The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-02-16
CAPITOL ELEVATORS,
Their Introduction Brought About
After a Long Struggle.
Fat Men Even Gould Not Agrae a.
to Their Value-Ten Years Sen.
ate and House Wranxled
Over the Natter.
Especial Washington letter.

Especial washington Letter.
THE pictures of the capitol build
ing which show the east from
are published broadcast so tina,
everybody in the land has good idea
ofthe appearance of the palatial struc
ture. There are three entrances to the
capitol, by broad staircases, but they
are seldom used.
The senate and house entrances have
beautiful white marble steps, but the
rotunda entrance is approached by old
red sandstone steps. Beneath these
stairways are wide driveways, and
they are used by senators and repre-
sentatives because there are basement
entrances which lead to elevators
Therefore the beautiful stairways are
seldom used. Without them, however
tie symmetry of the building would
be destroyed.
Strangers in Washington usually
mount the stairs from the outside, for
they would never think of going
through the dark driveways beneath,
Readers of this paper, when they come
to the national capital, will know that
it is better and easier to go in beneath
the stairs where they will find broad
doors entering wide halls. At each
door capitol policeman will be found,
and also authorized guides, who will
show the way to the elevators, so that
they may go to the main floor without
the toll and fatigue of stair climbing;
for it is tiresome, particularly to Ia
dies, to 60 upstairs, even at home. IT
it had been left to women to invent
stairs they would never have been in
vented.
There are six elevators in the CAPT.
toll; two in the house wing, one in the
rotunda and three in the senate wing.
Three of the elevators are set aside for
the exclusive use of dignitaries, and
three are for all people to use. The
two elevators in the house wing are
open to all corners. This is because
the house is composed of direct rep
resentatives of the people, and it would
not be wise for them to be exclusive.
Some of their people might come on
here and be annoyed or angry if they
should find anything aristocratic at
that end of the capitol.
One of the house elevators leads to
the house floor entrance by the speak
cr's room, and the other one goes to
the entrance of the press gallery. Both
OF them 60 up to the public galleries.
The former is used by majority of
the representatives, but nobody is ever
excluded who wants to ride in either
one OF them.
The elevator in the rotunda is re-
served for members of the supreme
court and for attorneys practicing be-
fore that court. It is also used by en-
ployes of the court. This elevator was
burned out last summer, when a fire
broke out in the rotunda basement,
but new one is now in operation, and
it is probably the handsomest and the
best one in the great building.
Very neat the basement entrance of
the senate wing is the public elevator.
Everybody is entitled to the privilege
of riding in this elevator, but the other
two in the senate wing are held exclu-
sively from the general public. One
of them bears sign: Exclusively
for congress and supreme court" The
supreme court is mentioned on This
sign because members of the court