The Washington times., 1909-04-14
Capital Tales

OdplLdL 1 dLSS
~ VERY afternoon now. along about
- tire hour of o'clock. one can
see various automobiles draw
nigh the Capitol and the office
buildings. and, after getting well filled
with passengers, head in the direction
Of the baseball grounds. For the base
ball bacillus operates on Senators and
Representatives just as il does on other
folks.
The exodus from the Senate end OF
the Capitol is particularly interesting
Several members insist on going, the
tariff TO the contrary Notwithstanding.
Senator Crane goes on the slightest
provocation. He plays the game well
himself, being an expert pitcher. and
likes to see a game of baseball better
then 10 eat. Senator Culberson Of
Texas is a frequent visitor to the park.
Senator Scott is another. Incidentally,
Senator Scott gets as excited as any
other fan sometimes. ana roots as
hard as he does for his meas; res on
the Senate floor, Former Senator Stew
art Of Nevada is one of the most
ardent devotees of the game to be
misses a game If he can help II.
Undoubtedly the best baseball player
I'm Congress is John Kinley Tener, Of
the Twenty-fOurth Pennsylvania dis
Played professional baseball. 1885 to
1890" Tener was one of the cracd
players OF the Chicago team II those
days
One Of the large factors in the franz
ing Of the tariff bill, though he is not
/ generally known in il, is Arthur b.
Shelton, clerk of the Senate Committee
on Finance, and the adjutant general Of
Senator Nelson Wilmarth Aldrich. Mr..
Aldrich is "A power in the Senate. but
| he would be less effective if he didn' [
have Shelton as an aide. Shelton is
method incanated. He is a persistent
worker and as methOdical as piece Of
machinery. tireless, colS-bloOded. cal
culating. and efficient AIdricll might
be able TO get along without him, but
not easily.
r HE Senate is racling its brains
over the question Of how to get
/ the rats out Of ,he new Office
building. A resolu ion Of inquiry
may be put through if the rodents get
worse. All sorts Of stories are told as
/ to the proportions Of the host which
/ has invaded the new establishment. One
/ OF them is that the rats took possession
/ of one of the subway autos the other
! seats in imitation of statesmen.
/ Anyhow. the rats are almost number
/ less. It is one of the worries Of Senator
/ Crane. who is chairman of the Rules
Committee. II they are frequent now,
he is wondering what will happen when
/ the restaurant is opened. 1t is said the
rats took advantage of the new sub
I way TO travel in hordes from the Capt.
/ tol over to the new Office building,
I rrrhf rh q IA r
| as a habitation.
/ This invasion recalls the fact that
when the House Office Building was
| opened II was overrun with rats They
/ were attracted there by the large guam
! titles Of seeds which the members OF
/ the House had sent there for distribu-
/ ton 10 constituents.
=
! As soon as Senator Aldrich had the
/ new tariff bill safely introduced into the
/ Senate he celebrated by returning home
/ and going 70 bed in the middle of the
1 afternoon for the purpose Of making up
some Of the sleep he had lost in the
/ night sessions Of the Finance Com
| mittee.
r HEY WERE talking about census
matters in the Senate the other
/ / day. Senator Gallinger was
/ making observations on the
cruelty Of the proposition of paying
low salaries.
L do not believe" said GaIlinger,
| that the Director of Census will be
| cruel enough when he has $4,000 coo at
his disposal 70 ask any young man or
young woman In this period of the
worlds history to take Government en-
| ployment at $50 per month. He ought
not TO be given that privilege"
/ i can well recall the time" said
/ "a F-fa HHrrl Fa1 hot
/ ever got $50 a month, I would be as
well paid as ever deserved or eX-
But that" said GaIlinger, was at a
| the city Of Washington and prices were
not what they are today"
1t would come nearer paying my .ex-
! penses then than 5000 month does
now" replied Senator Carter.
That is very likely" drtly observed
the Senator from New Hampshire.
! Representative Bates Of the Twenty
! fifth Pennsylvania district has for a
/ middle name the good old Scriptural
I title of Laban.
Representative Butler Ames of Massa-
| chusetts has invented an airship, but he
is not yet ready to give trial flights
| for the benefit Of his fellow legislators
| The craft. however. is said to be con-
structed on correct principles"
The persons who claim that women dc
not amount TO anything in politics have
never met Mrs. Joseph w. Gaines, the
/ wife Of the Representative from West
| Virginia.
out in the Gaines district it is said
| that Mrs. Gaines is a better politician
! than her husband. and that she gets a
| lot Of votes which, but for her, might
| 20 to the other side. She is also her
| husbands most trusted adviser in Things
political.
OPERA HOUSE BURNED.