Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-02-14
WISCONSIN LEGISLATURE,

For the benefit of those in Wood
county who have never had occasion
to visit the Capital City, your cor
respondent will endeavOr through the
columns of the REPORTER to give
them brief description of the capital
building. We do not know the exact
dimensions of the building, however,
it stands north and south, the ground
sloping to the Monona lake on the
east and to the Mendoza lake on the
west. On the first floor or basement
can be found the carpenter shop
etc, On the second floor are tire
offices of the state officers, executive
chamber, etc. In each of these offices
can be seen the portrait of all the
eX-State officers for many years back:
the same are nicely framed and hung
on the walls in their respective offices.
On third floor in center of building,
directly under the dome and on each
side of the rotunda is the senate
chamber on the east and the assembly
chamber on the west: the last named
being the larger by reason of there
being three times and one over as
| many members in it as there are in
| the former. The south end of the
building on the third floor is used for
committee rooms, cloak rooms, etc.
| In north end on said floor can be found
| the supreme court room, supreme
court attorneys room. state library
and a few committee rooms. The only
| work done on the fourth floor. in con-
| nection with the legislature, is in the
south end of building on said floor,
formerly used as historical rooms: but
since the removal of the art gallery to
the university these rooms have been
| fitted up and are now used as the
engrOSSing and enrolling rooms for the
senate and assembly.
The fifth and last floor in south end
| is used and fitted up for the purpose
of an Alumni hall, where farmers,
| dairymen and cheeSemakers hold their
state conventions. Gov. LaFOlletJe
| addressed large aSSemblage of
farmers in their hall one evening last
week by request. If it were necessary
that one walk up and down the STAIR
| ways whenever occasion demanded it,
| it would be very tireSOme work; but
| the state has provided for this by
putting in an elevator in center Of
south end of building which is kept
| in constant use from s o'clock a. m.
until 10 o'clock p. m.
| The political division of the lower
| house or assembly is 81 republicans
and nineteen democrats. In the
upper house or senate there are thirty
one republicans and two democrats.
Both houses Of the legislature con-
| vene at 10 o'clock a. m. each morning
in the week except Sunday, Monday
and Saturday. Whenever adjourn
| ment is taken without date. it means
until the next day at 10 a. M; but a
cuStimary rule that generally prevails
is, to adjourn on Friday of each week
until the following Monday at $50
p. m. Up to the present time the
| sessions have been very short; lasting
from one half to three-fourth of an
hour each day. The balance of the
time being spent in committee rooms
celebrating on bills referred to such
committees. Up to date there has
been introduced in the assembly 272
bills and Wood cOunty's representa-
tive. the Hon. Frank A. Cady, having
introduced five of those; of which
number two have been acted upon as
follows: bill 1O8 a (Cady) relating to
appeals from justice courts, killed: bill
100 (Cady) duty of notarieS public,
ordered engrOSSed and to third
reading. A case that consumed 26
days of legislative time and during
this time the topic of conversation
was the Vandercook-Cook contest
which was finally settled in the
assembly on Wednesday of last week
by a vote of 81 to 13 in favor Of Cook,
the contestee. a bill that is receiving
most attention, on the part of the
ladies in and about the capitol build
ing is, S. a. introduced by Mr.. Norton
of Milwaukee; relating to the taxing
of females % years of age or more.
Judging from the talk and expressions
of the ladies, your correspondent is of
the opinion that they are all % years
of age or more.
Those from Grand Rapids and
vicinity who have visited the Capital
City since the legislature has been in
session are District Atty Fl. Wiper
man, Attorney B. r. Goggins. Chas.
| Lester, Arthur SickleS and VIM. Scott.
The two first named had cases before
the supreme court which was in
session here last week.
| CORRESPONDENT.
Children who are troubled with
| l. f,,1 I,