Evening star., 1928-01-15
Capital Sidelights

AhCAAt fWAANA &AV bCAiB BItSSIlltu III
Statuary Hall in the Capitol so rapidly
that room Is already at a premium, is
perplexing the architect of the Capitol
and leaders in Congress. Many schemes
for giving them better riac.ng are being
discussed.
Chairman Luce of the committee on
the Library il advocating giving them
the air. by placing these bronze and
marble statues. some OF which are more
than life-sized, along the central walk
In the Mall from the Capitol to WASH
ington Monument. or to have them sc.
up in State reservations along the pro-
posed memorial boulevard to Mount
Vernon.
During the past week Charles Henri
Neehaus of Grantwood, N. j., who lives
In the shadow Of Grants Memorial and
who has already made more statues of
great men of this country than any
other living sculptor. has been at the
Capitol making careful studies of Henry
Clay and DR.. Ephraim Mcdowell, the
first doctor In the world to perform
Ovariotomy. because he has been COM
miSsioned by the State of Kentucky to
make statues of them for Statuary Hall
Among the statues that Mr.. Neehaus
already has In Statuary Hall are those
of Click. Chandler. Allen, Garfield
ingalls, and Morton. He also made the
Hahnemann Statue in Scott Circle, the
John Paul Jones Statue at the foot of
Seventeenth street and those of Moses
and Gibbons In the Congressional Lii
brary. His life-sized model for the
Francis Scott Key Memorial in Balti-
more, which Is "a feet high. is in the
National Museum.
David Lynn. architect of the Capitol.
is now exhibiting to members of Con-
gress and their friends large bust of
Abraham Lincoln, which is one of Mr.
Neehaus' best specimens. This bust. in
Carrara marble, has been one Of Mr.
Neehaus' most priced possessions In his
own home for more than 80 years. 1t
is one of the most virile representa-
tions of Lincoln known to American
art and represents years of intensive
study by Mr.. Neehaus 1t is attracting
much attention at the Capitol
Mr.. Lynn has also on exhibition small
sketch models of the two statues on
which Mr.. Neehaus is now working for
the State Of Kentucky
-
Representative Louis c. Cramton of
Michigan told his colleagues during the
debate on the Interior Department ap-
preparation bill of his experience with
a constituent who was seeking a Job in
the Government service. The man was
interested to know what salary he would
receive and was told whatever YOU
earn" To the amazement Of Mr.. Cram
ton the applicant promptly protested
that he couldn't afford to work for that.
The House post Office committee and
the committee on appropriations have
a vexatious problem before them in
connection with the airplane mail Serv-
ice. Protest has been made against
the United States air mail planes by
:he proprietor Of a poultry farm at
GarrettSville. Ohio. who thinks he has
q claim for damages against the Gov
ernment because. according to his story.
the mail planes fly low over his Leghorn
farm. frightening the hens TO such an
extent that his egg collections have
fallen off one or two hundred a dav
Postmaster General New has already
asked the National Air Transport Co.
that has the mail-carrying contract TO
higher over that particular stretch.
Edmund r. Erik. the popular clerk 10
the House committee on foreign affairs
who on one day last week dropped more
than 20 bills into the hopper on the
Speakers desk and who is one of the
hardest worked men under the Capitol
dome. Is now being besieged by people
from all over the country who arc
writing in asking for copies OF the beau
tifully engraved booklet on The FIRST
Born Documents Of Popular Constitu-
tional Liberty" which he complied as
Christmas greeting 10 his friends
1t cost Mr.. Erik upwards of 81 apiece
TO have these booklets published and
II he were to send out all the copies
that have been asked for. 1t would COST
him more than $4,000.
Several members of Congress are
planning to have this booklet repro
duced rs a Government document.
Among the keen young new mem
bers OF Congress who are taking an
interest in affairs OF the National Capt.
tai and who are eager to help in its
development Is Representative Harold
G. Hoffman Of South Amboy, N J..
who started his career as a newspape.
reporter. He has distinguished war
record. enl!Sting as private and sue
cessiyely promoted TO captain In COM
mand OF company in the thick o!
the Meuse- Argonne engagements, He
Is president Of the Middlesex County
Bankers Association. served two years
as city treasurer Of South Anboy. two
terms In the New Jersey Assembly and
two years as mayor of that city