The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-12-15
HOME LEE IN WASHINGTON.


QuiTs an early settlement By the newly
arrived members OF congress is that OF
place Of residence in Washington. Ac-
corGfng TO satisfies. 81 per cent Of the
senators tfVe ia hotels. - per cent in
apartments. usually keeping house, most
OF the remainder in private dwellings. and
a few in boarding houses Among the
representatives the percentage OF private
homes is naturally much smaller.
When the seat OF government was NOV
ed 20 Washington in the Adams adrinis-
tration, members OF congress ana their
retainers had the choice OF the musi1-
room boarding-houses which had been es-
tablshed on Capitol sill or OF the Scanty
accomnoda tions which a few elegant
homes il Georgetown might offer. The
three miles Of Pennsylvania avenue mud
which INTERVIEWED made il as dlticult 10
I'VE in GEORGETOWN and so back and iorth
as TO live IL Baltimore or Annapolis to-
day. From that time forward there was
q marked development OF hotels and
and boarding houses. and up 10 the time
OF the civil war the private residence does
not seem 10 have been q prominent fac
tor IN the domestic life of The city. Wash
ington was not then d desirable place Of
residence. and those who came here Tor
congressional and similar duties. aimed
10 get back to their homes as sO0en as
circumstances permitted. Thus. most of
the official people sat about public tables
and the cordially and hospitality which
then prevailed were notable Washing
ton was essentially an isolated city. with
no interest except national politics. There
were TO play houses CT note or entertain
ments of Importance 10 divert attention.
If the "reminiscences of the earlier ha.l
Of the last century may be trusted. most
of the time Of senator's and representa-
md x~fcf ~ j
hotel lot-',ies and parlors. discussing the
issues OF the day. Occasionally, fistlc
encounter or a duel enliyened proceed
ings.
Some allowance should perhaps be pade
in weighing the truth Of the rcuanis-
cences o. that period, FOR the weii-estaD-
lished practice of men 10 claim. on return
ing to their home communities. greater
degree Of intimacy with public officers
and affairs than they actually possessed
This particularly crops out IN recoilec-
lions published near the close OF 4 life
time when the impressive events of earlier
years have been somewhat magnined by
the lapse Of time. But even with some
allowances of this sort. the fact cannot be
disputed that Washington was an exceed
ingly democratic place IN the years be-
fore the war, and that any stranger who
dropped into the city. in the course OF
touch with the currents of congressional
opinion In fact. the hotel life of Wash
lngton in those days must have been Of
charming interest to persons who enjoyed
the discussion OF national politics The
venerable Hinton R0wen Helper recalls
that when ne came TO Washington as
young man. the interior Of the National
Hotel seemed so vast to him that after
supper he walked OUT TO the other side or
Pennsylvania avenue. and up the adJoin-
ing street TO study the mammoth dimen-
sions of the building.
With the municipal Improvements which
set in here with the Shepherd regime
just after the civil war. Washington be-
came a more or less desirable residential
city and began to attract people on Its
own merits This led senators 10 be less
eager to hurry away the moment congress
adjourned especially those from the
south. who would have had TO go 10 cii-
mates generally quite as warm as this
and so the private home gradually deNel-
oped It became proper for those who,
for any reason, expected to stay in public
life good many years TO buy or build
houses in Washington. or at least TO hire
them on long leases, furnishing them for
somewhat permanent residence, which,
of course amounted 10 the same thing as
ownership. This tendency was augment
ed by the improved railroad facilities.
which came in after the civil war. and the
larger travelling public in consequence.
1t became less safe to express ones mind
freely in the hotel Hobbies before the mis-
cellaneous assemblages which might be
gathered there Sensational journalism
was coming into vogue with its petty IN
spection of personal affairs. These infu-
ences tended TO break up the conviviality
of the antebellum hotel, and 10 drive pub
lie men TO The security and quiet OF a
private dwelling.
Within the last ten years. there has
been some recession perhaps in this time
towards private homes, occasioned by the
growing cost of their maintenance and
the increasing complexity Of modern ne
II has become so expensive 10 maintain
house with the obligations OF entertain .
rnent which it imposes upon a public man.
that ONLY the richer members Of congress
seem TO be able 10 do i, and movement
back towards the hotels is apparently
growing But th3 hotels are not the So
ciable. homelike places Of the earlier
days The lobby, as place OF informal
discussion. where senators, cabinet ofilc-
ers. and anybody who cared TO listen 10
them might gather. has passed away
only in a few hotels does the tradition OF
ueighboriy gathering in the evening stii
lfneer. The arrival If important trains
from New York and the north in the later
evening hours does something TO retain
the sociabiity Of the public rooms Of thu
hotels. but only TO a limited degree does
it prevail.
A similar transformation has come over
the boarding houses. They have. IL form
become hotels. The difference in man.
agement and cost OF operation is slight,
consisting chiefly I'm the addition 81
desk for an Office and in keeping their
doors open longer hours. Bat the name
hotel sounds much more attractive 20
most ears than boarding house. ana SO
one after another OF the old establish
uaents long recognized rs boarding-hous
have adouted the hotel plan Of doing busi-
ness. To a considerable extent The con-
a-ressfonai people from The same state ~
section gather in hotels by themselves.
All washington hotels. Il may be as
s-1r7ed from THE reports of guests. charge
cutie as much a. their accommodations
are worth. measured by standards that
pravai elsewhere This year rates are
reported T. De particularly high. the CITY
has been CROWNS rapidly in the last two
wears. and heildi1g operations. On account
Of the excessive prices cr materials, nave
rot kept pace AS e result. rents ~ al
sorts are considerably SITTER. ard ;iie no.
tels are able 70 fH theIr rooms 81 very
snug prices g. vieE of the accoulrlc ca-
lions Tire genial bondaces ALWAYS e<-
plain that they virtually do oniy a winter
business. arid must make dllrire ta--
son nos ensr thair profits flE tlf Whole
year hlit enough n carry them throlen
The rnorlh when the hofei g kfsr oTfu ~
positive Joss These efHelis arr some
what res5arel Dr. the excursion paroles
into tie hotels when treir gleste wc-ic
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