The semi-weekly messenger., 1906-08-21

servant until the luncheon hour h.,
not cost the congressman a cent
ALL AT EXPENSE OF THE PEG
PIE.
1hese baths. massage treatments
DaFDer shops, &c, are maintained a
the expense of the people Of The T-0;+e3
states. There are about twen-y y
qulsltely tlltted bathrooms on the nousa
slde OF the CAPITOL each with is a--
tendant ready to administer the ronD,-
ol repOse to the weary statesman
"Itnout money and without Urica ex-
cept 1or the occasional tip. There arc
RUSSIAN, Turkish, Roman, and Swed-
iSh .Dathlng arrangements. all admin
lstered by skilled attendants. who do
Hotnlng else and who are described
oHclally as laborers, messenae ers. or
clerks. Some of these bath attendants
are pald liberal salaries, but .hrourh
tne method adoped by congress in pay-
lnS them, 1t is impossible TO tell what
they get. One of the old-time atten-
dants, who developed especial skill.
ana VINO recently died leaving a com
PORTABLE fortune, is supposed to nave
received $4,000 a year in salary and
ups. The barber who succeeds in get
ting job in the house barber shop
is envied by his fellows. It is 4
poor year when he cannot make 50 OOG
working only six months.
The member from Podunk, if ne is
wise, Soon discovers that the house
restaurant is a pleasant place, with
It's courteous walters, who have served
great men time out Of mind The.
treat the new member we'll, and if
he is the right sort he soon finds del
icate td-bits on his plate which are
unknown to the vulgar horde. Tn.
mysterious word goes down to the cook
and he outdoes himself in fashioning
dellcacies to suit the jaded palate OF
the POdunk statesman, whose previous
experience has been confined largely
to beans, cracklin' bread, and lot
natritiOn in itself bat
not arrogant in it's pretensiOns. The
members discovers also a method Of
buying choice Havanas a little under
the regular rate.
KING IN HIS COMMITTEE ROOM
In his committee room the Podunk
laWgiver reigns little king. He sits
at a solid mahogany desk with loti-
que brass trimmings. His chaic is
big, rOOmy, and softly upholstered,
either in leather or velvet. On h ;
walls of the finer rooms are paintings,
the work of gifted artists brought to
especially for the purpose
Of adjoining the wallis with their art
when an especially fine
painting is in need of shelter, the
POdunk congressman frds a place for
it on the walls Of his committee room.
Some of these paintings are the work
Of American masters, for which con-
gress paid as high rs $25,0Oo Thev
represent inspiring scenes from The
national history, artfully calculated
TO arouse the smoldering fires from Po-
dunk.
At the home, in Podunk, the elec- OF
his fellows is ready to drink out OF a
tin dipper, or even from the old oak
en- bucket. But at the capitol he finds
that Apolinaris, White Rock, Greh.
ear. and half a dozen other mineral
waters are necessary. His secretary
draws literally on these supplies,
which are paid for, of course, byt the
treasury. They are placed in re-
frigerator, with plenty of ice, and dur
ing the hot months are consumed IN
enormous quantities. The general
public" discovered long ago that ex~
pensive mineral water was free at the
capitol, and many a thirsty hanger
IN regales himself at the public ex-
pense.
Sometimes the wife of the member
from Podunk wishes shine little SOC
ially. at small expense. Inen ne
works at the graft of the Botanic Gar
dens. A government employe drives
70 the members house in govern
ment wagon and deposits a load Oh
choice cut flowers, potted plants, &c
from the government gardens AiteF
the dinner, Mrs. Podunk enhances aer
for charity by sending the
flowers to the poor. In the course VI
. winter influential legislators some
times obtain thousands OF dollars
worth of flowers from the government
without expending a cent
MEDICINES FURNISHED FREE.
If the feast of good things shou,o
unset the Podunker. he langulo.y
touches the bell at his desk, and seaos
his faithful colored messenger TO tue
Sereeant-at-arms, with a request lot
some medicine. The Sergeant-at-arnls
keens himself solid with the laWmah-
ars by looking after their bodily heaitn'
In order to do this he must nave a
o,,od assortment of drugs, and. oI
course the government foots the olll.
There are pills galore, bromo seltZes'
ouinine. calomel, and Il hundred o'uei
remedies prescribed by physicians VINO
nreScrihe for him-at government eA-
pense. IN =
All members OF congress ehJo!
Courtesy of the telegraph and tele
phone companies-that is, lne! -
send messages free anywhere Ii ~
United States. 1t is common
49, +a1anhones are furnished TO mem-