Evening star., 1935-01-06
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.


Work is progressing rapidly now on
the weighty task Of removing half Of
the statues from Statuary Hall-some-
times called the Chamber of Hor-
rors" These statues, which are being
distributed in various alcoves and cor
ridors Of the Capitol Building, are
attracting much attention in their new
positions and are considered great
improvement" by returning members.
They are now ornamenting various
places which heretofore had rather
barren look. as, for example. the ap-
proacheS to the Senate and House
chambers.
One statue from each State is being
left in Statuary Hall, which was orig
inally the House chamber. AS far as
possible, those being left are of men
who served In Congress when that
was the legislative hall. This change
was made because the weight Of so
many statues was unsafe in that
chamber, which was not constructed
to bear SO great weight. The moving
of the statues will be completed by
the time Congress gets here.
y
One Of the veteran members Of the
House, defeated in the election, has
been so much a Washington resident
during his entire life that he elects
to stay here and get himself a job"
That's James A. Frear Of Wisconsin.
He lived here as boy on Capitol Hill,
in the Southeast section. He enlisted
at Fort Myer in the Signal Corps
and his first assignment was at Kitty
Hawk, where the Wright brothers
made their first successful flight in a
heavier-than-air machine. He served
as an enlisted man for five years and
at one time was in charge of the
Signal Corps pay rolls in Washington.
While working here he graduated
from the National Law School. He
went into the office of the late John
c. Spooner, whose private secretary
he became. Spooner was later leader
of the Senate. Frear was for seven
years district attorney, served in both
branches of the Wisconsin State Leg
islature, was three times Secretary
Of State and % years in Congress.
He does not expect to resume the prac-
tice of law.
A printers devil come to Congress-
marks the progression of one John H.
Tolan-erstwhile boy to the late
John A. johnson of Minnesota at the
muniflcent salary Of $3.50 week. Out
Of that 81 so he gave his mother $1.25
and spent 10 cents for shot. 10 cents
for powder and cents for caps TO
indulge in Sunday shooting-and lived
like lord-he says. He reveres the
man, one of natures n0blemen, who
was the kindliest man he ever knew.
Tolan is being personally conducted
around the Capitol and will receive his
pay from Kenneth Romney, sergeant
at arms, who gave him newspaper
support in his first campaign 25 years
ago-which was, incidentally, the late
Senator Tom Walshs entry into poll
tics. 1t happened this way-when
Romney came back to Montana after
graduating from the University of
Washington in 1910 he became editor
of the Missoula Democrat Tolan was
a candidate for the State Senate and
Walsh for the United States Senate.
Then Romney came to Washington in
1914, and when Representative Elise
showed pugilistic tendencies in the
House last session it was Sergeant
at Arms Romney, custodian of the
Mace, who subdued him. Now Tolan
has defeated Elise and is palling
around with his old buddie Romney.
Romney, by the way. gives the tip
on that Tolan is a brilliant orator
and predicts that he will be one of
the outstanding new men in the House
and will soon become a political power
from the West.