Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-05-18
BY II. o. BISHOP.
w AsHINGTON husbands and
Nh wives really know nothing
v at all about real honest

to-goodness house clean.
ing; they just think they do!
III they want to know something
about a gigantic job Of house clean
Ing they ought to drop in on Elliott
Woods some spring afternoon and let
him pour a few tales into their ears.
Mr.. Woods is the man who holds
down the intricate twenty four-hour-
United States Capitol.
In the first place. just think of the
number of people he must please, as
compared with the average house,
wife. His is a big family. 1t consists
of ninety-six Senators, AIS Represent
tatives and a goodsized army of
clerks, cops. newspaper men, door,
keepers. BARRIERS, restaurant help and
telegraph and telephone operators, to
say nothing of their wives and sweet
hearts, plus the hundreds Of thou
sands of people who visit the Capitol
from all parts of the world.
X x X X
Just suppose there was a flaw in
the technique of Mr.. Woods style of
annual cleaning and this public fam
lily of his should hurl a batch Of crit
icism in his direction!
Fortunately for Mr.. Woods, his
technique is not far from perfection,
and when his crew finishes it's
work the big building that George
Washington started on it's career is
as clean as a nurses collar, and he
hears nothing but words of praise
from all sides.
A few minutes after Vice President
Marshall and Speaker Champ Clark
banged their gavels at 12 o'clock
on March 4, announcing the close of
hostilities, Superintendent Woods
marched his aggregation OF expert
dirt chasers into the building and told
them to go to it. They were still at
1t Saturday night and going strong.
Now that President Wilson and Col.
House have completed their work of
rearranging Europe, and have beck
oned the senators and representa-
tives to come Washingtonward, the
legislators will be agreeably sur
prised at the cleanliness and atmos-
phere of comfort pervading the leg
islative halls and committee rooms.
The President will find that his beau
tiful private room has been made just
as clean and comfortable as was the
company" room in Prince Murat's
Paris palace.
Some idea of the magnitude of the
task of giving the Capitol it's spring
bath can be obtained by giving a few
details of the size of the building and
grounds. The Capitol proper covers
q n ne q ha1 ond
the terraces an additional two and
two-thirds acres. The total area OF
the Capitol grounds is fifty EIGHT and
eight tenths acres. The length of the
Capitol is ISL feet and 4 inches; it's
greatest width is $50 feet, making
1912 square feet.
A careful count Of the windows will
show that there are $40 Of them. To
polish that many windows is no small
work, according to one Of the clean
ers. When. in response to weari-
windows there were, she retorted:
"Ah. now. stop your foolin', boss;
why, man. 1 know I done cleaned
more'n dat many de fust week
worked. which wuz six weeks gone,
an I'm still cleanin'. If yeh asks me
I'll says dere's nearder 5000 dan 600
and what you sez.''
X \ X X
The application Of soap and water
to the miles Of marble corridors COM
prises one of the most difficult prob
lens. This work alone requires the
services of forty scrubwomen and
forelady for two solid months Be 1t
understood that they do not mop In
the customary way. They get down
on their prayer bones and vigorously
apply their brushes over every inch
of floor space in the building.
When mildly chided by the forelady
for apparent slowness in completing
a certain space, this amusing ex-
PLANTATION by one of the helpers fol-
lowed: my lans. missus, you forgets
right here Is where the mos populus
Senate spittoon stood. It's not for me
to say the intentions OF them senator
gentlemen was not the very best in
the world, but I does say their aim
was jes' somethin' scan'lous."
Doors bearing finger marks of a
hue at variance with the original
80 t. onnnvtnU