Evening star., 1939-01-08
Capital Side|ights
By Will P. Kennedy

Representative Sol Bloom, director gen.
eral Of the United States Constitution
Sesquicentennial Commission, ADEQUATE
memorial services" in the House are to be
arranged for March to celebrate the 15Oth
anniversary of the meeting of the First
Congress Of the United States under ouf
Constitution. In his opening address to
the House Speaker Bankhead urged the
members to cooperate in memorializing
that event "of great historical signifi-
cance," and Representative Bloom has
introduced concurrent resolution for a
joint session of Congress on that date,
with the President brosdcasting an ad-
dress. 1t is proposed that a joint COM
mittee OF five members each from the
Senate and House make arrangements.
Invitations would be sent to the Presi-
dent and his cabinet, the Supreme Court,
members Of the diplomatic corps and the
Understanding officers OF the Army,
Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.
Speaker Bankhead, in his talk to his
colleagues on the subject, said: II come
into this chamber sometimes alone and
let my mind and my imagination medi-
tate upon the debates that have taken
place in this chamber and upon the great
American intellects which in the decades
and the eras past have contended upon
the floor of this House, upon the great and
noble traditions that those great Amer
leans have handed down under our sys-
tenn Of representative government to
those who sit in these seats today. It
ought to be stimulating to all of us, old
and new members alike, to reflect upon
the dignity and opportunity we have
through our service here to carry out
these magnificent traditions of the men
who have served here before"
Representative Bob" Mouton of
Louisiana, who has lectured to garden
clubs all over the country on the proper
culture Of azaleas and camellia- -japonicas,
is one Of the happiest men in Congress
this week. He is realizing his great am
bition. He has gone home to dedicate
and open to the public a magnificent
garden covering So acres, which he has
personally handicapped with beautiful
land and water vistas. This beautiful
garden has its main entrance on the
Old Spanish Trail, which runs from st.
Augustine, Fla, to Pasadena, Calf. He
has named 1t lies Jardins de Mouton."
In the garden he has 1872 varieties of
azaleas and SO varieties of camellia-
japonicas, which he raised himself, and
In a formal garden he has $4,000 rose
bushes In 40 varieties. A feature of the
garden is Grotto Of I.ourdes, copy of
the one In France, which he has dedi-
Gated to the memory of his father and
mother, with an outdoor statue of the
Virgin and a chapel where field mass is
celebrated. He also has an outdoor "Way
OF the Cross" each of the IA stations"
dedicated to a deceased friend. It is a
mile walk through the woods to make
thesA stations. All Of the statues in the
Mouton Garden are by a world famous
sculptor, whom he borrowed from the
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts,
T. j. c. Balm, who is now working on q
life-sized statue of Mr.. Moutons friend,
the late Senator Huey p. Long. The
formal opening on Tuesday will be at
tended by the Official, State family
from the Governor down to the "im-
FOUNDER" (dog catcher). Part of the
Mouton Garden is a take OF" on the
famous Cypress Gardens at Charleston,
8. G. The sunken garden adjoins an
outdoor theater with a terrace to ac-
commodate upward Of 800 persons.
There are three miles Of gravel roads
through the garden. The formal garden
contains symbolic statues Of the four
seasons, Hfe-sized and carved from
French limestone. Here also is q copy
OF the famous bronze "Mannekin" In
Brussels. This formal garden is exclusive
ly Of camellias, azaleas and lockwood.
Here also is life-sized statue Of Evange-
line on pedestal under q gigantic live
oak tree heavily laden with Spanish
moss. This garden borders On the ver.
million River, anording surpsisinsly beau-
tful Waterscapes.