The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-05-19
QUEER SIGHTS
AT THE CAPITAL
$
TrifleS Which Escape the Casual
Observer.
GUIDES PAID TO SHOW THINGS
BUT NUMEROUS CURIOUS OBJ
JECTs ARE OVERLOOKED.
GUIDES PAID TO SHOW THINGS
CspeclaI Correspondencel

Washington May 15-The sightseer al
the capital Is pretty thorough these DAYS
he pays the capitol guide q specified
sum, according 20 the printed notice on
the entrance to the elevator, and he
means TO get his moneys worth He
I wants TO know the painter Of every time
oiackened canvas I'M the big building,
ana ne spends fifteen DreCiOus minutes
locating the absent members of the
mouse, who seem to be anywhere but at
/ their desks. But there are one or two
ultIe Items Of interest that escape his
eagle eye
One is the six toes Of the soyatting In
ulan IN the enormous canvas which repre-
sents the baptism of Pocahontas.
another is the thTee-handed girl in the
Farewell address Of Washington The
marvellous young lady wears a decollete
uTesS OF the period and embraces with
All three arms a twin young lady. who
4 Is just like her except for the arms As
these works are by prominent artists. and
supposed to be true to life, it is presumed
mat they grew siX-tOed Indians and
three-armed girls i'm those days, as quite
IN the ordinary run of things
II Is doubtful If the tourists get down
INTO the labarinth of corridors under the
basement of the capitol It's rather er1e-
some, TO tell the truth. not quite a pic
nlcking ground for bridal couples, but it's
very interesting. There are rows upOn
rows OF dust-Covered volumes. congress
sional documents and books belonging to
away In those subterranean vaults years
ago Tor want of room. The capitol needs
SS,O0DO spent in improvements 1t is
Iar 100 crowded at present for comfort
able or advantageous occupancy
Inen, on the senate side there is the
wee presidents office, now occupied by
senator Frye, as president Of the senate
pro TEN. On its east wall hangs a great
portrait Of Washington, by Stuart sup
posed 10 be the finest ever painted of the
great statesman. On the long leathern
sofa Just under it they laid Vice Presi-
Qent Wilson, when they brought him IN
from the senate chamber. where he had
neen suddenly stricken. and there he died.
ABOVE a handsome new clock, which tells
you when the moon rises and sets. and
the season OF the year. and what the sun
IS going to do every day and all manner of
other useful things, there is an old gilt
mirror.
Judged by modern ideas, it is not a thing
Of beauty. nor Of great cost. either. but
the early congress which appropriated the
tunds for ii, hemmed and hawed and de-
oated and caViled over the $40 for its
purchase, some Of the members holding
mat II was unheard Of extravagance. and
the money being voted finally as an aid
and encouragement to artistic decoration
Al the opposite end of the corridor from
the vice presidents office is the Dresi-
dents room. where he comes lust before
the close OF each session Of congress that
bills. u
The renovation Of the ceiling of Statu-
airy NAH has destroyed its acoustics The
whispering stones are a thing of the
past One bashful young man is said
70 have proposed from the doorway lead
ing 10 the house chamber, while the lady
stood on one Of the mysterious stones in
the center Of the hall. She replied that
ne might take her when he could secure
me attention of the gentleman behind
I'm. turning ne found that the only
person behind him was the speaker of
the house. whose desk faces Statuarv
haH- Needless TO say, he has suffered
the rate Of many another gentleman who
mas attempted to secure the attention of
the speaker