The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1925-05-12
JINGLE SAM HAVING
HIS SPRING CLEANING
,pwY OF MEN AND WOMEN
MAKE CAPITOL SPICK AND
cpAN. ALL SUMMER JOB.

THE lawmakers of the United States
taking their annual summer vaca-
e a. Legislative machinery in Wash
:nnton has ceased to move.
An army of men and women, how
ever is at work. Uncle Sam is the
toss. the job is the greatest house
cIcaning task in the country. The ma
,;onaI capitol is being made spick and
.n,n for the return of the lawmakers
~ their places next December
Work Follows Adjournment.
Soon after congress adjourns each
,,eqr the work of cleaning, repaintrng
and repairing the capitol begins. An
army of men and women is employed
IN the task, which is not completed
until late in the summer. The cost of
tbe work is estimated at many thous-
ands of dollars.
The capitol proper covers an area
of three and half acres, and the ter
race an additional two and thirds
acres The total area of the capitol
orsunds is more than So acres.
The length of the capitol building
is Isl feet, inches. Its greatest width
i $50 feet, and the area is estimated
at 153.112 square feet.
This is the scene of the house clean
ing.
The army of cleaners has big job
~ tackle. There are go windows to
he polished, miles of marble corridors
to be scrubbed clean-a job which
alone requires 40 scrubwomen working
two months and $50 doors and door
WAYS to be made spick and span. Ev-
ery dirty spot must be rubbed out.
Then there are $40 hreplaces, each
one with a temper of its own, which
must be cleaned and put in good work.
inc order. In addition, l40 sets of fire
place implements must be polished
and put in their proper places.
There is more electrical wiring and
more bulbs in the capitol than can BE
found in many small towns. 1t requires
1882 electric bulbs to equip the build
inc One of the details of house-clean-
ing is the polishing of all fixtures. In
addition bulbs must be replaced and
the wiring system inspected.
The II elevators in the capitol must
be creased, painted and generally over
hauled so that they are in smooth
working order when congress gets
back to business. In addition a huge
arrav of shower baths, wash tubs and
POI wash basins must be made spot
less. The house and senate restaurants
also must be cleaned up. Statues are
regilded and picture frames repainted.
All the rooms are put in apple pie or
der. Even the head of the goddess OF
freedom. on the capitol dome, must be
cleaned.
Much Work Outside, Too.
There is much outside work, too.
The big lawn must be kept up as the
finest of its size in the country and
landscape gardeners must do lot of
planting, trimming and cultivating.
Alter the interior of the building has
been polished the exterior is attack
ed Usually the fire department, with
much hose and many long ladders, is
called upon for help in washing the
outside of the capitol This in itself is
no small job, requiring several days
to complete.
So that cleaners will not have to run
down town to get their supplies a
general store that would do credit to
any small town has been established
in the basement of the capitol. The
store is we'll stocked with soap, scrub
brushes, brooms, paint, plumbing
supplies, electrical supplies and every
thing that may be needed during the
cleanup.
In addition, expert cabinet makers
are employed in shops in the capitol
basement to repair furniture that has
been damaged since the previous
house-cleaning.
Altogether, nothing is left undone to
make the capitol a shining spot of
cleanliness when Uncle Sam gets at
his annual house-cleaning.