The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-13

president Of the United States. IT 1;
SAID to contain the finest frescoes OF
any room on the Western continent
Here Is the choicest work OF
President Arthur sat when he
signed the bin placing Gen. Grant
on the retired list with full pay in 1885
And here President Harrison signed
the Mckinley bill ION Oct /, 1890. The
president usually visits this room out
or courtesy to congress in the last DAYS
or each session. Here he signs bills
tnat nave been passed, enrolled and
engroSsed in the last hours of the SEES
slons. All presidents but Mr.. CIeve
ianu nave followed this precedent es-
tablished by President Madison. Mr..
cleveland never visited the capitol but
once for this purpose. 1t was during
his first term. The only time that he
appeared here in his last term was
to attend the funeral of Senator Vance,
Of North Carolina
The teachers listened to the detailed
statements of the guide with increased
interest. Passing through the marble
room, which is only the lobby of the
senate. they entered the sactum
OF the vice president. 1t contains
Rembrandt Pears famous portrait of
George Washington. It was in this
room that Henry Wilson died while
vice president of the United States.
His bust in Carara marble stands upon
a bracket inserted in the wall While
Levi p. Morton was vice president,
the secretary of the senate bought
a magnificent inkstand and placed 1t
in this room. Mr. Morton, it is said,
deemed this an unwarranted extrava-
gance. He returned the $500 to the
government and carried the inkstand
away with him.
Some vice presidents have been ex-
tremely gracious to visitors, while
others keep the door closed Adlai
Stevenson was a great favorite, and
Carrot A. Hobart promises to become
equally as great Stevenson invariably
Ieft his door open, except on special
occasions. He did more than this.
for frequently he shook hands with
the visitors, and called attention to
the objects of interest in the room.
The guide recalled the visit of some
teachers from Haverhill, Mass, the
year before. Mr.. Stevenson left the
vice presidents chair to greet them.
They were so charmed with him that
they wanted his autograph. At the
suggestion of the guide the handsomest
one of the party asked him to oblige
her by giving it to her for an auto
graph fan. This opened the way for
the others, and Adlai lost half an hour
III 0iShAilS IllS IlciIilc w llIlc lUc NLCC
president was thus engaged Henry
Cabot Lodge entered the room.
"Oh, here is our senator" exclaimed
one of the Haverhill beauties, 1--WE Ger
tainly must have his autograph"
The great descendent of the Cabots
of the time of Henry VII. was over
come by this array Of loneliness. He
sank in a seat and spent twenty min
utes in writing his name.
ho xrioo
and UP the marble stairway trailed the
teachers. They were attracted by q
portrait Of Jefferson different from any
ever seen in print.
why. I never knew that Thomas
Jefferson had red head said a teach
er. Look at him. He is really the
only handsome man that I ever saw
with a red head"
She told the truth 1t is a painting
of more than ordinary merit The col
oring is softened by age, and at all
hours Of the day some ore is seen in
the subdued light in front of it, quietly
a6miring it. More singular still, no
body seems to know who painted it
and where it came from. The painting
resembles in tone and coEoring a paint
ing, of Henry Clay, now hanging: In the
speakers lobby. 1t had hung in diff
ferentf committee rooms fer many
years and was finally placed among
the portraits of the other speakers
II was cracked and faded when it first
attracted attention. Under the order
Of the chairman Of the house COM
mittee on library, it was renovated by
the superintendent of the Corcoran art
gallery five years ago.
q The visitors spent much time in front
OF Thomas Moran'S Immense paintings
Of the chasm Of the Colorado and the
Grand canyon Of the Yellowstone.
They then descended the stairway and
moved backward toward the house of
representatives. The hall Of statues
rang with merry laughter as they were
initiated into the mysteries Of the
whispering cubes. Three of the party
made a discovery. While standing
upon a block designated by the guide
they heard a young man reading a
love letter to one of his friends. He
was at least fifty feet away, and a
itors and the reader. The teachers
were at first unable to place the young
man. The guide, however, readily
pointed him out, and as the party
passed him each girl burst into laugh
ter. The young man was dazed as he
could not account for the strange pro-
ceeding.
The party afterward approached the
door of the house Of representatives
The ringing Of bells and the scream OF
steam whistles were heard as they
reached the main entrance to the hall
II was high noon. Through the open
doors the massive form of Speaker
Reed was seen at his desk, gavel In
hand. In clear cut words and stem
torian voice he said: 1.-The house will
be in order"
The usual twang and peculiar draw
reached the ear Of each teacher. 1t
seemed familiar to them. They gazed
at Mr.. Reed in open-mouthed wonder
AS for the congressman, he excused
himself from further attendance on the
party. saying he was not paired on
prayers, and that consequently his
presence was required in the hall. He
last saw the trailing arbutus of New
England loneliness as it swept around
the corner toward Carpenters picture
OF the Signing Of the Emancipation
Proclamation
Amos r CUMMINGS