The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-15
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.

Since the adjournment of Congress
| and the tearing up of the floor of the
| House of Representatives preparatory for
the improvements" said an old employe
| of the House yesterday, the rooms of
| the Committees on Naval and Military
| Affairs have been converted into barber
| shops for the accommodation of the men,
bers who may come to Washington dur
| ing the summer and for the employees in
| the House end of the~Capitol. OF course
| the employees in the Senate end are not
| barred, but, on the contrary, they are
welcomed, for their patronage increases
| just so much the revenue of the BARRIERS.
| The Naval Affairs Committee room is To-
| Gated on the Republican side of the
| House, while the room of the Committee
| on Military Affairs is on the Democratic
| side On the door of each room is sign,
which reads. Barber Shop When Con-
gress~i is in session part of the cloak room
on either side of the House is used as a
barber shop, three employees on each side
of the House who are carried on the rolls
as laborers performing the services of
BARRIERS. The money they make as BARRIERS.
to use a sporting expression, is velvet
During session of Congress these six
laborers who, by the way, have been en-
ployed in the House for years, will aver
age over hundred dollars per month in
BARRIERS fees. On the Senate side the
own. the BARRIERS receiving a fair
salary for attending to the faces and
heads of the members of the upper
house of Congress. The members of the
House would like to have their own bar
Der shop and have the Government pay
for their shave, haircut. and shampoo.
but they are afraid of opposition and
they do the next best thing by having the
paying for their own SLAVES. OF course,
when the House meets next December the
BARRIERS will vacate the committee rooms
and resume their old stand in the cloak
rooms.
Appropriately enough the ice man has
been given monopoly of the White
House drives, and his numbering wagon
is the only vehicle permitted to pass over
the walk which leads from the north front
to the Conservatives. Day after day the
ice man drives proudly into the grounds
and when he reaches the path devoted
exclusively to pedestrians, all foot traffic
must cease. The wagon is brought around
past the Presidents private quarters in
the Executive Mansion and over to the
conservatory, where large load of ice
is taken OFF and turned over to the White
House employees. The use of the walk is
prohibited even to the carriages of the
Cabinet members, and the ice man, in
this particular. has more privileges than
the Presidents official family.
To "A lover of nature this time of the
year is the most delightful in the parks
In quick succession the blossoms are fol-
lowing each other in the beds Crocuses.
just family odorous of the earth. came
first. and now the hyacinth is blossomife
forth, almost during the night. The tall
and stately plants, with their clustered
flowers. crowd the plots in a perfect riot |
oil color, and shed a heavy perfume that |
loads with fragrance every stray wind |
that passes. During the day the pink |
white. and purple beds of waXen clusters /
are beautiful to look at, but it is at night |
that the perfume from them is greatest
dampness Of the evening air has satu- |
rated the blossoms they give out their |
fragrance most generously.
1T is all a mistake to assume that we |
make more money when Congress is in |
session." said one of the Capitol guides
yesterday, and I'll tell you why You
see. when Congress is in session the
great majority of the people who travel
to the Capitol come to see their Member /
or Senator on business. It's about get
ting an appointment in one of the de-
partments. "a pension bill, or a war claim.
The delegations that come have business
with the different committees, and they |
don't have time. as a rule, to be shown
through the big building When they I
express a desire to see the sights, nine
times aut of ten their Member or Sena-