Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-06-23
WASHINGTON LETTER


goodly amount Of space in tue sub
basement of the capitol. They are a
time honored institution and are main
tanned at the governments expense for
the members. Care, however, has been
taken not to give undue prominence to
the fact that the taxpayers provide
sumptuous baths where their repre-
hentatives can go and recover from the
effects of state dinners or wilder dissi-
pations without more interruption than
is absolutely necessary from their otfi-
cial duties. The house baths are par
ticularly luxurious. The halls are car
peted with velvet which makes the
floor covering Of the committee rooms
appear like burlap by comparison. The
tubs are of heavy porcelain the plumb
ing is silver plated, and all the other
| furnishings are in keeping with this
elegance. The attendants are said to
be the most expert in the country, and,
while they are not carried on the pay
roll as 'rubbers," masseurs, chiropo-
dists and manicures, theirs is the work
of those specialists just the same.
On the house side a marble bathtub
has just been installed that is marvel
Gus in it's elegance. The stone from
which it was hewn was imported from
Italy. The tub was followed out by
hand, and its interior has been polished
until it shines like mirror. 1t is said
to have cost over $1,000. This marble
tub is placed in room which has a
wainscoting of Italian marble. The
plumbing appliances are said to be the
finest ever placed on a bathtub in this
country.
walsh's Mansion and Block.
Thomas f. Walsh, the Colorado mil
lionaire, who has made his home in
Washington for the last four years, is
building mansion in the west end
which will be the most expensive, if
not the finest, in town. 1t is at the cor
ner of Massachusetts avenue and
Twenty-first street, near the homes Of
Mrs. Townsend and Mrs. Westing
house, and will have a frontage Of
eighty feet and a length of ninety-five
feet. The frame will be entirely of
steel and the materials for the walls
brick and granite, making the house
freproof.
On the first floor will be large hall
containing balcony for musicians,
drawing, reception and dining rooms, Il
| library and conservatory. The second
and third floors will be devoted to the
living rooms for the family and their
guests. A large ballroom and a supper
room will occupy the top floor, and in
the basement, besides the kitchen and
other offices, a billiard room and wine
closet have been provided for. The
house will cost in the neighborhood of
S500,000, and more than year will be
required to build and decorate it.
The Colorado building office structure,
also to be erected by Mr.. Walsh at the
northeast corner of Fourteenth and G
streets, tile Foundry church site, will
be the largest building of the sort in
Washington. Mr.. Walsh has just Sc
lected the design and the plans.
An Expensive Antique.
Because there is no record of mon
ey order for $15 issued seventy-three
years ago big force of clerks in the
postoifice department has been put to
work trying to trace it. 1t Is estimated
that it will cost the government $500 in
salaries for clerks who are going over
the records in an effort to find some
thing concerning this order
Representative Landis of Indiana pre-
sented the order to Postmaster General
Payne for payment. 1t had been sent
to him by constituent who had been
unable to get it cashed. The order was
issued by Asa Baker, postmaster at
Mooresville, Ind, in April, 1929. 1t is
made payable to Robert Martin and is
for SO. Martin has been dead some
years. His heirs in looking over his pa
pers discovered the order. 1t was in
good condition. The books kept by Mar
tin showed that he had never received
the amount
The heirs presented the order at the
Westfeld Qnd) postoftice and demand
ed their money. The postmaster there
found that the postoflice at Mooresville
had long ago been abolished. He said
he could do nothing, and the heirs sent
the ancient order to Representative
Landis.
Used to II Presidents Desk.
Jimmie Garfield, as the people Of
| Washington insist on calling the son of
the murdered president, although he is
now man with a tinge of gray in his
hair, was being initiated into his duties
as civil service commissioner by Presi-
dent Proctor and William Dudley
Feulke, his colleagues on the commits
sion. He had just been shown his room,
the same one in which Mr.. Rodenberg
of Illinois had worked, and Mr.. Foulke
said impressively, "Mr. Garfield, you
will have the honor of sitting at the
same desk which President Roosevelt
used when he was a member of this
commission"
Mr.. Garfield did not seem much i'm
pressed. 81 am used to sitting at a
desk that has been used by president
of the United States" he said. Il use