The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-02-04
WASHINGTON LETTER
Especial Correspondence

When the house of representatives
ordered a refitting and refurnishing of
its hall, provision was made by which
members Of the last house could Sc
cure the desks they had occupied as
souvenirs OF their service. Any mem.
Der desiring to possess his desk noti-
fed the clerk of the house and it was
reserved for him, to be delivered upon
payment Of the average price paid for
the unclaimed desks sold at auction.
Of the 361 members and delegates
23S claimed their desks. The remain
ing 1913 were sold at auction. They
brought Il total of S1S4.5O, 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 1So3-94 the
seats were r~earranged to accommodate
the increased membership following
the eleventh census. DOorkeeper Glenn
thought he had secured the desk occu-
pied 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
a dozen desks share the honor Of hav-
ing served the late president. for he
had to select q new seat at the begin
ming of every congress, and the
| chances Of his securing the same seat
twice in succession were almost in
lnitesimal.
Admiration Only hy Card.
There is much favorable comment
The house regarding the recommended
ton 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 arm
"Upon application to a 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 I'M
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. Il 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. Inaslnuch as the dome, from
which the light onles is still covered
with a cloth. which is soon to be enov
ed, the restoration of normal condi-
lions may work wonders.
Bridge to BE Highly Ornamental
There is every reaso 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 TotO
mac neal the site of the old Lone
bridge more ornamental in appearance
than was contemplated in the origina
plans for the structure. Secretary
Root has had several informal talk:
with Mr.. Cassatt. president of the rail
road company, in regard to h mat
ter, and Mr.. CaSsatt has practically
promised to build Il bridge that will
he an ornament to the locality and il
harmony with the general scheme o
park development in the District. OF
which Potomac park. crossed by thu
railroad, IS an important feature.
To Lead the World.
Praise Of the District Of COlumbi:
and expressions of hope that congress!
may look on the needs of the capital o.
the nation With the same patriotic lib
erality which ]actuates the American
mind in this respect in every section O.
the country are heard in hotel Hobbies
constantly as the sentiment Of promi
nent men who come to Washington
Colonel John Henry Jones, prominen
in the affairs of st. Louis, says, for in
stance: II am glad congress is at length
waking up to the possibilities Of devel
oping the nations capital. The peopl
throughout the country are in entir
sympathy with making this city tn
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