Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 October 1908 — WASHINGTON LETTER [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER

[Special Correspondence.] President Roosevelt; returning to Washington from Oyster Bay to resume his final season’s work as president, Informally dedicated the new Union station, the “presidential station.” During the absence of the chief magistrate from the capital the finishing touches have been put upon the great railway terminal. It has been called the presidential station because, for 'the first time in an edifice of this kind, special apartments have been set aside for the use of the president when be is beginning or ending a railroad jourtiey. The Presidential Station. Although the new station has many points of distinction, being, for Instance, the largest and costliest railroad terminal in the world, its most notable novelty is the presidential suit No other ruler of a republic has ever had such facilities. Indeed, no foreign sovereign has had apartments of equal luxury and convenience.. The presidential apartments occupy the eastern end of this marble masterpiece and extend the full width of the building. At the southeast corner Is the main entrance to the suit —an arched carriage portal of simple and imposing architecture. The nature of the quarters is indicated only by sculpture over the doorway, representing the seal of the United States, surrounded by flags. If preferred, entrance or egress may be had on the east front, where several doors open from the apartments to a corridor or portico spacious enough to permit half a dozen carriages to be drawn up. The Reception Room.

The main entrance opens on a vestibule. This communicates with the main reception room, from which open most of the doors on the east front. This reception room is high ceilinged, almost as large as the historic east room at the White House and suggestive of that salon In its general dimensions. It has a mosaic floor, and the fresco ornamentation and other decorations, which are very elaborate, are in blue and gold. The use in the decorative scheme of the figure of the American eagle and the shield with the stars and stripes conveys a hint as to the character of the room. The woodwork and furniture are of mahogany. The suit is lighted by day by a row of large windows opening to the east At night both concealed and exposed lights are utilized. In the reception room are three chandeliers, and there are also eight massive ornamental brackets on the side walls. Train Shed and Concourse. Through a vestibule at the north end the presidential suit communicates with the train shed and concourse. This concourse is 754 by 130 feet large enough. It has been said, to accommodate the entire standing army of the United States. Trains, enter this $20.000,000 station on thirty-three tracks. The presidential specials will use the track at the eastern end of the yard nearest the state suit That will require but a short walk from cars to carriages for the presidential party.

Capitol Improvements. Alterations and Improvements in and about the capital and the house office building which will cost about $150,000 are being made under direction of Superintendent Elliott Woods, who iS rushing the work so that It shall be completed before congress convenes Dec. 7. For years the inadequacy of the elevator service on the house side of the capital has been a source of constant complaint during sessions. Throughout the last session this lack was greatly increased by the occupancy for the ffirst time of the house office building, the tenancy of whose roopis by representatives. committees and clerical forces made a lot of travel through the tunnel and more than doubled the number of passengers carried daily In the southwest elevator. New Elevator Being Built. . When congress adjourned the intention was to install another elevator on the house side, running the shaft through the small room in (the west corridor at the south end of the lobby formerly known as the speaker's room and to keep this elevator exclusively for use by members and newspaper men. It was found, however, that to locate the shaft there would necessitate too much cutting away of thefoundations o? the building, and another scheme was devised. Representative Jenkins, chairman of the committee on judiciary, agreed to vacate the judicary room on the south • corridor, gallery floor, and to take In lieu the speaker's private room for executive committee work and a large room in the office building for hearings. Workmen are now cutting an elevator shaft through the judiciary room, which.will give entrance from the ground fioot on to the east hall, just inside the south capital entrance, which will connect on the basement floor with a branch tunnel linking the office building and the capital, for the convenience of newspaper men, clerks and others. • ——r-r? • • House Postoffiee to Be Moved. The house postoffice will be moved to the office building, and the space thus Vacated will be partially used by the new shaft. The old (present) elevator serving the southwest corner of the capital will be closed to the public and reserved for members and the press exclusively. The speaker may or may not retain the rooms formerly used by the ways and means committee on the house floor, south corridor. Additionally two rooms on the first floor of the house office building, southwest corner, wffl be at bis disposal.

CARL SCHOFIELD.