St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-01-22
DIR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Especial correspondence

cure the desks they had occupied as
souvenirs Of their service. Any men,
Der desiring to possess his desk mott
fed the clerk Of the house and it was
reserved for him, to be delivered upon
Dayment of the average price paid for
fbe unclaimed desks sold at auction.
Of the 3G1 members and delegates
23S claimed their desks. The remain
ing 1913 were sold at auction. They
brought a total Of $1S450, or an aver
age of $3.50, and at this price the re-
served desks are now being delivered.
No one can identify the desks at
which famous and prominent men sat
in the years gone by, for in 1893-94 the
seats were rearranged to accommodate
the increased membership following
the eleventh census. DOOrkeeper Glenn
thought he had secured the desk occu-
Died by the late President Mckinley
while a member of the house, but is
now in doubt and inclined to believe
his purchase is without valuable asso-
citation. The probabilities are that half
n dozen desks share the honor of hay
ing served the late president, for he
had to select a new seat at the begin
ming of every congress, and the
chances of his securing the same seat
twice in succession were almost in
fnitesimal.
Admission Only by Card.
There is much favorable comment
being INDUCED in among members Of
the house regarding the recommends
tion of the house furnishing commits
sion that the public be excluded from
the floor of the house at all times eX-
cept upon cards of admission, which
the members would control.
Representative Cannon of Illinois,
chairman Of the commission making
this report, said that he looked for ia
vorable action on this matter by the
committee on rules.
1.-THE intention is not to keep the pub
lie from the floor of the house." contin-
ued Mr.. Cannon, "but to regulate the
use of the floor so that it may not be
completely occupied by persons who
habitually inhabit the capitol and have
no earthly business there except per-
haps to keep warm.
Upon application to member a Wis
itor to the capitol would have no diff
Guilty in obtaining permission to go on
the floor. The regulation recommended
by the commission was intended only
to make such regulation as Will pre-
serve the hall of the house for the bust
ness and purposes for which it was in
tended"
A Disquieting Rumor.
Reports have been in circulation that
the famous echoes in Statuary hall at
the capitol had been ruined by the new
ceiling recently put in place and just
opened to public view This was, for
the guides at least, most disquieting
rumor, since few things interest tour
lists more than the remarkable whis-
pering effects of this chamber. Natu-
rally CONSERVATION was great at the re-
port that their occupation would be
gone. On investigation, however, it
turns out that the report was a great
exaggeration. Several of the stones,
according to one of the best known of
the guides, are as communicative as
ever, while others are apparently OBJ
scured Inasmuch as the dome, from
which the light comes, is still covered
with a cloth, which is soon to be remov-
ed, the restoration of normal condi-
lions may work wonders.
Bridge to BE Highly Ornamental.
There is every reason to believe that
the Pennsylvania Railroad company
will meet the views of the war depart
ment with respect to making the pro-
posed railroad bridge across the PotO-
mac near the site of the old Long
bridge more ornamental in appearance
than was contemplated in the original
plans for the structure. Secretary
Root has had several informal talks
with Mr.. Cassatt, president Of the rail
road company, in regard to the mat
ter, and Mr. Cassatt has practically
promised to build a bridge that will
be an ornament to the locality and in
harmony with the general scheme of
park development in the District, Of
which Potomac park, crossed by the
railroad, is an important feature.
To Lead the World.
Praise of the District of Columbia
and expressions of hope that congress
may look on the needs of the capital Of
the nation with the same patriotic lib
crafty which actuates the American
mind in this respect in every section Of
the country are heard in hotel Hobbies
constantly as the sentiment Of promi-
nent men who come to Washington.
Colonel John Henry Jones, prominent
in the affairs of st. Louis says, for in
stance: Il am glad congress is at length
waking up to the possibilities of devel-
Oping the nations capital. The people
throughout the country are in entire
sympathy with making this city the
most attractive in the world"
A Picture of President Diaz.
John Barrett, one of the delegates
from the United States to the pan
American congress in the City of Mex
leo, called on the president and pre-
scented him with large photograph of
President Porfirio Diaz of Mexico.
This photograph was sent to President
Roosevelt by President Diaz, and 1t