The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-04-22
MEN WHO AID THE
MAKERS OF LAWS
The Great Statesmen All Have.
Their Factotum at the Capital.
STORIES TOLD OF SENATORS
GOSSIP ABOUT CHARACTERS
WHOSE NAMES ARE FAMOUS.
Especial Correspondence


70 members OF congress is AMI Smith,
the superintendent Of the senate docu-
ment room. His memory is marvellous
He can remember the dates and num-
bers of thousands Of documents issued
years ago. 1 was in the document
room a few days ago when Senator
CulbertsOn Of Texas came in. Mr.
smith" he said. Il have been search
ing through the senate library for three
hours trying to find the testimony given
on reconstruction by General Robert
T.. Lee before some congressional COM
mittee soon after the close of the war.
l have wanted to read that testimony
Tor many years, and never have been
able TO find it." Without a seconds
hesitation, Mr.. Smith said: Look in
house document No. 30, first session
Thirty-ninth congress-" About two
minutes later Senator CuIbertson re-
turned from the library. He had the
document in his hand and was looking
at the long sought-for testimony. You
have the most wonderful memory Of
any man living he said to Mr.. Smith.
and I hope you may live 1 900 years
and then get a new lease Of life after
that"
When Mr. Cleveland was first elected
president some one succeeded in having
AMI Smith removed and a Democrat
named for his place The change ere
ated an unheavaI in congress. The
members Of the senate Democrats and
Republicans alike. protested against
the change and demanded Mr.. Smiths
reinstatement, and this followed very
sOOn- he was placed in charge of the
document room again and he will I'M
doubtedly remain there as long as he
lives. His successor, when ''let out"
was John Charles Thompson. now OF
Denver, for whom another place was
found when Mr.. Smith was reinstated
Washington is TO be beautified by
new building for use Of the executive
branch Of the government. A bill,
which has the approval and support Of
the president, has been reported favor
ably from the senate committee on pub
lie buildings and grounds, authorizing
the purchase OF d site and erection of
building a short distance west of the
White House. facing on Lafayette
square, aud ON The opposite of Penn
sylvania "a -Cue from the state, war
and navy rlhding. It is proposed to
construct a marble building that win
cost $1,000, 000. OF this sum. 81, O0O. 600
has already been appropriated for
separate building for the department Of
justice. Under the new ARRANGEMENT,
that department viii be accommodated
IN this new building, as viii the offices
OF the department Of state. The re-
moval of the state department from
the building IN which il is now located
viii give desired additional accommoda-
tons to the war and navy departments
and save a considerable sum in rentals.
which these departments now have to
pay for outside buildings. The ac-
commOdatiOn OF the executive offices in
the new builing viii allow the necessary
additional room in the White House
for the use Of the presidents family.
Speaker Henderson has SO far refused
TO permit any public building bills 30
be reported in the house at this session.
but, as the government is paying over
SZ00O0O year in rentals in Washing
ton, and as all the departments named
are badly in need of additional room,
to say nothing Of need of office room
for the president it is thought proba-
bic the speaker and his associates in
the house viii not undertake to prevent
the passage Of this bill which will IN
doubtedly pass the senate by a unani-
nous vote.
Western men have a pleasant custom
when they fall into the hands Of a
Washington newspaper interviewer Of
generally putting up a good story OF
their home city. Ex-senator Arthur
Brown Of Salt Lake City, who was here
recently. had the following nice things
to say of Salt Lake City 10 the Wash
ington Post man: salt Lake City is
rapidly becoming the mining center of
the west The development Of new dis
tricts in Utah. Idaho and Wyoming is
a great boon for Salt Lake City. Utah
is the largest mineral producing state
in the United States now, and the de-
velopment Of its mines is practically IN
its infancy. Oil has also been found.
and viii add much 70 the prosperity Of
Salt Lake City, which now is. and will
always be. the great distributing point
for the large mining camps. 1t is only
question Of a few years until Salt
Lake City will be larger than Denver,
and VIII surpass il as a mining center.
The mineral wealth Of Utah is even
more diversified than that Of Colorado.
and then the state is so rich in agricul-
tural resources that it will develop into
q commonwealth so thic1ly populated
that it VIII support a great city. That
city viii be salt Lake City"
The guides about the capitol point
out TO visitors what is known as Simon
CameTOn's tree. II is an immense elm
which Grows up through the tagged
sidewalk directly IN the middle Of one
of the walks leading to the east err
trance 20 the house side OF the capitol.
The story they tell is that when the
wOrkmen were laying the walk. they
were about to chop down and remove
a tree which INSTRUCTED the work Sen
atOr Simon Cameron of Pennsylvania
/ happened TO come along just then. and
hastened to the senate chamber where
81 -
directing that no tree growing in the
capitol grounds should ever be cut
down or removed. The elm which he
saved viii doubtless bear his name for
all time.
The new apportionment law is play
I ing strange freaks with members of
congress in some of the states Re
ap Orti0nmeut of congressional dis
tricts to accommodate the increase or
decrease in representation sometimes
shifts a congressman into a district
where his chances for reelection are
greatly diminished. Others find their
new districts much easier to carry than
heretofore. In redistricting Mississippi
the gerrymandering process cuts at
I least two congressman out Of a job.
/ b. peculiar manipulation, Representa-
tives Henry. Hooker and Williams find
! Allciil7r-Nr - llA one 1i7NAt Ct- - u tti-
three VIII have TO be left out in the
cold.
Captain Eugene F. Ware. the new
/ pension commissioner. although ap-
/ pointed from Kansas. might properly
/ be claimed by Wyoming. Colorado or
any other Rocky mountain state. for
/ re tramped over the entire region as a
/ soldier in some Of the Indian campaigns
I following the close Of the civil war.
/ He was an officer in the famous Pow
der river Indian campaign Of 1853 con-
Quoted against the Sioux, ArapahOes