The Republican journal., 1907-05-23
WASHINGTON REVISITED.

of the many friends and companions
who have passed away, l had temper
arily lost sight of the fact that | was
one of a party of excursionists-good
people all-bent on seeing Washing
ton" First in order was visit to the
Capitol, now, in the absence of Con
gress, like "a banquet hall deserted"
The members of our party were soon in
charge of guides for the usual tour
about the building, but l did not join
them, preferring to sit for while in the
rotunda, and indulge in recollections of
the eventful past. Then | went over
to the House, and looked in through the
glass doors at the main entrance, but
there was no admission even on bust
ness. Then | wandered around into the
lobby in rear of the speakers desk,
where many a Congressman had been
interviewed, but from which was told
the newspaper men of today are exclud-
ed. By rare good fortune | found in
one of the rooms off the lobby Asher c.
Kinds, Clerk at the Speakers table, a
position he has held with increasing
usefulness and credit since he left the
under Speaker Reed Seventeen years
ago | met Mr.. Kinds in the same place
and was introduced by him to Speaker
Reed and this time he introduced me
to Speaker Cannon, who had just re-
turned from visit to Panama and who
told of the trip and of the work in prog
GesS on the canal in his characteristic
way. 1t is not now matter of news,
but the Speaker found the conditions
at Panama very favorable and is SAN
gulne as to the success of the undertake
ing. Mr. Kinds is busy on his Parlia-
mentary Precedents, a work that will
require some half dozen large volumes.
Congress at its last session appropriated
$4,000 for carrying on the work, and
as Mr.. Kinds has little spare time dur
ing the sessions of Congress he has to
employ his vacation, spent at his sum-
mer home on Peaks Island, in writing
and proof reading His original idea
was to prepare modest volume written
in a popular style, but the work grew
on his hands and will be when completed
a monument to his industry and ability.
The late Sir John Bournot of ottawa,
clerk of the Canadian House of Com
mons, published a like work entitled
Parliamentary Procedure.
We were told that the best time to
visit the Congressional library is in the
evening, when the building is ablaze
with electric lights, which bring out the
interior decorations and rival the day
light, This building was revelation,
far exceeding in beauty any building
ever seen before by the writer in any
part of the world. 1t is told of one
visitor that after inspecting the build
ing he said there was but one word in
the dictionary that described it, and he
did not know what word that was.
The writer finds himself in like
predicament. The building is not
only beautiful from every point
of view, but is said to be the best
arranged library in the world. 1t cost
81 900, 900, which does not seem large
sum when compared with expenditures
on other buildings. The first librarian
was a newspaper man, john Russell
Young for many years managing editor
of the New York Tribune, and who &C
companied Gen. Grant on his tour
around the world. Mr.. Young died in
office. The present librarian is Herbert
Putnam, and the Chief Assistant is A.
r. Spofford, who was at the head of the
Congressional library when it was in
the Capitol building. He was noted
then for his wonderful memory. Did
you want to look up any special sub
lect, he would tell you the books need
ed for reference and the numbers of
the books, without referring to cata-
logue
Visitors should not fail to take trip
in the Seeing Washington Automo-
biles.' This is not an advertisement, a
puff or a return for more than the
usual courtesies extended to all by the
conductors. The fare for the round
trip is 81 and in no other way can you
see and learn so much about Washing
ton for so little money. The big cars
are moved by electricity, so that there
is no noise or offensive odor, and they
glide easily over the asphalt pavement.
A conductor on the front seat with
megaphone names the places of inter-
est as passed and gives you something
of their history. eve pass the home
of Mr.. and Mrs. Nicholas Longworth''
(Alice Roosevelt) heads the list of the
objects seen, and the residences of
about all the present notables, and
buildings and places of historic interest,
are passed in review. The home of the
late Levi Z. Letter was built by James
G. Blaine, but | believe was never &C.
cupied by him, but was rented and later
bought by the Letters of Chicago. At
the time he was speaker Mr. Blaine
occupied house, think, on 18th street,