Evening star., 1934-05-27

Members Of the United States
historic photograph are the following
Front row. left to right, ID Johl
| Of Massachusetts,. 90 unidentified, q
M. Cockrell of Missouri and QD He
Second row, left to right, Cd uni
S. Blackburn of Kentucky, (6) unide
Third row, left to right, Cd Capt
81 Gen. John A. Logan of Illinois. Il
Senate; (9D John C. Spooner of Wise
States in 1883.
Fourth row. left to right. 0) III
! Edward c. Walthall Of Mississippi, (6
of Pennsylvania.
Back row. left to right. fifth fror
ninth from left, Henry Gilfrey tmou'
Young, principal executive clerk.
This is the fourth OF a series Of
peekly articles on interesting per-
sons and events in the National
Capital during the eighties, by
Frank G. Carpenter, tDorld-fdnous
author and trdDeler. The merit
chapter in the series mill be pub
Hshed merit Sunday in The Star.
tcopyrisht. 1894. by The Evening Star
Newspaper co...
CHAPTER Nv.
~HE Capitol is boiling with the
usual rush Of the last days OF
a congressional session. The
city is filled with thousands Of
strangers and lobbyists, all
thicker than blackberries in August.
There are more visitors here now than
at any time during the session and,
though it is Lent, society life runs as
high as it did in January. Gay teams
drag elegant landaus, driven by liv-
cried servants; the natty dog carts
have men in brown and red. or gray
and gold, sitting back to back behind
their masters, and the private lackey,
gorgeously clad. opens his mistress
coach door as she goes into the shops.
The theaters are filled night after
night now, and there is no complaint
from their managers that the receipts
do not meet their anticipations. Law
renee Barrett. in Francesca da
Rimini," is playing to crowds at the
National, and Mrs. Frances Hodgson
Burnett's play, "Esmeralda," is draw
ing excellently we'll at Ford's. Mace
and Slade, the prize fighters, COM
manded large audiences and took IN
considerable from Congressman and
others at the Theater Comique, and
the galleries Of the congressional cir
Gus at the Capital have been crowded
during the night sessions OF the House
and the Senate.
The Capitol at Night.
The Capitol at night is sight to
strangers in Washington. Seated on
the heights of Capitol Hill, it can be
seen miles distant, looking like some
great illuminated temple or world
banqueting hall. Its thousand windows
are blazing with light, spiral flame
of burning Jets runs around its dome.
and the whole looks like great golden
cross with a small yellow snake
lowering in the air above it. The
view from its front at night Is
great attraction.
Standing Just above the fountain,
one sees spread out before him a vast
black inverted sky in which here and
there consultations of stars vie with
those of the dark blue armament
overhead. Washington, the city OF
magnificent distances, is lighted from
one end to the other. Long lines OF
light mark out its broad avenues,
crescents and rings Of flame are seen
here and there in the numerous
circles, and consultations OF light
show the location of its many squares
and star-lit parks. Pennsylvania ave-
nue. looks like the Milky Way across
this black sky. and the red lights OF
the street cars, herdic cabs and car
rjages, floating along 1t, make one
think of the will-o'-the-w -wisps OF the
Dismal Swamp. Away across the SKY
shine the lights on the Arlington
Heights. Georgetown may be seen to
the right, and back of the Capitol
one may catch a glimpse of the
candles of Alexandria, over IN Vir-
ginia on the other side of the Potomac.
The Capitol's interior by gaslight
is full of strange sights, and the
weirdness of some parts vies with the
glitter and light Of others. Going
into the crypt or basement by the
main corridor, you may look down
upon a long arcade in which the
blazing globes at this end fade away
into stars at the other. The ceilings
are low, the walls massive and the
whole is as heavy and old looking as
the Serapeanum at Memphis which,
you know, was built long before the
Congress at Rome criticized Anthony's
playing with that chief Of woman
lobbyists, Cleopatra Of Egypt.
Entering the House door, you 60
past the restaurant getting a Whit
from the fried oysters and beer
which two Congressman and lobby
ist are downing; past the bath rooms,
where a member Is going in for his
last bath of the season, and on
through the great stone columns
which bear up the rotunda with as
much ease apparently as old Atlas
bore the world.
A thousand globes are burning in
the lobbies and passages, and their
mellow light bathes the polished
, marble into a warmer glow. The
statues are vivified with it and one
can easily imagine the old statesmen
| looking down on the hurrying. un-
dignified thpong with wonder-stricken
eyes. The paintings show brighter
and better now. and as the stranger
goes up the Senate stairs the bloody
scene of Perry's battle in Lake Erie
stares him In the face with wonder
full vitality. The rotunda pictures are
lighted by rows q globes stretched