The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-18
IN THE NATIONAL CAPITOL.
Recesses of the Building Where idIers
Find Refuge.
Washington Post.

WdSIlllStOu GOSt.
The Capitol is a shelter for the shell
terless this terribly cold and nasty
weather. 1t is much more agreeable to
sit in the warm galleries and nod
through the speeches and debates than
to shiver over a f~ireless stove in ar at
tic. A number of impecunious old gen.
tlemen have discovered this and avail
themselves of the hospitality of the
government with profit and comfort to
themselves and harm to no one, for on
inclement days few people have enough
ambition to go up to Congress, even
when matters Of great interest are UNI
der discussion. A large contingent of
decayed gentility make daily pilgrim
ages there. with the excuse that they
are interested in legislation. Some of
the more fortunate ones carry a smack"
in their pockets, and can be seen sur
reptttiously conveying morsels of bread
and cheese. in some cases the fragrant
bologna, from their pocket to their
mouths. The majority of these worthless
prefer the House side. where there is
some movement and excitement, but
those who seek rest rather than enter
tainment go to the senate gallery,
where it is possible to sleep peacefully
through the long speeches. Two very
much out-at-the-elbow gentlemen were
overheard in the rotunda discussing
into which gallery they should go. 81
want to be cheered UP, and they are
still fighting about the currency BILL
said the tall. slim one. whose legs were
too long for his trousers. and whose
nose looked as if he had been used to
another sort of cheer: but his thick
comrade. who had been cheered al
ready, decided in favor of the Senate,
and they separated. There were cnIy
seven members on the floor with Sena-
tor Pasco, who was delivering his speech
on the Nicaraguan canal. Our veneer
able friend rested his head against The
partition, and soon his gentle snoring
interrupted the unusual quiet of the
h rar%x -
attention of the ever-vigilant doorkeep-
ers and his nap lasted until the Senate
adjourned. The doorkeepers do not al
low sleeping in the galleries if they
ance was one day created by an UNI
lucky slumberer who had the night
mare and awoke ciutching the air and
crying. xiii him. kill him.
To these gentry who are intellectual
ly inclined the library offers an asylum.
The long tables are filled with men,
shabby, unkempt, almost shoeless, who
read and make notes in the most
learned way. 1t is interesting to note
that the favorite books of this class are
blood and thunder novels and works on
socialism. Occasionally you see one of
them. a broken down pedagogue per-
haps, reading the classics. and many
of them call for books in foreign lam
guages. I looked over the shoulders of
a r~ed-headed, freckled, c~adaverous. un-
clean specimen and found that his
grimy hands held a copy of Millions
Paradise Lost
Apropos of the library. it is nearly
bursting, and the main building is so
piled with books as to make getting
about difficult. The wonder is how any
thing can be found in the seeming
chaos. Speed the time when we will
come into possession of the new IL
brary.
The vicinity of the Latin Bible in the
north wing is the best point of van
tage from which to see the egion of
visitors, among whom brides and
grooms predominant, who swarm the
Capitol. The professional guide has be-
come an institution. He runs along
with his oft-repeated tale like Tenny-
sons brook and earns a handsome nv-
ing reeling of information. which.