Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-27
SENATOR'S SWELL QUARTERS
Gorgeous Office Building Erected for
the Members.
MOST LUXURIOUS ON EARTH
Ninety-TwO Suites for N~inety-Two
Members, with Caucus Halls to
Match-UncIe Sam Paid
"A Pretty Price.

There are ninety-two members of the
United States senate, when every state is
fully represented. When in the course of
human events 1t becomes necessary for
these ninety-two gentlemen to have bust
ness offices at the expense of the nation
they erect a building in which 1000 men
would feel lonesome. 1t covers a space
equal to several ordinary blocks of ground.
AND it opk as much like a prosaic bust
ness office building as a lady's boudoir
does.
The cost Of providing these ninety-two
gentlemen with offices for the transaction
OF business is $~4,672,500 to date-to date.
observe. There are already rumors Of
further appropriations to beautify, improve,
complete it-round It out.
At the present moment, in its unim-
proved, uncompleted state. it is such a
thing OF beauty that the Congressional
library, accounted the most beautiful thing
In washington bites it's lip with impo-
tent envy as 1t looks at its new neighbor
from the other side of the grounds.
The office building lies diagonally across
from the senate wing of the capitol, in a
northeasterly direction. In the days be-
fore the new building went up there used
to be an office building, rented by the
government, known as the Maltbie build
ing-a sober brick structure gloomy and
unimpressive, and greatly grieving those
who had to conduct their business there.
As a rule these were democratic senators,
who had no right. The republicans and
all the democrats who could do so had
| their offices in the capitol.
Now this forbidding Maltbie building was
across from the senate in another direc-
ton, just about as far away as the new
office building is. Nevertheless, in those
DAYS senators walked to II from the capitol
and back again. Daily you would see such
senators as Bailey trudging across the
street from the capitol with law books,
sometimes, under their arms.
Ridin TO Glory.
But the new office building, though no
farther away, is too splendid to walk to,
and, besides, the real powers of the senate
men such as Aldrich, have their offices
there. To walk was unthinkable. SO a
beautiful white subway was constructed
under the capital, leading across the street
and grounds to the office building. 1t is
as handsome a thing in the subway line
as ever was constructed.
In 1t are storage battery automobiles foI
the transfer of senators from one building
10 the other. Each automobile is capable
of seating ten persons. The machines art
open and the seats are arranged somewhat
like those In the trolley cars that have
lanes down the center. The automobiles
like everything else in connection with the
new business building. have been con
structed with an eye to having them gooC
to look at, and they are trim and nes
as greyhounds.
They flash like the wind through tn,
subway, lodging around the pretty curvinI
white corners with such speed that
dyspeptic Washington correspondent re
marked vindictively the other day:
II hope I'll be here when two sutomo
biles meet each other coming around
curve. The air will be fun Of smashel
senator's
When you get into the office building
you enter one Of the handsomest electri
elevators ever built. There are elevator
everywhere. and they are built Of the fin
est bronze. The backs and sides. as you z
in, are great sheets of bronze that ar
almost like mirrors. They usually provok
cries Of admiration from the visitors.
The entrance TO these elevators on tn
floors above are characterized by the sam
beauty and the same recklessness Of ex
pense. They are in a corner OF
building, which you approach througI
great white pillars and columns
The carving is exquisite and IN
doors are Of finely carved bronze-th
only part OF this rich corner that Is o
any other material than marble.
A great courtyard. nearly the size OF