Evening star., 1933-09-24
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL r. KENNEDY.

BY WILL p. KENNEDY.
Recent comment upon the cenotaphs
for deceased members Of Congress
erected by the Government in the old
Congressional Cemetery has prompted
study OF old House of Representa-
tives accounts, which disclose meticul-
GUS care on the part of Congress to
adequately mourn" as their fellow
members die.
Back In the Seventeenth Congress,
more than ITO years ago. there are
items Of $26 for repairing tombstone
and SIP for funeral expenses. In the
Eighteenth Congress the House paid
81 1055.54 for the funeral Of Repre-
sentative William L. Ball Of Virginia.
Every Congress In the earlier days
paid considerable amounts for mourn
ing" in some cases hundreds of dol
lars. There are also various memo
randa for painting tombstones, $780,"
and "sites for graves, $18." As a rule
the funeral expenses" ran over $1,000.
but in some cases they were very rea-
sonable-$235, $3.50, S764, and even for
funeral of Gen. Smyth and tomb
stone" only 1919 was expended. For
three monuments in graveyard" the
Twenty fourth Congress paid $485,
and the Twenty-flfth Congress paid
for -four monuments and repairs"
1,385.25. The twenty-sixth Congress
in the first session paid 1920 for az
monuments in graveyard" and in the
second session paid 81 ,760 for II monu-
ments and Sl36.50 for grave sites
There are interesting, If rathe:
gruesome, records: Shaving corpse,
setters-up for three nights at 81
each; a horse furnished the sergeant
at arms at funeral, $3.50; use Of
home and furniture for funerals Of
MEMBERSHIP fee being usually $50;
then the price went UP for "setters-up"
so that they received $3.50 each in
stead of 81; and bearers received Sc
each. For crepe, silk tape and max
ing 233 mourning weeds for members
and officers of the House on the de-
cease Of the Hon. Heman Allen Moore,
at 56A cents each" the House paid
sl3l06 in the Twenty-eighth Con-
gress. Mahogany coff1ns with hinged
tops cost $50 in those days and silver
coffin plates $50.
There are records also Of where the
House in effort at economy had one
deceased members name erased from
a monument in the Congressional Gem
etery and the name of another defunct
member substituted. At one funeral
injury to furniture" had to be paid
for. 1t cost SIS to have the vault Of
John Quincy Adams opened and 81 for
removing the remains from the vault.
Charges also are disclosed for "use Of
mattress and clothing during illness Of
Mr.. Adams At this funeral scarfs for
seven marshals cost $3.50, caps and
scarfs for seven grooms $3.50 and horse
covers for six horses $l4. There Is
memorandum Of the cost Of refresh
ments sent to the family Of j. @.
Adams while in the Capitol"
The House paid S3.75 for furnish
ing one pair drawers, one pair socks,
and one linen collar for the body Of
-" one Of the Nations greatest
statesmen In another case 1t paid
81 week for three weeks for the use
Of an easychair during the illness Of
another great statesman. The sergeant
at arms hired 112 hacks for Mr.. Adams
funeral and 80 hacks were employed by
the doorkeeper for the funeral Of Rep
resentative James A. Black.
The funeral expenses in the burial Of
Representative Robert Rantoul, jr., OF
Massachusetts, In 1852, were S1,o44.50.
paid by the House; also an additional
expense Of s93 for transportation Of
the body to Beverly. Mass.
The 233 mourning weeds worn by the
House members for Henry Clay cost
80 cents each-a total of $500.
At the funeral Of Mr.. Thaddeus
Stevens $40 in cash was paid for the
services of Rings Band. and for fine
black pants, vest and stock, S35."
Then there was for a time flare
for purchasing gloves for official escorts
and the items appear: "31 pair kid
gloves, at s225"; ''l2 pair white Isle
gloves at rs cents; "23 silk scarfs at
s9"; "one dozen pair white Berlin
gloves, S." etc.
At some of the funerals the official
escort grew thirsty and hungry, as is
shown by the following: (2nd session,
Forty-seventh Congress), 5is dozen i'm
ported Appolinaris water, $3.50; ham,
$40; turkeys, $40; sandwiches, $40;
Spring chickens. Sl8.75 bread and but
ter, 81; ice, $3.50; sugar, $l.25; cheese,
81; German mustard, rs cents; Wor-
cestershire sauce, so cents; sardines,
IS; apples and oranges, IS; 80 boxes
of strawberries, SIG; breakage. loss ETC.,
So. At another funeral the House paid
for lone large tub, 545 pounds of ice,
one ice blanket. dozen goblets." At
another there Is a charge OF SO cents 1or
"one cork-Screw."
The historic linotype machine which
served Gen. Pershing in France dur
ing the World War is now in daily use
in the Government Printing Once.
The bindery at the Government
Printing Office uses about 100000
yards of stitching wire, 100000 yards
of binding cloth, 22,000.000 square
inches of gold leaf and other stamp
ing materials, 28,000,000 yards OF sew
ing thread and 100000 square feet OF
leather each year.
A library of $4,000 Government
publications and maps is maintained
under the Office Of the superintendent
of documents
A belt conveyor, 1000 feet long.
with q capacity Of $50 mail sacks an
hour, carries the Governments pub
lications from the Government Print
ing Office through tunnel under
North Capitol street TO the Union
Station.
The Government Printing ONCE
turns out as one item in its daily
grind some 100000 post cards.
The value of daily output from
the big printing establishment is $46,-
000 The daily pay roll is $4,000.
A complete emergency hospital, with
two physicians and three trained
nurses, is maintained at the Govern
ment Printing Office for the treat
ment of employees who may be sick or
injured while on duty.