not an intoxicant, and some other sum-
mer drinks are. The Apollinaris bill of the
Senate for the month of July last, which
is not included in the last annual report,
but will be in the next, was over $1,000.
This delightful beverage is served in the
cloak rooms Of the Senate, and, may be
imagined from the bills, enormous guam
that may account somewhat for it's great
popularity.
Albright Sessions.
Another instance Of the generosity of
Uncle Sam to his senatorial servants is to
be found in voucher No. Isl of miscel-
laneous items paid May 16. 1894, to T. l..
Page, the proprietor of the Senate restau-
rant. for matter of Sl39.4:5 OF this sum
$50. 10 was for coffee and chocolate served
In the cloak rooms Of the Senate from Ucto-
Der ) to 81, 1885, and $4S.I0 for lunches
served in the finance committee room. This
is a relic Of the great silver repeal fight of
the autumn of 1893. For many days the
Senate was in continuous session, and it
was necessary to keep a quorum on hand
or within call at all hours. Hence the cof-
fee and chocolate in the cloak room.
The coffee served the double purpose of
keeping the Senators from going out for
their lunches and of preventing somnolence
during the long watches OF the weary
nights when interulinable speeches on moth
ing in particular Were being delivered by the
enemies OF repeal The lunches in the COM
mittee room were served as a means of
saving time. for it was important that the
members of the committee should be kept
together on certain occasions. The bill for
this latter item was probably paid on the
theory that the Senators would have paid
for their own lunches if they had had the
opportunity, bat. being forced to remain in
continuous session, they We're in meas
ure the guests of Uncle Sam.
Another relic of the all-night sessions is