Omaha daily bee., 1911-05-26
Washington Life
Some interesting Phases
and Conditions Observed
at the Nations Capital

made no attempt to match the weather
to his design. In those wayback times
the pioneers realized their limitations and
wisely lodged the impossible. Their sue
cessors in later times are convinced that
1t is an easier task to regulate the rest
Of the world than to regulate washington
weather. A coy. whimsical couuette,
seemingly its greatest stunts Is to fool
the weather bureau and turn its prophecies
into joke. For ten days past solar radi-
, alton pushed the mercury over the COS.
! causing the residents to sweat about it, and
and say things. While the multitude were
sweltering I'm shady places and sobblng
for cool drinks, the official vendor of pure
food labels, DIR. Wiley. let loose a scream
of joyous comfort. why, It is easy to
keep COOL" he exclaimed. Don't think
about heat, but go on with your affairs
with your mind on something else" The
crowd scoffed and watched the mercury
climbing the bulb. A few wise ones in
congress, comprising the committee on
District of Columbia, concluded to try
the doctors prescription. with due
lsolemnity and some doubt the members
settled down on the windy side of electric
fans and soberly discussed the draft OF
bill for removing snow and ice from the
| sidewalks.
The attire of the statesman takes on the
warm tones Of the weather Vests are dis
appearing from the capitol by the score.
Low collars are taking the places Of high
collars, and a good many members are
going around in soft shirts that do not re-
quire the addition of any collar at ALL In
the senate the pages have been given the
word to peel off their coats. They now
appear for duty attired in white shirt
waists and blue knickerbockers The sena-
tors themselves retain their coats, but a
good many of them are of very gauzy ma
terial and lots of the vests and boiled
shirts are missing
In the house there is an even greater
recognition of the fact that the hot days
have arrived. The first white suit was
sprung yesterday by Representative Shirley
of Kentucky. Mr. Shirley was all in white
from collar to shoes. Some Of the other
members who have been waiting for the
ice to be broken are expected to trot out
their tropical costumes Immediately
Uncle Joe Cannon has white suit, but
has not yet worn it in the house. Thomas
Willrette Sims Of Tennessee has been wear
ing black alpaca coat for the last ten
days. A lot of other congressman are now
|
OF Ohio presents a cool exterior clothed
in light brown linen coat, with dark
trousers. Some of the members who 20 in
Tor comfort rather than style do not take
the trouble to wear belts when they throw
away their waistcoats. They stick to sus-
penders.
Speaking about spasms of economy in
congress the Army and Navy Register
prints this shining example: IAN example
of the way things are run in the senate
is afforded by the resolution introduced on
May by Senator Curtis, authorizing the
senate committee on coast defense of
which he is the chairman, to employ a
stenographer to be paid from the contingent
fund of the senate at the rate Of 81, 200 per
annum the employment to continue dur
ing the Slxty-second congress. That COM
mittee is already provided with a 1920
clerk and an assistant clerk who receives
81 40. This is a pretty good provision in the
way of clerk hire and to II is now to be
added the 1920 stenographer. This COM
mittee has never held a meeting, 80 far
as is known. No legislation is referred to
1t. Mr. Curtis resolution has been solemnly
submitted to the committee with the chance
that the senator, as it's chairman, will feel
justified in reporting it favorably to the
senate.
II was riding down Pennsylvania avenue
in a car with Justice Harlan of the United
States supreme court" remarks Charles
Francis Bedloe of Missouri in the Wash
ington Post, land after admiring the fine
cid man, whose face reminds one OF the
old statesmen whose portraits we see in
the capitol, l could not help noticing the
fine scarab that he wears a scarfpin.
have looked over the senators and other
members of the supreme court and have
not noticed that any other one of them
wears a scarab pin. They may have them
at home, but Justice Harlan wears one
! that would attract an expert. The genuine
ones are becoming rare and that is why
the Harlan scarfpin would be noticed. You
know a scarab is an imitation beetle made
of clay or carved colored stone. The an
Client Egyptians seized upon a peculiar
beetle and referred to its symbo&zing the
problems OF life and death. or, rather, the
perpetuity OF life,
| THE Egyptian beetle would lay its eggs
in the mud of the Nile, roll them in a
ball and push them out of danger from
the water. Then the old beetles would die
and the eggs would hatch after their death.
This very simple proposition was OF inter-
| cot u the IbSp AdH5t WIZ uS6u the SCdIdD
beetle as a symbol and buried images of
the beetle with all the mummies. The social
| rank or standing Of the Egyptians long
dead has been determined in part by the
| style OF scarabs that were found around
| their necks In their clothing. Some
very handsome scarabs have been taken
from the tombs Of former Pharaohs who
died thousands of years ago, and an ex-
pert at Cairo can tell you almost the
exact age OF every scarab that comes TO
him for inspection. In recent years the
experts are kept busy protecting rich Amer
leans who want a genuine scarab and are
not particular about the price II they are
given assurance that It was taken from an
ancient tomb and is as old as represented
To tell the truth, the genuine ones are
scarce enough. SO great has been the de-
mand for them, but the museums have
great collections that viii never be broken
up for the sake of scarf9ns"
PROGRESSIVE CORPORATION TAX
! Scheme Under Consideration by DEM
OcFats In Congress.