Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-06
Capital Sidclights

| telephone operators than on any 0thPf
group of employees about the Capitol.
and the growth of the telephone serv-
ice was used to emphasize the growing
business, especially of House members.
which necessitates the erection of a
new House Office Building.
The Capitol telephone switchboard is
in charge Of Mrs Harriet 6 Daley, who
has been in continuous service since
December 10. 1898, or approaching 30
years. Mrs. Daley first worked one
position switchboard. There are now
81 operators. giving continuous service
- hours a day Each girl handles 900
to 400 calls an hour during the terms
of Congress- The work of this tele-
phone exchange has multiplied since
the World War. for now the bulk of
the work of Congress is done by tele-
phone. There are lines 70 all the Gov
eminent departmentS--tO Agriculture.
4: to the Congressional Library, 4; to
the Civil Service Commission. ?; to
the Government Printing Office and
/ the Department of Justice. ! each: to
War and Navy, 10; to the Post Office.
;; to the State Department ,. and to
the Veterans Bureau, 5-which gives
some idea with which branches of
the Government the members of Con
Gress do the most business. In all.
there are 966 branches, with 1867 sta
tions and 81 trunk lines.
There was a telephone In use in the
House Of Representatives as early as
February. 1880. This was installed
at the request of Levi F. Morton. later
Vice President of the United States.
Telephone service was in operation
| in the Senate wing of the CAPITOL as
| early as 1892, hut very limited There
was al instrument in the office Of the
! CO on n Mt
made by telephone from the Senate
and City Post Office, a private line
connecting the secretary of the SEN
| ate with the public printer There
were also telephone connections for
the Senate committees on appropria-
tons and rules.
A one-position priva branch ex-
change switchboard, with somewhere
about % to 80 lines in service, was
installed in the Senate reception room
on December 2, 1897 On the House
J side of the Capitol an independent
telephone system was established
July 81, 1898 at which time 81 sta
tions We're connected
The growth of the Capitol teIe-
phone service is only a minute pa TT
of the record of the telephone service
in tho District of Columbia. There
are persons still living who remem-
her when this city on December /,
1878, had only "a telephone suhscrib-
ers. In 1900 there were $500.
One of the stories told during the
Senate filibuster, which is being fire.
quently repeated about the Capitol.
has to do with Senator Tom Helms
attempt to act AS unofficial spokes-
man for President Coolidge. The eff
| fOIf hoif1U made covpd
the President as to how he felt about
the ku klux Khan and other orga nj.
cations about which Senator Hefin
, was doing much talking
, Il don't propose to make my mouth
chatterbox about anything that
isn't in the platform of the Republican
party" Mr. Heflin quoted the Presi-
dent as saying.
There has just been hung in the of
flee of the House appropriation com
mittee an excellent lifesize portrait
painting of Representative Martin r.
Madden, chairman of the committee
This Is in accordance with the custom
of decorating the walls with. the por.
traits of all those who have served
as chairmen of this important commit.
tee.
Within the next week there is due
to appear in one of the cleanup" is.
sues of the Congressional Record a
lengthy extension of remarks. Rep
resentative Thomas L. Blanton. Demo,
crat, of Texas. on the closing day Sc.
cured permission in the House to in.
clude in the Record a statement GOV.
ering his first 10 years in Congress
Judging by Mr.. Blantons usual yer.
bosity and versa tility, if this speech
covers all of his tireless activities il
should require one of the largest is
sues of the Record ever printed.
Frank o. Lowden. wartime Governor
of Illinois, is frequently given credit
|; about the Capitol for being largely
responsible for the institution of the
Federal budget system. He is also
one of the most dependable counsel
ors on the farm relief problem, be-
ing a farmer from the ground up. He
! was born of the Gopher State" and
conducts "Sinnissippi." a 6.000-acre
farm at Oregon. ILL.,. and makes it paw.
Eie is the head of several national live.
stock breeding and farming organize.
tons. and his cattle are prize winners.
During late years. he has devoted
his energies to farming, and to aiding
| III icCoISlI the AGRICULTURAL IN
dustry in the United States.
His lifelong friend. James Riley How
ard, told this human interest story:
Gov. and Mrs. Lowden Florence
| Pullman. daughter of the late George
M. Pullman) went to the Executive
Mansion at Springfield as very wealthy
people. But Mrs. Lowden, with the
cordial cooperation of her daughters,
actually cooked the meals for the state
tTNY nj
the farm, the son of the governor. ella ID
in jumpers. was joyously arising at
. o'clock In the morning and working
at real work.
1T was not a mere gesture. Mrs.
Lowden, born to great wealth, in
sisted that her children be not spoiled
by pampering. The Lowden young
people cordially co-operated."
X X X X
The homely, everyday virtues of
Champ Clark, his helpfulness to the
poor and suffering and friendless.
were extolled by Representative Clar.
ence Cannon, formerly secretary to
Mr.. Clark and later his parliamen.
tartan while the great Missourian was
Speaker, at the dedication of the me.
mortal to Champ Clark at Bowling
Green, Mo, and an interesting ac-
count of the exercises has Just been
printed in the Congressional Record,
Speaking of Mr.. Clarks labor for
more than quarter of century for
his home folks, having passed up op-
portunities, Mr.. Cannon said:
We loved and revered him not ONLY
for the great-souled man that he was
not only for the great things he &C.
complished and the great service he
rendered his country. but we loved
him for his greatness of character:
for his mental and moral courage and
constancN: for his devotion 10 duty.