Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-14
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

A brand-new question raised during
the past week. when the architect of
the Capitol, David Lynn, was asked
what the street number of that historic
building is, emphasizes the fact that
the Capitol Is the zero" point in tia
Capital City, from which all street num-
bering starts. The only address is THE
Capitol" 1t occupies the site bounded
by First street, east and west, and B
street, north and south, although the
Capitol Grounds are now being ex-
tended to occupy with beautiful land
scaping the entire Plaza between the
Capitol and Union Station.
The Capitol's exact location would
not be lost even If all streets were wiped
out, for it is situated in latitude SO de-
greeS, SO minutes and 204 seconds
north and longitude IT degrees, 90
minutes and 35.7 seconds west from
Greenwich. It fronts east and stands
on a plateau SO feet above the level of
the Potomac River.
The southeast corner stone of the
original Capitol Building was laid 1877
years ago, on September IS, 1898, by
President Washington. The original
building was completed in 1927, at the
amazingly small cost, including grading
of the grounds, alterations and repairs
due to the disastrous fire set by the
British invaders on August "a, 1914, of
So, 433, e44.l3. The latest assessed value
Of the Capitol Building and grounds
was given as $37,500,000.
y &%*
The death of former Representative
Frederick @. Bromberg, the other day
in Mobile, Ala, the city Of his adoption
for more than a half-century, where
he was loved and venerated as the
Grand Old Man of the Gulf City,
marked the passing of the Oldest living
former member of the National House
of Representatives, who left his i'm
print on national legislation during his
day, following the Civil War.
Mr.. Bromberg was born in the State
of New York in 1887 and was gradu-
ated from Harvard College in 1858. He
was elected a tutor in mathematics IN
Harvard in 1853, which position he re-
signed In 1865. He made his home In
Mobile in 1865, and there long and
useful life was spent as one OF the
leading members of the bar.
Mr.. Bronberr was elected to the
Forty-third Congress as o liberal Re-
publican from the FIRST Alabama district
in 1873. While serving in Congress he
took an active part in shaping legisla-
ton for the improvement OF rivers and
harbors. He was author of the first ma
tional quarantine bill which was passed
by the House, but was not reached IN
the Senate. This legislation resulted In
the enactment of the present national
quarantine law of the Nation. In 1874
Mr.. Bromberg Introduced q bill pro-
yiding for the establishment OF Bureau
of Internal improvements and he was
4Ian r.,tAn ffQ1fRn the
"Eads Jetties bill' for the Improvement
of the mouth of the Mississippi River.
He was one of the organizers OF the
National Bar Association. Sir Frederick
Pollock of oxford, in speaking OF Mr..
Bromberg's particular interest IN this
particular legislation said: "The adop-
tiun by all of the States Of the uniform
negotiable instruments act was the
most important legislation ever ac-
complished by the bar OF the united
States"
Mr.. Bromberg was internationally
known also as fellow OF the American
Geographic Society and OF the NATIONAL
Geographic Society, and was Tor many
wears vice president of the Southern
Conference of Unitarian Churches. and
was past president of the Alabama
Harvard Alumni Association.
=
The critical illness at Mount Alto
Hospital of Mai Charles M. Stedman
of North Carolina, the Last Hero OF q
Long Line" being the only member OF
Congress who fought in the conflict be-
tween the States, and who Is now
nearly 90 years of age and the
eldest member Of the House, marks the
passing of one of the most picturesque,
courteous characters and when aroused
one of the most brilliant orators OF MS
day. In a notable speech in the House
when Mai. Stedman had reached his
eightieth year, Senator Tom Connally
of Texas, then O member of the House,
paid a tribute to the last surviving
wearer of the gray as "the rear guard
of the Confederacy." It was one OF his
greatest delights to be pointed out as
one who Rode with Lee" To friends
in the press galleries Of the Capitol the
major for years has been saying; las
an education in style you should read
Alison's History OF Modern Europe.
He has undoubtedly added to the circu-
lation of that hornbook of his own
generation by this advice. AS he goes
into retirement his many friends about
the Capitol wish that, like TennySon's
Ulysses, he may lind the happy isles
and see the great Achilles" whom ne
knew.
Representative John w, Mccormack
of Massachusetts, Is student ana
reader who finds his greatest gretifica-
ton as a member of Congress in ind
ing some source of interesting and VAL
liable information and bringing 1t
to the attention of the youth of
the land. He is distributing now
as many copies as he can lay his
hands on of q really worthwhile book
on citizenship which covers in an in
teresting, alluring way the entire his
tory Of this country. It is q training
manual of the War Department pre-
pared under direction Of the Chief OF
One section of this book is devoted to
great Americans and their achieve
ments. Included In this list, for ex-
ample, is Eli Whitney describes IS "a
pioneer of modern industry" and the
story runs thus:
"a school teacher from Massachu-
sets, living In Georgia, in 1893 in
vented q machine called the cotton gin,
by use of which a negro could easily
clean 800 pounds of cotton a day,
demonstrating thereby, as no previous
invention had done, the value of ma
chinery In replacing or augmenting
manual labor. The whole question OF
cotton production and cotton rnanufac-
ture was changed through the use OF