Evening star., 1935-10-27
Capital Sidelights
By Will p. Kennedy.

Probably there is none in the Capital
City today who remembers the time, IN
l847-48, when there was an 80-foot mast
guyed on the old dome of the Capitol,
to hold aloft the lantern used by James
Crutchett in lighting the Capitol grounds
by solar gas. In 1880 an iron railing had
been erected about the circular drive and
some Of the primeval forest on the Capt.
tol Grounds, where some romantic cou-
pies seeking seclusion found themselves
locked in by the night watchman who
closed up the grounds at 10 o'clock.
Previously the Capitol Building was
lighted by whale-oil lamps and candles
and the grounds by lamps. Prior to 1925
there were only 10 lamps in the Capitol
Grounds, but in the 30S this number
was increased to "a. Then along in the
40s the lanplighter, P. kaufman, had
his job greatly increased-to 10 lamps
and an assistant had to be employed
Conrad kaufman. Flint, steel and tin
der had given away to the lucier match,
but the greasy lamp and candles were
still in use. Improved lighting had been
discussed for years and the experiences
Of Baltimore with gas lighting were
watched with interest.
Capitol, through Col W. Noland, then
commissioner of public buildings, made
a report recommending lighting the
Capitol Building and grounds by gas.
About 1886 James Crutchett, living
near North Capitol and C streets, ex-
perimented with lighting by solar gas.
His works we're near the old Baltimore
& Ohio depot. Having succeeded in
lighting his own home. he approached
committees OF Congress. Finally in an
act of May 3, l847, an appropriation of
Sl7,500 was made with direction to the
secretary of the Senate and the clerk of
the House to contract with Mr. Crutchett.
He spent $1,000 that year and the re-
mainder the next year, with an additional
$1,000, and later nearly $1,000 more for
additional work. He lighted the build
ing and considerable area. The light
on the dome fagpole could be seen from
far down the river and citizens of those
days testified that as far west as Twelfth
street one could see the time on their
watches by the light from the Capitol.
1t was while the dome was thus
lighted that former President John
Quincy Adams was stricken in the House
chamber and died in the room now occu-
pied by the clerk of the House. When
the Capitol was placed in mourning
piece of black cloth was placed around
the solar gas lantern on the Capitol
fls ypole.
Mr.. Crutchett did not renew his con-
tract and subsequently established the
Mount Vernon cane factory.
When the Washington Gas Light Co.
was incorporated by act Of Congress,
July 6, 1848, with capital of $4,000,
Col. B. B. French, then clerk of the
House of Representatives, was one of the
incorporators.
Minority Leader Smell, one of the men
mentioned as a possible candidate for
the Republican nomination for Presi-
oent, is one OF the hardest working men,
bers of the House, but does it all so
quietly, so smoothly. so efficiently that
most Of his fellow members, accustomed
to seeing lot of dust kicked up and
laborious motions, think that Bert" is
easygoing and good visitor in fellow
ship groups. Smell is rich man-de-
votes much, if not all, Of his salary to
benefacLions and public works in his dis
trict-but what he has he earned him.
oCAA, dAAA Wy 4AoAO WOAh Wdo 4lOI DOl III
with silver spoon in his mouth" His
father was foreman in a lumber camp
in the Adirondacks, and died when
young Bertrand was 20 years old. So
the son started to work as a luHberman.
i've done more menial work, I've done
more hard labor than most of the House
members will ever do" Smell says.
He followed numbering all the way
from woodsmans telling camp to news
print. He eventually was bookkeeper
in a pulp mill where paper was made
at $40 a month. He went out on his
own in the tempestuous warfare of the
lumber industry. He bought forest stands
and logs that had been cut. He had
others cut, and he rode the drive down
the river in the Spring freshets. During
those heroic days of the drives the now
debonnaire, meticulously dressy leader
of the House Republicans would sleep
In his rough clothing night after night.
Out OF funds he made in the lumber
business he purchased an interest in a
dairy products industry.
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