The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-07-08
LETTER
Especial Correspondence

tives hall. Among the other things
promised the members for this session
was an elaborate system of ventilation
by which cold air could be forced up
through a series of ducts SO as to re-
duce the temperature Of the hall and
make it comfortable in hot weather.
The members have been waiting for
the cold air, but SO far none has been
felt. The temperature. in the house is
the same as in the senate and in the
corridors of the capitol. Congressman
Watson walked over to Mr.. Cannon
one afternoon when there were more
members in the restaurant than there
were in the house. The Indianian's
collar was melted, and his face was
beaded with Precipitation.
"'Uncle Joe,'" he asked seriously.
where is that cold air we voted money
for last session."
eyes, where is ity' echoed Mr.. Can
non as he mechanically mopped his
forehead with his handkerchief. II
told those darned fools on the commit
tee that was not in favor of buying
anything l could not see, but they were
DOund TO 90 IT.!
Threatened Boycott Won.
b rich Senator Clark wants to put
up a fiat building in Washington's most
aristocratic and exclusive spot-on Du-
pont circle, next to the Letters and a
couple of doors from the new marble
palace of r. w. Patterson of the Chi
cago Tribune and only a few steps
from the new home Of the Wadsworths.
All kinds of excitement! Indignation
meetings to protest at the impudence
of these new rich and to devise ways
n means to block him! So he was
told he would be given the double
cross in a social way if he did it. Not
a dinner of his would they go to, not a
dance would their daughters attend,
not a card would their footmen leave
at his door, and all their friends-in SO
far as they could be persuaded-would
stick up their noses and say cutting
things about the senator from Monta-
ma. The threat was good. The site is
still vacant. The architect was told
to call off his plans.
Destruction of Trees.
Representative. Lacey of Iowa is a
cherry picker. or was when a boy. |
This does not apply to political cher
rles, but to the real things.
I'm my native state we used to go out
from school to gather cherries" said
MI. Lacey during a debate on the floor.
"Once l remember wondering why the
teacher took along an ak. | soon found
out. 1t was to cut the trees down, so
that we could pick the cherries easily.
! am sure there are lots of members
here who have had u similar expert
ence.''
The loWan's illustration was to show
the reckless destruction Of trees of all
kinds. He insisted that men were in
clined to regard trees as their enemies.
That came from the pioneer idea of
subduing the forests as they had to
b the sayages. In these days he
insisted that trees We're civilized, as
we'll as meg. and that the fact should
be recognized. Why
To Test Pneumatic Tubes.
Representative Greene of Massachu-
sets has introduced a bill for the in
stallation of a pneumatic tube service
between the capitol and the govern
ment printing Office. There is a belief
at the capitol that if the pneumatic
tube service is to be inaugurated here
in Washington for purposes of demon
stration it could better be done be-
tween the capitol and the government
printing office than between any other
two points in the city. The amount OF
manuscript and other copy passing be-
tween the buildings daily is enormous.
requiring constant messenger service.
The Power Didn Meet. !;
In one of the deep window recesses
just off the main entrance to the house
is a sort of grumblers' corner. where
secretaries to members meet nearly
every morning. They exchange griev-
ances there and in voluble language
discuss b personal characteristics of
their employers before these employers
Sometimes this flow of CONVEX
sation becomes as noisy as the chatter
OF a flock of blackbirds. The plain
who figure in the opening
Of Julius Caesar are not more
emphatic tli:in these clerks at 500 per
The other day there was no gathering
in the grumblers' corner. and one OF
the facetious ~doorkeepers posted a sign
On the window:
"The powers will not meet today"
Presidents and Al1igators.
The president held an informal re-
in his Office the other after
noon, and a number Of visitors were
presented to him. One lady introduced
herself as from Jacksonville, Fla, and ;
"Mr. President, l have come all this :
way just to see you. l have never j
seen a live president before" 5
Mr.. Roosevelt seemed much amused. {
"Well, WELL" he said, 81 hone Won !