The Washington herald., 1907-12-30
LONG In The CAPITOL
Lewis and Chancey Both Past
Half Century Mark.
RECALL ANTE-BELLUM DAYS
EmpIoye I'm Supreme Court Began
Services in IS49, When Taney Was
on Bench and Taylor Was Presi-
dent-CIay, Calhoun, Banks, and
webster Wei Remembered.

On the same block in NJ street north
west. live the only two men whose en-
ployment in the United States Capitol
dates back to the time when only the
original building was standing. and one
OF them began his work there even be-
fore the corner stones for the extensions
were laid.
The two men are Capt. John T. Chan
cey. special employe in the House, who
lives at 400 NJ street, and Archie Lewis.
in the robing room of the Supreme Court,
who lives at 426 NJ street. Both have
served continuously in the Capitol ever
since they first began. Chancey began his
duties in the Thirty-fourth Congress. Of
which Nathaniel p. Banks was Speaker,
and which began its sessions in 1856.
Lewis first went on the government pay
roll six years before, in 1S49, when Howell
Cobb. of Georgia, was Speaker of the
House; Roger B. Taney was chief justice
of the Supreme Court. and Zachary Tay-
lor was President of the United States.
In those days the Senate occupied the
room now devoted to the Supreme Court
and the House of Representatives was
quartered in what is now Statuary Hall.
Once Used Benches.
Both recall the time when benches were
used in the House. in place of the desks
now used. Apropos of the revival Of the
movement to again replace desks and
chairs with benches. Capt Chancey's
recollection Of the time. in the present
House, of the use of such furniture does
not augur well for the success Of the
present idea.
1.-THE benches took the place of the
desks that had been used in the old hall.
says Capt. Chancey. and they were
ranged about the place like the seats in
a church, or old time school house. There
were tables in each of the four corners
OF the room, but IL a Representative
wished to write a letter, or put one away,
he was compelled to go 70 his commit
tee room. The benches We're only used
for two or three sessions, II I remember
correctly. and we again went back TO the
desks. The cumbersome iron things long
were used in the Supreme Court room"
Capt Chancey was born in 1880 aud
came TO Washington from Port Tobacco,
Md. in 1894 with his parents. He went
10 work first in the folding room Of the
House during the opening of the Thirty
fourth Congress, but it was several weeks
before he went on the payroll That was
the time Nathaniel =. Banks made such
a fight for the speakership in a three-cor-
nered race.
Had to Borrow Money.
Members Of the House stayed in the
building. and the sergeant-at-arms had TO
borrow $4,000 10 make advances 10 them.
The Presidents message was delayed. and
all legislative business held Up until the
election Of Banks, on the 133d ballot, on
February ?, 1856. II was three years later
the House moved into the new wing
which It now occupies, and it was at that
time the benches were tried. The plan
discussed now is to restore the benches,
on the grounds that with an office room
for each member he does not need a desk
in the House.
Discussing the old hall Of representa-
tives, Capt Chancey said:
THE Speakers desk was just in front
Of where the door leading 10 the new hall
now is. There was a visitors gallery all
about the hall, but the one now left forms
only part OF the original. There was
balcony, Of which there is now no trace.
directly back of the Speakers desk OF
course. there was not as much room then
as there is now, but we had about as great
proportion Of visitors TO the population
as we have now"
Lewis Began in IS40.
Recently. when the captain rounded out
his half century OF service in the House,
James Sherman made a presentation
speech accompanying a present of twenty
500 bills from various members Of the
House who appreciated Chancey's long
service.
Mr.. Lewis got his appointment from
United States Marshal Wallet. and first
assumed his duties on December T. 1S49.
He came here from Albemarle County,
Va, and, although Capt. Chancey says he
is in his seventy-eighth year, Mr. Lewis
did not volunteer his age. Whatever it is.
the years have left slight impression on
him. His memory is perfectly clear even
10 dates and the location of various places
about ante-belium Washington. As the
cornerstOnes for the extensions were not
laid until July f. 1871, Mr. Lewis was in
the building regularly for almost two
years prior to that time. and ne recalls
perfectly the events that took place from
the time he went there until now To him
Daniel Webster. Henry Clay, and John c.
Calhoun are men TO be discussed in the
same breath with the present leaders Of
the Senate, for to him they are Just as
real as the present day solons.
webster Raised Speeches.
''Webster's famous speech, his reply TO
Hayne, was a much different thing when
II was printed than it was when he de-
livered it," says Mr.. Lewis Webster
was always extremely particular about
what went into cold type, and the night
after that speech, with Peter Force. Wal
ter Lennox. the first mayor Of Washing
ton. and Johnson Hallan, he went over
every sentence Of it. revising, correcting,
and improving where it was possible.
This quartet could almost invariably be
found In johnson Hallan's office on +
street, and 1t was there their conferences
we're always held. Webster was always
more impressive when warmed up a little
with brandy. and brandy bottles formed
a part Of their equipment when they went
into their conferences.
AT that time the court began its sit
tings in December always, and it was
not until &C. when Mr.. Chase was on
the bench, that the date was changed to
october. In those days Webster, Cal
noun, and Clay made the opinions in this
country, and it was little short of Insult
TO attempt to controvert the statements
OF any Of the trio. Clay rarely revised
anything he had said when it came to
printing it, and while it was, said that
Calhoun did, he was more secretive about
It than Webster, who made no bones
about IT,