The Washington times., 1915-09-20
District of Columbia
Happened at Banquet
Selection of Washington as Capital Was Result,
Says Francis e. Leupp In New Book.

|, would have had to bother about, had
there been one. wse an omnibus line
TO Georgetown. and the White House
was surrounded by fences and adjoined
war Times and Their sequer is a
chapter Of particular interest In view
Of the g. A. r. sncampment. In this
chapter Is included a personal sketch
OIumser VINO aunshsa on
through n series Of vicissitudes which
resulted in the abolition Of the terri
torial form OF government under which
he operated.
Fraught with Memories.
To every public building there clings
q host Of associations which Mr.. Leupp
recalls. Especially Is the Capitol build
, ing fraught with such memories. How
leaves OF tobacco plants happen to fig-
ure In its sculptural designs. now the
clerk Of the United States Supreme
Court once received a part Of his COM
pensation In tobacco. how a Vice Presi-
dent was severely scored for having
placed In his room gilt-framed mirror
which cost $40. and which still adorns
that cost a hundred and a clock that
cost thousand. how a light was kept
burning for years over the vaulted crypt
intended as a last resting place for
ScoI &c "dbHluBtOH, now tne nTSt tele-
graph message was received there. how
religious meetings were held in the old
House OF Representatives room on Sun
day. and how the building became the
squattlng ground for vendors. post card
salesmen. and cigar merchants until
Thomas Bracket Reed chased them out.
these and many other wherefores and
WINS that set the visitor OF TODAY won
dering are explained. Mr.. Leupp tells
that the iron fence which formerly in
a N nl .S.ln l-l
children played croquet In the day time,
was removed because Congressman
who had to stay late at the building,
got into the habit OF smashing the gate
lock with stones.
Tipsy Senator's Halted.
Even more interesting. from the hu-
man standpoint. are the anecdotes Of
early law makers. Non-attendance at
sessions OF Congress Is no new COM
plant One Vice President. seeing only
one Senator before him. went blitheIy
and he rsDPns ssaons hs
from Massachusetts will be in order"
One frequent use Of the executive ses-
sion In the Senate. in early days. was
to cal la halt on tipsy. Senators who
selves. For fifty years the custom OF
wearing their hats while legislating
Tor the nation was practiced. Suffra-
sists VINO now neCkle members OF Con-
gress will be interested In the early
prohibitions against women even at
tending the sessions. Tho attempt of
Congress to punish n newspaper cor
respondent for contempt. because he
described a members unappetizing per-
sonal habits. such as eating SAUSAGE
on the floor of the House without the
aid Of even napkins. is described in oe-
tail. lie carried the case to the Su-
preme Court settled for all time the
privileges OF the press In reporting
Congressional proceedings, and later
ran for Congress himself and succeeded
sausage Sawyer whom he had as
sailed.
The leave to print" privilege has re-
suited In amusing happenings in the
Congressional Record. Once a news
paper correspondent who prepared
speeches for Congressman accidentally
gave carbon speeches to two members,
and both incorporated the speech in
the record under their own names The
struggles' OF Speaker Reed to Introduce
his quorum counting rule. which did
away with do nothing sessions are
recounted.
The regions about the city, especially
historic Georgetown. Alexandria and
Bladensburg are treated. Monuments
and Memories" and New Faces in Old
Places' are other entertaining chapters.