Evening star., 1928-01-29
Capital Sidelights

employe. dignihed clerk of the House
who reads the Presidents message
when the President himself does not
choose TO do so, author of "The Ameri-
cans Greed" and executive secretary OF
the Presidents Commission on the BIZ
centennial Celebration Of Washington's
Birth, recalls when he was the laughing
stock Of the House 1t was while he
enjoyed the doubtful vantage point as
page at the Speakers desk during the
regime Of John q. Carlisle, whom he
remembers affectionately as one of the
hest Speakers the House ever had-but
let Mr.. Page tell his own reminiscence:
'Tne carpenter haG made little
hectagonal seat, which fitted into the
Speakers rostrum, which brought the
top OF my tousled head within a few
inches OF where the Speaker raped
his gavel.
Mr.. Carlisle kept splendid order In
the House without much pounding OF
the gaVel, but now and then the House
would become turbulent and run over
him, so to speak. On one such occa-
sion Speaker Carlisle, having exhausted
his own great stock of patience, raped
his gavel with unusual force and sever
ity and called for order in his loudeSt
tones. Now. 1t so happened that on
his desk was a handsome silver ink
stand-which think is still in USE
containing two glass wells full of ink.
The Speaker could hardly be heard
above the din on the floor. and in the
excitement the gavel with q mighty
whack missed Its accustomed spot and
landed on the end of that fine ink
stand, turning 1t completely over and
emptying both wells of their black fluid
all over me. l was dressed in suit of
the old-fashioned seersucker of white
and blue stripes. When that ink struck
| me ! looked more like zebra than q
boy. The ink matted my hair, ran
down my face and all over my clothes.
The House roared with laughter as /
made a hurried exit to the nearest
washstand; but the tension was broken.
and the House soon was restored to
order and good humor Later in the
day I met Speaker Carlisle In the lobby
He took me by the hand and said MY
boy, l am very sorry that thing hap
pened. and as he withdrew his hand
he left a $40 bill in mine. l thanked
him and said, Mr.. Speaker, you may
do that every day If you want TO-.
The Seersucker suit only cost $3.50 plus
my mothers work on it, and it was
washable"
The historic gates across West Eyecu-
tive avenue between the White House
and the State. War and Navy Building
are to be given to the Ohio State
Archaeological and Historical Society
for the memorial gateways into the
Spiegel Grove State Park at Fremont.
Ohio. which contains the homestead of
the late President Hayes. under a bill
favorably reported during the past week
by the House committee on public
buildings and grounds.
Representative Begg of Ohio candi-
date for governor Of that State, who is
fathering this measure, explains the
setting in which these historic gates
are TO be placed. If his bill passes.
The old French and Indian trail. known
as the Sandusky-Scioto Trail" from
Lake Erie to the Ohio River, passes
through Spiegel Grove. 1t was used by
Indian and French explorers and war
parties from the st. Lawrence River
and the Great Lakes 10 the Ohio and
Mississippi. later used BY the British
and Indians from Fort Pitt in the cam
paigns against the French at Detroit.
and later still. after the surrender OF
Detroit, by the French In 1853, by the
British against Gen. Harrison In the
Var OF 1912, has heretofore been mark
ed by memorial gate posts with his
sorical legends. SO spaced TO receive the
gates from West Executive avenue
which had been voluntarily rendered by
President Harding, a former resident
OF the congressional district
The Congress OF the United States
had awarded gold medals to Mai. Gen.
Harrison. commanding the Northwestern
Army. and 10 Maj. George Croghan. the
gallant defender OF Fort Stephenson at
Fremont in the War of 1912. and after
the Spiegel Grove State Park had been
decided 10 the State of Ohio for his
torical purposes. the War Department,
In recognition Of the memorial gate
ways to be erected in honor OF Mai.
Gen. Harrison. commanding the North
western Army in the War OF 1912, and
OF Maj. Gen. Mcpherson, the officer OF
highest rank and command killed in
battle during the war for the Union,
and a native OF and buried In :hat
country. presented and delivered tree
on board cars at Fremont four i0-inch
Rodman cannon and four l5-inch can
non balls 10 form the upright gatepoStS
and caps OF the Gen Harrison and Gen.
Mcpherson gatewayS into the Spiegel
Grove State Park
The donors OF the Spiegel Grove
State Park have erected a beautiful
Hayes Memorial Building TO which has
been adC I an historical library and
museum building, and generously en-
dowed the same. together with funds
from o land endowment sufficient 70
maintain the Hayes homestead, and
have placed the management and con-
tro. OF endowment funds for historical
enc wments and research funds in the
Rutherford B. Hayes-Lucy Webb Hayes
Foundation. self-perpetuating body
composed OF Ave trustees for life, viz.
the Rev. DR.. w. o. Thompson, presi-
dent emeritus Ohio State University:
Newton d. Baker, Secretary OF War
during the World War: Theodore E.
Burton. Representative In Congress.
John II. Clarke. former Justice OF the
Supreme Court, and Myrun T HerricS,
Ambassador to France.