Evening star., 1927-04-17
Capital Sidelights


the municipal administration with
view to suggesting administrative
changes and advising Congress as 10
what remedial legislation is needed,
has just returned to Washington
after having joined with his four
brothers and one sister in celebrating
the hundreth birthday anniversary OF
their mother. Mrs Maria Foster
Brown, in Fort Madison, Iowa.
One Of the interesting stories he has
brought back from his mothers
"reminiscences is that one of the most
important chattels of her early mar
ried life was candle rods, and she was
very proud of her ingenuity in MAX
ing candles. On one occasion she
achieved the feat of making 400 in
four hours. In those days candles af-
fOrded the only light in the home, and
they were frugally used, only one be-
ing lighted at time to furnish light
for four persons. As they had no
matches, the candles we're lighted by
"a coal taken from the fire, md when
the fire happened to go out they had
to go a mile or more to 81 neighbor
to borrow a few live Goals.
Then, when card matches came into
use, one of the tragedies ii her life
was when in endeavoring to pull OF
a "lucifer" she ignited the whole
package She nearly suffocated from
the foul odor of the sulphur and
again they were without matches.
Another interesting adventure or
her young life was to visit her uncle,
who lived farther out in the country.
She was privileged, on several oc-
casons, to visit there at the time they
were renewing the back log for their
fireplace. BY means of heavy ropes
that were rolled under the log, the
large tree trunk was hauled into the
house by Queen, the family horse
Right into the house the horse was
driven, the log deposited before the
fireplace, and then, with crowbars,
rolled into place.
X X X 4
The Walt Mason Of Congress, Rep
resentatiye J. Alfred Taylor OF West
Virginia, publisher Of Pick and Shovel,
which he founded seven years ago in
tribute to his favorite tools and the
ones which have done most for the
district he represents in Congress,
gives us this Easter thought:
FAITH IN NAME.
"I know how it feels to be hungry,
I am also acquainted with cold; We
wandered with no roof for shelter
like sheep that is lost from the fold:
| have burned with the thirst OF
fever. / have writhed on bed OF pain
the worries that fret and the ills
that beset have come to me time and
again; yet / know how it feels to be
happy; / am also acquainted with JOY;
/ have faith in a Name that Is ever
the same, pure gold. without dross or
alloy. The measure Of ill that's as
signed me is light and Its portion /
quaff: I've suffered and yet / am
happy--I can love, can lift, l can
laugh"
X y
These days when the Eastertide
of student sightseers is flowing and
ebbing about the Capitol much atten-
ton is being given to the portrait of
Speaker Longworth, which is being
painted in his off1ce,- to be added to
the gallery in the Speakers lobby.
Here are found the portraits of 81 for
mer speakers of the National House
of Representatives
Charles Fairman, curator of art
work in the Capitol, who has just
compiled an elaborate new volume de-
scribiAg these historic works of art,
which is now on the presses, explains
that the origin of this Speakers por-
trait gallery seems to have been ac-
cidental rather than Intentional
Prior to 1880, there were three rooms
at the south side of the Hall of the
House of Representatives In the act
of March 3, 1879, an appropriation
was made for the alterations in these
rooms, which were the room of the
Speaker, the room of the Sergeant
at Arms of the House and the room
occupied by the reporters of the
House. This alteration was instituted
for the purpose of improving the ven
tilation of the House. and when the
rooms named had been converted into
one large room, large openings We're
made in the north walls of the room
so that ventilation might be secured
from these rooms and the Speakers S
lobby into the Hall of the House of
Representatives
There had existed for some time
in the Speakers room small por-
traite Of former Speakers framed
in oval frames. The portraits were
quite small in size, some in oil
and some in lithograph, and others
were engravings of better quality.
The only oil portraits at this time
were portraits of John w. Taylor, a
copy of al earlier portrait by Gibson,
and a portrait of Henry Clay, painted
from life by Giuseppe Pagnani, an
italian painter of prominence who,
during the flfties, visited Washington
frequently as a friend Of Sir Bulwer
Lytton and during such visits painted
the portrait Of Henry Clay and other
prominent Americans of that period
This portrait of Henry Clay was
given to the Government in 1852 and
duly accepted as a gift from the artist.
1t is a curious circumstance that while
a resolution providing for the accept
ance iof this portrait had been before
Congress for consideration for some
time, final passage did not occur until
q few dc s after the death of Henry
Clay.
The last addition to this collection
of portraits, which are now all por-
traits in oil, is that of Mr. Frederick
Fl. Gillett. This portrait was painted
in the Capitol during Mr.. Gillett's
terms as Speaker of the House of
Representatives by Edmund c. Tar.
bell, portrait painter Of merit from
the State Mr. Gillett represented as
Speaker Massachusetts. This por-
trait prior to its being accepted by
the Government was exhibited in sew
eral notable exhibitions in this and
other cities.
In these days of forest fire pre-
vention campaigning the close con-
tact between all of the people
and the national forests is empha-
sized by ". B. Greeley, chief of the
Forest Service, who points out the tre-
mendous variety of products, ranging
from shoe pegs and sassafras oil to
saw logs, railroad ties and naval
stores, is made from timber supplied
by the national forests of the East and
South. says the Forest Service of the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture. Chestnut in the Appalachians
furnishes telephone poles and extract
wood. Beech, birch and maple supply
bobbns for the busy looms of New
England. Yellow pine in Florida is
drained for turpentine and then sold
fp,, uy TbaSa