The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1906-09-20

seur. VINO - paid "a 4 messenger,
and If he !, little larguid and like;
the sensation. an electric massage
machine Is applied to his sensitive
shoulders and trunk. Ii his naik
need polishing, manicure Is at his
service. Then the attendant help;
10 dress him and he returns via III,
elevator TO the hall Of the House
ready Ia read the newspaper ane
write letters TO constituents. The
mornings pleasures, from the me
ment the oyercoat Is removed By the
servant until the luncheon hour,
have not cost the Congressman q
cent
All at Expense of People.
These baths, massage treatments,
barber shops, etc, are maintained al
the expense o. the people of the Unit
ed States. These are about twenty
exquisitely fitted bathrooms on the
House side Of the Capitol, each with
its attendant ready to administer The
poppy of rcpose to the weary states
man, without money and without
price except for the occaslonel tip.
There are Russian. Turkish, Roman
and Swedish bathing arrangements,
oil administered by skilled attendants :
who do nothing else and who are de-
scribed officially as laborers, messen-
gers, or clerks. Some of these bath
attendants are paid liberal salaries,
but through the method adopted by
Congress in paying them, it Is i'm
possible to tell what they get. One
of the old-time attendants, who de:
veloped especial skill, and who re-
Gently died leaving a comfortable
fortune, Is suppose to have received
$4,000 a year in salary and tips. The
barber who succeeds in getting a jo}
in the House barber shop is envieo
by his fellows. 1t is poor year wher
he cannot make $1,000, working only
six months.
The member from Podunk, if he i:
wise, soon discovers that the Houst
restaurant IS a pleasant place, Will
It's courteous walters, who have ScrV
ed great men time out of mind. The,
treat the new members well, and If ht
is the right sort he soon finds delicat'
tlt-blts on his plate which are un
known TO the vulgar horde. The my
SteIlous word goes down to the cook
and he Outdoes himself in fashion
ing dcllcacies to suit the Jaded palat
of the Podunk stateman, whose pre-
vlous experience has been confne,
largely to beans. sracklin' bread an,
| pot-liquor-excellent nutrition in it
self, but not arrogant in its preten
sions. The member discovers also
method of buying choice Havanas
little under the regular rate
King in His Committee Room.
In his committee room the Podunl
lawgiver reigns little king. He sit
at a solid mahongany desk with al
tlque brass trimmings. His chair
big, roomy and softly upholstered
either in leather or velvet. On tn
walls Of the finer rooms are paint
lngs, the work OF gifted artist
brought to Washington especially fo
the purpose of adorning the wal
with their art. Occasionally, when a
especially fine painting is in need c
shelter, the Podunk Congressma
finds a place for it on the walls G
his committee room. Some Of the>
paintings are the work Of America
masters, for which Congress paid ;
high as $4,000. They represent IL
spring scenes from the national hi
tory, artfully calculated to arous
the smouldering fires of patriotism
the breast of the man from Podun
) At home, in Podunk, the elect
his fellows is ready to drink out {
tin dipper, or even from the O
oaken bucket. But at the Capitol
. finds that Apolinaris, White Ro,
: Great Bear and half a dozen 9th
mineral waters are necessary. H
5 secretary draws literally on tho
E supplies, which are paid for,
e course, by the Treasury. They a
t placed IN refrigerator. with plen
: OF Ice and during the hot months a
q consumed III enormous quantitit
0 The general public' discovered lol
: ago that expensive mineral water W
free at the Capitol, and many a thin
4 ty hanger-on regales himself at t
public expense
Sometimes the wife of the me-
Der from Podunk wishes to shine
q little socially at small expense. Til
E he works the graft Of the Botar
Gardens. A government emplo
drives to the members house in
government wagon and deposits
l. load OF choice cut flowers, pott
e plants, etc, from the governme
Il gardens. After the dinner, Mrs. F
o dunk enhances her reputation +
r charity by sending flowers to t
q poor. In the course of a winter inf
[e entlal legislators some times obts
II thousands of dollars worth Of flo
D. ers from the government without {
II pending a cent.
II Medicines Furnished Free.
:, If the feast Of good things sho,
y upset the Podunker, he langui'
81 touches the bell at his desk and SCI
q his faithful colored messenger to
o, Sergeant-at-Arms, with request
r. some medicine The Sergeant-at-Ar
nj keeps himself solid with the lawn
es ers by looking after their bod
| health In order TO do this ba m
~ nave good assortment of dru
," and OF course, the government fo
the bill. There are pills galore. b