The Washington times., 1901-10-28
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.

Relic hunters have been active about
the Capitol Building during the past few
months while the structure is being re-
paired. 1t is estimated that several cart
loads of old lumber. bricks and other
building material have been carried OF
as souvenirs. Pieces of pine which
formed ~the floor in parts of the house
have been much sought after and have
been converted into canes and other
articles. The wood under the desks which
We're occupied by Blaine. Reed, ana other
celebrities of the past and present was
regarded as especially valuable. Some
eager hunters made careful search among
the old beams and timbers taken from
the Supreme Court, and nails and screws
which are more than 100 years old were
taken out. Some collectors even took the
old bricks from this part of the building.
The guides and attaches about the Capt.
tol have made many u penny by selling
souvenirs TO curious visitors.
One change for the good which will be
found by returning Representatives when
they visit the House is the banishment
from the floor of the barber shops The
Unshdvsn Representative must go to the
basement in future and he will thus be on
a par with members of the Senate. 1t
has always been a source of wonder why
with everybody pressed for room, the bar
Der shop was given space practically on
the floor of the House. Adjoining the
cloak room on either side of the chamber
Y as room occupied by several tonsorial
artists. Visitors In the galleries could
catch glimpses through swinging doors
of statesmen stretched out on chairs
while BARRIERS scraped lather industri-
ouSly ShampOOed. OCcl SiOnally a roll
call would bring a half-shaven mar to the
door long enough to answer to his name
The space formerly given over to barber
shops Will now be used as smoking rooms.
Washington is fiat crazy" said a local
real estate dealer the other day. Never
in the history of the town, and l have
been here twenty five years, has there
been such a demand for flats as that Of
the present time. In spite of the fact
dat a dozen OF monster fiat houses have
been erected since last spring, there
seems to be a famine. and 1 have from
nifty to Seventy-tiVe applicants every dav
| cannot MI the orders any more than
any of the other people in the business
and | can predict at least u score Of new
apartment houses before next summer
Rents have increased 10 per cent since
summer. hut the near approach of Con-
gress may have something to do with
this. ii is a fact that rents are today
higher in Washington than in any other
city in the country outside Of New York
The beauty of the whole business is that
proprietors can get all that they charge.
and even moro. so great is the demand
Tor comfortable apartments
The old barn-like benches which for
merIy stood as eyesores in the galleries
Of the House at the Capitol have disap-
peared and are being replaced by hand
some opera chairs Time was when the
expensive and exclusive Senate had a
monopoly on the individual chair system,
but this has now passed. The eloquent
gentleman from the obscure district saw
that his hearers were wearied in body as
they listened to his remarks from the un-
comfortable depths Of gaunt street car
benches, and the demand went up for |
leather covered. soft backed comfortable |
armchairs. The seats are a big improve
ment.
Four of the historic old guns used at
the battle OF New Orleans, the last land
engagement Of the war Of 1872. and which |
have been serving as accessories to the
Clark Mills equestrian statue in
Lafayette Square, have undergone
repairs which will prevent them
from falling TO pieces The guns |
were mounted upon old wooden carriages |
in 1853 and these had never been repaired |
until Colonel Bingham, Superintendent OF
Public Buildings and Grounds. had the
statue and it's mountinss overhauled and
repairs made The old statue was cast
from guns used in the battle of New Or
leans. and is of great historic value.
The original carriages supporting the
guns have been permitted to remain, bue
have been braced and strengthened. and
are now good for another half century.