Omaha daily bee., 1906-08-29
mrs or wAsHrNerON LIRE.
Minor scenes aad Incidents sketehed
on the spot.

bits OF WAsHiNGTON LIFE.
Minor scenes aad Incidents sketehed
on the SPOT.
Before and during the days and nights
when members Of congress were hammer
Ing pure food legislation into shape, the
kitchens which prepared provender for the
restaurants OF the national capitol we're
In a condition bordering on Chicago free
lunch foundry, The fact escaped observa-
ton az the time. but. as IL usual In such
cases. prylng eyes and active oifactories
were busy seeking to prove that statesmen
who welded broons for the people in gem
eral neglected 70 sweep at their own door.
Now a clean sweep is on. Every kitchen
In the capitol is undergoing renovation.
Some ides OF the conditions under which
the senate cooks prepared the viands may
be given when II Is stated that the senate
kitchen was a regular paradise for rats.
They held conference there burrowed In
the floors. scampered about in the crevices
of the walls, and, in fact. were free and
unconhned. The senate kitchen Is IN a
dingv sub-basement OF the capitol and
ordinary efforts to get rid Of the rats
have been Intellectual
Now II has been decreed that the rats
must go. To accomplish this a new floor.
composed Of broken glass. a sprinking
OF lime and over that four inches OF ce-
ment and thing, win be laid. No rat, Il IL
calculated. could bore through the combi-
nation. The plumbing and sewerage will
also be done over There will be a cold
storage room built, ten feet square, and
In this all the perishable supplies for the
restaurant will be kept. This will result
in doing away with all the old wooden
refrigerators. which II has been found i'm
possible to keep In a satisfactory condi-
ton for so large an establishment.
Scores of senator's and occasionally mem
bers OF the supreme court take their meals
In the restaurant OF the senate daily. and
the place is well patronised In the winter
months for at least three hours of the day.
The running of the place is let out by
contract. but the margin OF profit has not
been large. because OF the short time in
which the restaurant is patronized. The
government does not furnish any Of the
paraphernalia for the senate restaurant.
but gives the location. light and fuel free
of charge.
In the case OF the house restaurant the
United States furnishes everything to the
keeper except food and help employed.
liquor at the capitol few years ago, the
profits In the house restaurant fell of, so
that one year the place was actually con-
Quoted at loss of 5000 Last year the
patronage was better. The policy in the
house restaurant Ia to ensure quickness
or service. Members who have only a few
minutes for luncheon are accommodated
by an arrangement so that orders of a
simple character can be filled Immediately.
In buildings and bridges now under con-
struction, Washington is spending $4,000
600. Others which will cost 900 are
projected. The senate and house ONCE
buildings will represent an expenditure of
NVO'OOO The eastern front OF the capitol
is to be extended in marble at a cost OF
N'SSc'OOo fine building for the supreme
court Is In contemplation. The railroads
are expending s12ooo.0o0 on a magnificent
new union passenger depot Two steel
bridges are to be thrown across the Poto-
mac river. and the largest cement bridge
IN the world will spand Rock creek There
VIII De a new war college for the army.
and several imposing university buildings.
extensive improvements are TO be made
at the Navy yard and the Soldiers Home.
When the house and senate Office build
ings are completed the plaza east OF the
capitol will be nearly surrounded by one
OF the most magnificent groups of public
buildings In the world. When the supreme
court building goes up II will probably be
without a rival.
Fearing that the debate proposed he
tween Secretary Bonaparte and Edward
Cailaghan OF Chartered. Pa, on the rela-
tive evils Of anarchy and the trusts would
imperil the administration OF the Navy de-
partment, a loyal citizen of Rochester.
fa'' wrote Secretary Bonaparte Offering to
take the secretary's place on the platform
Il know this man Callaghan," wrote the
Rochester man. land I am confident that
II you will allow me to take up the Raunt-
let for you. Mr.. Secretary, / can wind up
his clock In about three shakes of a
lambs tail
You time Is to valuable to have Il taken
up In talking against this Irishman, ana
he should have realized II, as / do. I
have his pedigree down pat He Is an old
official Of the knights OF Labor organiza-
ton and likes to talk.
Il arm afraid that his challenge will lead
you to think that all the laboring men
think as he does and that all laboring men
are socialists and anarchists. 1T is not
| true, and you will see In November, Mr..
Secretary, that there are few good re-
publicans left In the ranks OF the iaborins
| class.
If you accept my offer, Mr.. Secretary,
please wire me, 80 that can start to work
preparing the subject for debate"
The offer was declined.
Assistant Secretary Reynolds OF the
Treasury department has been performing
sundry duties OF late. In one day last
week he was acting secretary. acting as.
sistant secretary for his two associates and
acting private secretary for secretarie,
Shaw, Keep and Edwards. All the assist
ant secretaries except Mr.. Reynolds wer,
absent from Washington and he was doins
their work. While Jimmie" was thu
doing the work of eight men the mercury
was lowering around the 100 mark.
James Knox Taylor, supervising architec
OF the Treasury department. IL today ant
for some months to come will be one OF tn,
busiest men In the country. Two hundrcC
new public buildings were authorized II
the closing days Of the last congressiona
session. involving an expenditure OF ovei
S200o0,0o0. Mr.. Taylor has supervision o.