Evening star., 1943-11-07
Capital SideIights
By Will P. Kennedy.

An illustrated handbook of the Capt.
tol, published in 1882, discloses the orig
inal use of certain rooms and spaces
in the Capitol, which probably no one
at the Capitol today could have told.
For example, the present House cafe,
for members only" was the House
baths, for use OF members. There are
eight baths, four of which are marble,
and fitted with all the elegance and
appliances of the modern bath" There
were similar baths for the Senators, in
what is now barbershop once occu-
pied by the District Courts, across the
basement corridor from the present Law
Library, first used as the Senate cham
Der and later by the United States
Supreme Court. These Senate baths
were fitted up with marble baths and
every convenience. There is also a water
cure apparatus" The space now occu-
pied as bank for House members was
the House Post Office, fitted up with
bird's-eye maple cases, with boxes for
each member and the officers of the
House.' What is now the private Office
Of Kenneth Romney, sergeant at arms,
was originally the office of the House
Committee on Public Buildings and
Grounds-"the decorations consisting of
paneled walls, with balustrade above
the moulding. The ceiling is embellished
with arabesques, two American eagles
and shields, and has an elliptical CEN
ter-piece formed of balusters in fresco"
What Is now the Speakers private
dining room, in the northeast corner of
the basement floor OF the House wing,
was assigned to the House Committee on
Post Offices and Post Roads What is
now the private offices of Crawford
Shanks. House disbursing oficer, with
an outside entrance into the small court
east of the corridor connecting the
House wing with the main buildings,
was the washington Branch Post
Office. Congressional matter is here re-
ceived and mailed to destination" One
of the most beautifully decorated rooms
in the entire building, on the ground
floor, west side of the House wing, now
hearing room of the House Appro-
priations Committee, was occupied then
by the Committee on Agriculture and
Manufactures-thus described: Deco
rated by Brumidi in 1855, the first work
of the kind done in the Capitol, and,
with the exception Of the panels, is
representations of the four seasons,
symbolized in Flora Ceres, Bacchus,
and Boreas. On the east wall is fresco
representing Cincinnatus called from
the ploW to be Dictator of Rome. On the
opposite wall is corresponding scene,
representing Putnam, called from the
plow to join in the battles of the Rev.
olution." The rooms now occupied by
Speaker Rayburn were then the Offices
Of the Ways and Means and Appro-
priations Committees, while the Speaker
had his office on the opposite (east side
of the hall of the House. now the office
Of Chairman Clarence Cannon Of the
Appropriations Committee.
Senator Matthew S. Quay of Pennsyl-
vania consumed IA entire legislative days
in debating the Wilson tariff bill. Sen
ator William A. Allen of Nebraska,
great Populist leader, broke the record
for long distance oratory by speaking
Is hours at stretch. Senator John P.
Jones, born in England, who as much as
any man developed the resources of
Nevada, was the outstanding orator
whose masterful discussion of silver
makes a large book" Senator John
Tyler Morgan Of Alabama was one of the
most fluent, loquacious, frequent and
lengthy, but always interesting speakers,
we'll informed on an incredible number
OF subjects, well-ordered, merciless in
repartee.
remains to be seen. But If they bring