The new North-west., 1897-04-02
WE HAVE A BIG LOTTERY
CONGRESS PERMITS ONE FOR THE
DISTRIBUTION OF SEATS.
Gnlusha A. Grow Uses His Anc,a,t
Piece of Headgear ns a Trade
Mark for His Desk,

tive James Hamilton Lewis had been bera
on the first day of the session, when the
| oraWlng for seats occurred, he could not
| nave secured better seat than was
chosen for him by his colleague. Repre-
| sentative Jones. The two will sit side by
i sue IN the democratic side of the house.
| Inc seats Which Mr.. Jones selected are
| not the best In the house. but they are a
| great deal better than large number of
the oder members of the house succeeded
In getting
II is rather remarkable fact that
| mniie congress mas passed most stringent
| laws prohibiting all kinds of lotteries,
Irom operating in the United States. it
| nevertheless, at the beginning of each BIZ
ehlllal session, holds lottery of it's own
| m which blindfolded page sits at tho
clefk desk and draws out numbers and
III tElS way the seats In the house of rep
resentat1ves are distributed among Its
members
10 a newcomer this national lottery
which occupies about two hours on the
opening day of the session, is an interest
ing scene. Immediately after the newly
elet.eo ~ speaker has sworn in the officers
VI the mouse, he announces that the time
LOT the seat drawing has arrived and that
members will please take their places
oslch OF the railing. A few moments later
ana aol vacant seats are exhibited to the
spectators IN the galleries, while all
VINO are to occupy them. Then the clerk
OF the mousse comes in with a little oblong
piack-Walnut box having sliding lid and
containing as many little numbered ivory
palls as there are members. He shakes
up the box as a baby would it's rattle,
s!ldes on the cover of the box, and the
pllhdfolded page draws out one of the
numbered balls. He passes it to a clerk
VINO has before him complete list of the
members OF the house, arranged in alpha
betlcal order, each name being numbered
Inc hrst ball drawn entities the member
having the same number to his choice of
any seat III the house. Fate is usually in
playful mood for the new members IN
Varlabiy get the first choice Here again
fate plays a trick, for the new men. know
ing nothing of the acoustic properties of
the house or of the fact that the front
seats and those along the middle aisle are
adjacent to the places where the members
sathef ana hold conversations while the
mouse is in session, always choose those
very seats. Thus the older members.
when their numbers are drawn still find
many of the most desirable seats along
the side aisles left vacant for their occ,l-
pancy
AS soon as man has taken seat, a
page writes his name on card and sticks
1t upon his desk, which thereupon be-
comes h!s for the next two years, unless
ne chooses to make a trade with some
70 permit the cx-speakers and the father
OF the house, to select their seats prior to
the lottery, but this year there was an at
Tempt TO extend the privilege to half a
dozen other more or less distinguished
men on both sides of the chamber and
objection was raised. Mr. Reed himself
is the father of the house." and the next
Oldest member on the floor il, point of
contlnuous service is Harmer of Pennsyl-
vania' who administered the oath to the
speaker this year The only ex-speaker
now in the body is Hon. Galusha A. Grow
u pennsylvania. Mr.. Grow wears a very
ancient silk tile, which is well known TO
every member of the house. When ne
lett his seat to join the throng back of
the railing he innocently left his hat con-
sp1cuously upon his desk. 1t said as plain.
ly as words could have done, 'This is Mr..
GROW seat, and no republican will think
or taking it" So it was that although
Mf. Grows name was not called until
very nearly the end of the list, his old
seat was waiting for him when the time
came for him to make his choice.
Some of the older members are not
lboVe little tricks to obtain coveted seats
when their names are not called at an
Early stage OF the drawing. Representa-
i've Harry Loudenslager of New Jersey
Vas one of these. After about two dozen
'eats had been chosen, and the one upon
which he had fixed his eye seemed to he
n great peril, he got one of the door
keepers OF the house to go down and sit
II thls seat until his name should be call
d. or course all the new members sun
'osed the doorkeeper was one of Them
ewes VINO mad been fortunate in obtain
ng a choice seat, and the old members
hought the doorkeeper had been asked to
eep the seat for some one who had al
eady drawn it. When Loudenslaeer,s
anne was called, he trpped lightly down
ne aisle, and the older members who saw
nc aoofkeeper get up and give him the
eat realized Immediately that one of
heir number, at least, had found a way
} beat Uncle Sans lottery
Richard Parks Bland, the democratic
liver leader, got one of the best seats on
he democratic side and General Grosve-
or OF Oh1o, the Mckinley statistician, Sc
lfed his old seat by being among the
rst few numbers drawn Twenty-one
'publlcans were forced to go over to the
side of the house and of
'urse, were obliged to take seats In the
.r-oH corner of the hall on that side.
ms row OF seats Is known as the Chero-
ee strip but never before has the Chero
se strip had such a distinguished list of
cupants Among them are a number of
G older republicans of the house. like
eneral Henderson of Iowa. Mr. Hit of
1nois, Mr.. Grout of Vermont and Seth
Mllllken OF Maine General Henderson
Iowa occupies seat No 1 in the Chero-
e strip, which was occupied by Hon. S.
Hyde during the last congress.
special courtesy was shown to Repre-
ntatlVe D1ngley, the floor leader of the
publicans. Mr.. Wadsworth of New
'rk, whose name was called early, Sc
req good seat, which he gave up to
:. Dingley when the latter's name was
lied. Representative Wilson of Brook
had still better seat, which he ox
anged with DR.. Dingley taking the one
st chosen by Mr.. Wasworth The lead
or the house is therefore now located
the first aisle to the left of the center
II seats back and just across the aisle
m the seat occupied by Mr. Reed when
was the leader of the republican mi
'ity In the Fifty-third congress. Meth
Jones' nor Representa-
9 Lewis name was called until. verv
II the close of the drawing. Mr.. Jones,
ne was called first, and he picked ont
aisle seat in the back row or the dem
atic side. Just across the aisle from
l, ana the aisle Is very narrow, sits
ford w. Howard, the youthful popu-
from Alabama and the acknowledged
hor of that Infamous book "If Christ
ne to Congress- When the name of
les Hamilton Lewis was called Mr.
es reserved the seat next to him on his
This is the row from which Grove
nson of California, brother of Captain
8. johnson OF Walla Walla, made his
Gus harangues against w. r. Hearst
other enemies of the Southern Pacific
road Company in the last congress
) commanding position for an ora
as the seats slope downward from
point to the speakers desk, and it,
elofe, commands view of the whole
Sc. If either Mr.. Lewis or Mr.. Jones
res to make speeches during the nres
no better seats than those
have could have been selected