Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-01
Capital Sidelights

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ket, some 125 years ago. was q
swamp. which was a favorite cunning
place for boys.
Il was a notable group that started
the erection of the market house on
the south side OF Pennsylvania ave-
nue. between Seventh and Ninth
streets: DIR. William Thornton, archt-
tect Of the United States Capitol; VIII
liam Brent, afterward clerk of the
Circuit Court; JameG Hoban, archi-
tect Of tile White House, and Clot-
worthy Stephenson, then a captain Of
the Grenadiers.
The Center Market site cost little
over $3.50.
One OF the earliest public meetings
In the market was on st. Patrick g
suitable ticket Of persons to repre-
sent the residents OF the city in COM
mon council" James Hoban was
chairman Of that meeting.
Pioneer Sunday observance reform.
ers were busy even In those far-gone
days. One Thomas Thorpe, by trade
an auctioneer, was penaiized for re-
moving earth from Center Market
Square on the Sabbath. But on Sep.
tember 20, 1908, there was q remission
of the fine imposed upon Thorpe by
act of the councils Of the city Of
Washington.
The first headquarters Of the Metro
politan Police Department was In the
scale house OF Center Market. The
Perseverance, Engine Company also
was nearby, at Pennsylvania avenue
and Eighth street, and its curfew bell
was rung at o'clock each evening.
On March TO-. 1880. "a grand circus
AZ anfrnaId YytatknA Aa~,rv. "a -
up their tents on the open space in
front of the Center Market"
On a cold Sunday morning In the
Winter Of 1870 the market burned to
the ground. This was hailed by the
public as a beneficial Disaster 1t was
rebuilt within two years.
Phantom speeches by members of
Congress. not one word Of which was
uttered I'm the legislative chamber.
continue to crowd the Congressional
Record weeks after Congress has re.
cessed, with q consequent cost of more
than $4,000 day to the taxpayers.
These speeches, printed as "exten.
sion OF remarks" have not Influenced
legislative action at all.
1t costs $4S page or $24 a column
to print the Record. One OF the big
space bills was run up by Representa-.
tive BILLY" Oldfield, chairman Of the
Democratic congressional committee,
consisting principally OF a. roster of
roll calls in Congress, which cost Uncle
Sam &1,24& One Of the scantiest
speeches was by Representative Rich
ard Yates of Illinois, which cost only
$40, but the same prolific member in
serted hve other silent speeches with
an aggregate cost OF $4eS.
Not to be outdone by Mr.. Oldfield-
and showing that Republicans as well
as Democrats are thus running up the
printing bills-Representative VIII r.
Wood of Indiana, chairman of the Re-
publican congressional committee, in
an unspoken speech which touched on
everything from ropes to oleomarga-
rine, ran up cost Of f571.
1t cost the taxpayers $3.50 to have
Strother of West Vir-
ginia have printed an undelivered
speech of what a great country the
fifth district OF West Virginia is.
A tally Of the offenders who packed
the Record and ran up the printing
bill shows 40 Republicans, 45 Demo.
Gratis. Farm Labor and a member
Of the Philippine National Party. The
so-called speeches ranged all the
way from agricultural relief, the tariff
and the Mammoth Cave. trees and
coal to prohibition: the boil weevil and
Sunday blue laws for the District of
Columbia and personal views regard
ing the impeachabiity of District
Commissioner.
In one speech by Representative
Yates It cost $40 alone to set up the
poetic quotations II contained.
The women members were guilty Of
the example set by male
members It cost $41 to print a report
Of her stewardship by Mrs. Mary T..
Democrat, OF New Jersey, who
notified her constituents that she
kept regular ONCE hours" A similar
modest recital of her activities as q
of Congress by Mrs. Florence
Kahn OF California resulted in q space
bill OF 1925.
Suppose you had to depend on rain
fall for your water supply-what q
difference that would make in your
life. Suppose you became a victim
Of lead poison, because your rain
water supply came through painted
There you have the nu.
cleus of some of the hardships suffer
ed by unsung heroes in Uncle Sans
service.
For "a years. or since light stations
were first established on submarine
sites along the Florida reefs, the
only regular supply OF water for
cooking and other domestic
purposes has been obtained from rain
fall. which Is caught on q painted
metallic structure and flows by grav.
ity through painted metal cave
troughs and galvanized iron conduc.
tors into containers. Wonder what
the unsung heroes who drank 1t
think Of the Volstead act?
The lighthouse service of the De-
partment of Commerce INDUCES in no
speculation as to that, but tells the
rest OF the rather dramatic story of
the fight for water as follows:
THE storage tanks or cisaerns are
of metal, cement-washed inside, or OF
cypress, usually having a total capac-
ity OF 5000 to 5000 gallons Very lit
tie difficulty is experienced in filing
these storage tanks in the rainy sea-
SON late In May and early in June,
and none whatever during the hurri-
cane season in September and Octo-
Der. At other seasons OF the year
there is very little, If any, rain at
these stations.
These towers along the Florida.
reefs are located in a vicinity where.
aside from the salt spray, the atmos.
phertc conditions are unusually severe
on iron and steel. In order to arrest
corroSion and prevent serious damage
to the towers every evidence Of cor
rosion must receive immediate atter.
ton, the towers must be kept thor
oughly cleaned and painted and the
structures in general must be fire.
quently painted from the low-water
mark to the top Of the dome.
'tThe exterior Of these structures
was formerly painted with lead paint
from which, under exposure to g. semi.
tropical sun, the vehicle dried out,
leaving the dusty pigment behind.
This could be brushed of by hand or
rubbed on on ones clothes. Therefore
II Is not surprising that each shower
carried some Of It into the drinking
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