Evening star., 1939-05-28
Capital SideIights
Bu Will P. Kennedy

1t was "Old Home Week" for group
who have been taking leading part
for upward of quarter of century in
developing the Capital City when they
were guests last week at the annual gar
den party Of R. Walton Moore on his
Fairfax estate. Mr.. Moore, for whom
the position of counselor of the State
Department was created, was for many
years prominent member of the House,
a regent of the Smithsonian Institution,
rated as the best authority on Virginia
history and vice president Of the Wash
ington Monument Association. He had
a large part in such outstanding i'm
provements as the building of three fine
bridges-the Arlington Memorial, Key
and Chain Bridges-the Mount Vernon
boulevard and the Lee highway. Be-
sides many diplomats and high ofncials
of the Government he had among his
guests Frederic A. Delano, chairman Of
the National Capital Park and Planning
Commission; Charles G. Abbot, secretary
of the Smithsonian Institution: David
Lynn, architect of the Capitol; Thomas
S. Settle, secretary of the Planning
Commission; Philip P. Campbell, for
merly one of the House "Triumvirate";;
Finis j. Garrett. presiding judge of the
Court Of Customs and Patent Appeals,
formerly a member of Congress for a
quarter of century; Swagar Sherley,
formerly chairman of the House Appro-
priations Committee and later director
of finance of the United States Railroad
Administration; Representative Edward
T. Taylor, chairman Of the House Appro-
priations Committee; Chairman Dough-
ton of the Ways and Means Committee;
Acting Chairman Bloom of the Foreign
Affairs Committee; Joseph J. Sinnott,
the last eight Democratic National Con-
ventions; Clifford K. Bergman, cartoon
ist Of The Star, and Representative John
E. Rankin of Mississippi better known
as Dynamo" and "Kilowatt."
There was premier at the Capitol
the other day. Joe E. Brown of movie
fame made an excellent witness regard
ing refugees from Germany-he himself
has adopted two. He and Representa-
tive Louis Rabaut of Michigan, the
singing solon," put on the show. Mr..
Rabaut has been invited by committee
of three-Judge Edward M. Curran,
Judge Ed Hayes Of Detroit and Walter
Johnson-to write baseball song for
the sandlotters' tournament here in
September, of which Vice President
Garner is sponsor in chief The pre-
mier" was that of Representative Rabaut
and Joe E. Brown treating a congress
sional group to the first singing of the
new baseball song which has not yet
been printed.
Preston L. George, genial and rotund
who knows where every member of Con-
gress lives and who visits them all, will
on Tuesday round out quarter of q
century on his job at the Capitol It is
his job to get to each member the tram
script of his remarks in the House for
correction and revision before they are
printed in the Congressional Record.
He rides to their homes each highland
at all housekeeping their reported
speeches and contributions to debate.
Years ago he used to be helper to Will
liam Madden, Congressional Record mes
senger for the Senate, who retired last
year, and to Sam" Robinson, messenger
for the House, who died July ~, 1887.
They used to ride their bicycles all over
the District and into suburban Mary
land and Virginia, then they were pro-
NOTED to motor cycles and now use auto
mobiles. So he is now messenger in his
own rank and title and giving excellent
service. He has to stick on the job-no
matter how late-until the Congressional
Record Is put to bed
~ \
The celebration at Mount Vernon
recently commemorating the announce
ment to Washington that he had been
elected President has an interesting
sidelight. Charles Thompson, the Irish
born secretary of the Continental Con-
gress for Is years, who was selected by
Congress to carry the announcement of
election to Washington, through some
petty political or personal jealousy was
not even invited to participate in the
first Inauguration. However, he harbored
no resentment and for quarter of q
century after retirement from public life
was "a student of divine truth and an
exemplar Of Christian charity and broth.
erly love. The Continental Congress