The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-01-03
CAPITOL GOSSIP
SLDELIGHTS ON CONGRESS.

An old lady from the country approach
ed a Congressman in a corridor Of the
Capitol one day last week and asked the
location Of the Hall OF Fame" Well
replied the statesman, there Is a room
fun Of live ones at each end OF the build
ing. and a room fun OF dead ones between
them The old lady sensibly preferred
the dead ones, as being less harmful and
more interesting, and wended her way
TO Statuary Hall. Sometimes the twisted
visitor demands to be shown 70 ''Statu-
tory Hall" This might mean either
branch OF Congress, but the inteTrOga-
ton is broadly construed to cover Statu-
AIRY Hall.
At all hours when visitors are admitted,
and more especially when Congress is in
session. the corridors are filed with end
less professions of sight-seers- As soon
as they wander into the building they are
taken in charge by one Of the twelve Of
fetal guides. and marched through the
routine tour Of inspection from one end
Of the building to the other They are
taken into the galleries Of the two houses
for a thirty-secOnds' view Of almost SUI
perhuman wisdom. they are RECALLED with
the history Of the country as emblazoned
on the bronze doors. they reverently
touch the marble coat tails Of Ben Frank
lin. and anv wise looking lobbyist or EN-
ploye who happens 10 be in range is
pointed out 20 them as being Uncle Joe or
Ben TiIlmsn Senator CullOm's COlOred
messenger usually does for Booker Wash
ington. when he is in sight Marvellous
are the tales worked of BY the guides on
the folks from Beaver Forks and the
country circumjacent, but they are
something just as good" and answer
the purpose very well
The solitary visitor who dispenses with
the services OF a guide is hopelessiy lost
after he turns the first corner After
that. they simply wander BimlesSly
wherever they are permitted. OF lose all
reason and dash madly in any direction
like q runaway horse. Very likely It
afterward seems miraculous 10 them that
they actually escaped with their lives
To the employees il seems strange that a
usually sane and sensible person can so
wholly lose his head as 10 ask the QUes-
tons which are frequently propounded-
A LdhDLlLe INJURY II hEltt4sFA A4AE EeAAtT-A
are below or above the floor OF the cham
Der. I have been asked this session
whether the Senate elevators could be
taken TO sc 70 the outer end Of the build
ing. A dignifed old gentleman stopped
me to ask II the elevators ran Up OF
down People wander around for hours
and then stop somebody 20 ask what
building they are In and X the House and
Senate meet IN the same edifice. a very
sens bic appearing young lady stood al
the head OF the stairs leading from the
floor OF The House 20 the basement. and
emphaticaIIy wanted 10 know II those
steps led down stairs, She was told that
they did not That on the contrary they
led around the corner 20 the right and
were lost fl the distance. She courteous
" thanked her informant, and started
of in that direction
Washington is the destined end and aim
OF nearly every bridal tour. when the mis-
.demeano- Is committed within reasonable
travelling distance Of the city, and the mo-
meut the contestants arrive here their re-
Gently. changed condition IS as apparent
10 the most casual observer as the Pres
ident's smile. They have q firm arm
hold or each other. and not infreguently
are hands clasped convulsively- To see
the Capitol is a duty which Is hurried
through with as rapidly as possible.
CIinging 70 each other through the maZes
Of the. corridors and hUrrying crowds the
yOU-can t-lose-me expression evidently
dominates all other thought and The
sights Of the historic pile are 2 bad sec
ond 10 meditations on the future OF
what consequence IS a blamed old Capitol
anyway. when We were married only this
morning. The world IS young only once.
Sooner OF later in their career all the
able-bodisd cranks in the country make
the grand tour 70 the Capital City Some
consider II such a duty 10 arrive that
they walk IN from Los Angeles Calais.
Ne WaycrosS. and other outlying sub
Urbs. Invariably their first official cali
is made at the White House As in
varIably. their route Is either from there
10 the police station or the Capitol. II
they escape one. they are enguIfed by
the other Members OF both Houses are
continually pestered by calls from cranks
Some are equipped with wheels which
revOIve so OstcnSibly as 10 attract atten-
ton. and these are got lid Of as quietly
as possible by the police. The more harm
less ones are put of on some pretext OF
sent on an eTrand. and Al the same time
they are pointed out 10 an officer 70 be
intercepted should they again appear.
There are some business visitors too.
Of a different class. who are even more
unwelcome 10 the statesmen But that
is another story
Tennessee. that land OF sweet femin-
Unity. sagacious statesmen. and sudden
death, has always shOne resplen6ent in
the halls OF Congress. From the turbu-
lent days Of Andrew Jackson TO the yet
vivid era Of Andrew Johnson and unto the
present 1t has always attracted the