Evening star., 1925-02-15

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appreciate what a 'sizable plant the
Capitol and its accessory group of
buildings really is. Fewer still ever
stop to consider that group OF earnest
and efficient experts, who keep the
workshop in shape for Congress and
the Supreme Court. While Congress
is besieged by job hunters and seek
ers after political patronage-each
one of the 435 members of the House
and the &c members of the Senate
having his own troubles in this re-
gard--it is worthy of note that
come Republicans and go-Democrats,
or vice versa. no matter which party
holds the majority, this group of
shop nagement for the Capitol has
been kept un:nterruptedly on the job
Tor many years, unaffected by the
tides or shifting winds of politics.
Heading the list is David Lynn, re-
Gently promoted to ARCHITECT of the
Capitol to succeed the late Elliott
Woods. He has been employed in
the office for 25 years. Every one
around the Capitol has a good word
for him, and he is recognized as
thorough gentleman.
John Welch is chief clerk and ac
countant. BY law he is acting archi-
teCt whenever the architect is absent
or otherwise disabled He has
worked in the Capitol for 40 years,
starting December Is, 1884 before
Grover Cleveland was inaugurated.
For a time he managed the House
restaurant, and then was employed
temporarily to organize a supply
depot and fix up the financial affairs
OF the office Of the architect.
He took that job as a sort of vaca-
ton, and has been at 1t ever since.
Every dollar of the appropriations
for that office since 1900 has been
dsbursed under his supervision. Up
ward of $4,000. 900 has been spent with
out loss of single cent. and without
Mr.. Welch being bonded.
He is also an infallible authority
on questions of precedent. AS the
Senate and House have divided au
, thoritv and as there are a hundred
or more branches of work that come
under this office, questions are con-
stantly arising a to who should do
certain work and to what account ii
should be charged Mr.. Welch knows
the relative responsibility and the re-
1ations of one job to another.
. ): :: &
rHARLES L. FAIRMAN is art cura-
~ tor in the Capitol and on the job
for l6 years. He is we'll known as
an authority on art subjects and
was formerly art critic and art edi-
tor on metropolitan newspapers and
a contributor to the best magazines.
There 292 works of art in the
Capitol, aside from mural decorations
by famous painters, frescoes or bas-
reliefs. The collection includes por-
traits by John Singleton Copley. Ben
jamin West, Gilbert Stuart, Chester
Harding, Charles Wilson Peale.
Thomas Sully. Rembrandt Peale, John
Vanderlyn, AIRY Schefrer, John Nea-
gle and John Singer Sargent. Among
historical paintings are works by
John Trumbull, John Vanderlyn, Rob-
ert w. Weir. w. II. Powell, j. G.
Chapman. Seth Eastman, James
Walker and A. G.. Heaton. Land
scape painters are represented by eX-
Moran: allegorical and decorative
painters by works of Constantine
Brumidi. Emanuel Leutze and Filippo
Costaggini.
In sculpture the works of Franzoni,
| Causici, Persico, Vincent and Gagli-
| ardi illustrate the Italian school.
Those of Greenough, Crawford. Rog
| ers, Powers. Mead. Stone, Story and
| Ives show the development of Ameri-
can sculpture under European inf1u-
| enCe
American expression in sculpture
may be seen in the works of John
. Frazee, Hezekah Augur Erastus
Dow Palmer, ". X. Brown, Charles
Henry Niehaus. Daniel Chester
French, Richard r. Brooks and Au
Eustus Saint -Gaudens. Three por-
trait busts by the last-named sculp-
tor are included in this collection.
While there has been no intent to
establish art museum, the art
works of the United States Capitol
form collection which any art museum
would be fortunate to possess. With
out any purpose to record the de-
velopment of American art, this col
lection contains important examples
of the works of sculptors and paint
ers to whom the credit for the pres
ent standards of art in this country
is unquestionably due.
Mr. Fairman has prepared two
books on this subject. one a brief
catalogue and the other a coupre-
hensive catalogue of all the art works
in the Capitol. with biographies of
the artists. He has charge of repair
and restoration of all works of art
in the Capitol. and is in demand as a
lecturer this subject before So
cieties.
Arthur E. Cook, supervising en-
Eineer of the Capitol power plant, is
another important member of the
a
on the job during y years of service.
j: !: <
N7ILLIAM A. FREDERICK is the
w landscape gardener in charge of
the United States Capitol
grounds. He is a graduate in land
scape gard ening from Cornell Uni
versity, and has had wide experience
with municipalities, institutions and
estates before coming to his present
job. In the proposed development of
the Plaza between the Capitol and
Union Station and south of the
Capitol to the historic Potomac" Mr..
Frederick will have a conspicuous
part.
August Eccard, civil engineer, was
appointed in 1900 as an assistant
craftsman under his grandfather,
August Schoenborn. from whom he
got the best possible training. Mr..
Schoenborn had been appointed head
craftsman under Thomas L. Walter
in 1851 and served continuously for
81 years. 1t was his design upon
which the present dome was built
and it is a good example of the won
derful beauty and force found in all
his drawings
Mr. Ecca,d was an apt pupil of his
grandfather and also. studied archi-
lecture during a three-year course at
George Washington University. After |
the death of Mr.. Schoenborn he was
appointed craftsman and in 1920 was
appointed construction craftsman.
He was appointed civil engineer
under David Lynn. now architect of
the Capitol, in 1924, from which posi- |
tion Mr.. Lynn was promoted.
j. A. Brown is constructor and has
been connected with the architects
force for 20 years. His principal
;y, ct,o of