Evening star., 1934-12-02
CHAPTER XXI.
BY FRANK G. CARPENTER.

ldQleS SIOW SlCk lllC Sdl-
leries from the vile odors Of
tobacco which rose from the two
for-five-cent cigars glowing in the
mouths of the so-called gentlemanly
Congressmen beneath. I have seen
members smoking in their very seats
and have peered through the wreaths
Of smoke to catch the eyes OF the
members behind them.
They chew too! Every desk has
q spittoon of pink and gold china
beside 1t.
The Congressman are neat set!
The House is this moment Uttered
with scraps of paper, like a garret.
In front of the Speakers desk are
bits of letters, torn newspapers and
other paper and under the desks of
most of the members are heaps Of
the same nature. There is Spittoon
beside the chair of the Speaker, for
Mr.. Carlisle is an inveterate chewer
of tobacco and his heavy jaws careSs
the cud as joyfully as they do free
trade statistics.
AS far as order in the House Is
concerned, there Is none. II an
ordinary member has the floor
bedlam straightway arises. His fel-
low members talk out loud to each
other and each goes on with his
business as if he were alone. Dozens
of members are writing letters, others
are mailing documents, some are
laughing. If a member wants to
cross the hall he does not hesitate
to rush between the Congressman
speaking and the Speaker, and. if
another wants a page he will clap
his hands with noise like the shot
of a pistol, regardless of the fact
that his brother orator may be in
the midst of his finest period.
1t is no uncommon thing for a
member to be talking, with not a
single fellow member listening to his
speech. Even the Speaker does not
always pay attention.
In the House.
The ceiling Of the House chamber
Is wonderful structure. made of
glass and cast iron. Through this
the House is lighted-in the daytime
by the light of day and during the
evening by 1900 gas jets. This CELL
ing is made in panels painted and
gilded, each bearing the coat of arms
of one of the States of the Union.
Just over the entrance door of the
House is large round-faced clock
which regulates the time of opening
the session and which limits the time
allowed to each speaker. 1t is a
sober, judicial looking old clock and
its face Is a terror to the average
long-winded Congressman.
Over the Speakers desk and op-
posite this clock under the press
gallery is gold eagle looking out
over the Speakers head, and ap
parently ready to fly. On each side
of it hangs dingy American flag
covered with dust and discolored with
age.
The two doors in the walls at the
sides OF the Speakers stand lead into
the members retiring rooms, in which
are hung crayon portraits of all the
Speakers since the organization of
Congress. They cost the Govern
ment $50 apiece and some are fairly
furnished. 1t has number of sofas
and easy chairs. Two doorkeepers,
at an expense of couple of thou
sand dollars year bar out the public
Sometimes 1 think the Capitol far
too fine structure for the men who
have the right TO seats in its cham
bers. The average Congressman con-
siders himself a great man, but he is
only a clerk after all. He is paid by
the country to come here and appor-
ton out the public funds to the run
ming of the Government. Other men
decide how much the Government
needs, and they furnish the Congress-
men the figures. The average men,
ber knows nothing about it, but the
best member for the country perhaps
is he who knows the least. We merely
pay these men to divide our money
for us. The Government is already
organized. We have all the laws We
need, and the United States, If it were
not for the necessity of the formality
of passing the appropriations, could do
better without Congress than with it,
Still we have it, and we have to pay
for it. We pay we'll, too. The esti-
the current year is put at more than
S3,500.000, and the House Of Repre-
sentatives alone will cost nearly 81
100000. 1t takes S413,OO0 year to
pay the salaries of our Senators; ST.
800 1000 to pay the mileage and salaries
OF the Representatives and the under
strappers about the House and Sem
ate get salaries of 100000 and more
each congressional session.
An Old Dentist.
There Is an old dentist in Wash
ington who boasts that he has pulled
over 100000 teeth by actual count
He has been in the dental business
here for more than 20 years, and has
manipulated the mouths of Presidents,
generals, Senators and Representa-
tives. I saw him today. An odd fell
low, as lean and miserable as the
apothecary who sold the poison to
Romeo. he walks as though his joints
were strung on wires, and he has a
pair of rs hollow, hungry eyes as ever
looked forth the misery of a dyspep-
tics stomach.
"Yes" said he in response to my re-
about tooth pulling, "the molars I
have pulled will fill several bushel
baskets, and their bone dust would
have made the largest garden rich.
! have pulled all kinds of teeth. from
the first pearl-like product OF the
year-old baby to the crumbling tusk
OF the nonogenarian have yanked
out the grinders of coal beavers and
have torn the jaws of foreign minis
tiers. I acted as dentist for President
johnson, and the false teeth which
his daughter used to masticate the
White House dinners with were made
by my hands. have pulled at least
10000 teeth by the use OF nitrous
oxide and this I employ exclusively at
the present time 1t deadens the sense
of the patient for two minutes and in
this time the work must be done. l
can administer the gas and take out
two teeth in two minutes. The man
ha ot foL hic coof in