Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1878-09-26
SenatOriai Seats:

IL j DC. 'nOu2ht possible
that any one woa!d have the te-
meTty IL - -,s4sL Bassett's remoy-
al. Hdsst.,b - ..oor Keeper To
remove f;"m tue Vice Presidents
side 'dt e..ect form, snow white
hals ahI beard of Bas.ett would
almost p6 All act of sacriiege. Par
lies baHe come aud gone, btt Bas-
aetf seems likely to stay forever.-
Hearing mat he intended writing
a book. q WoriG correspondent cali
ed upon the cid gentleman TO learn
The t.r,h of the rut4or.
Il have thought of it." smiii ngly
replied Captain Bassett, when ask.
ell # :'e intended compiling a his
tory of the Senate. IL will have
been here forty eight years next
Jdne l would like to serve two
years longer, just to make an eseit
term cf halt century, and then l
would have better title for my
book, if | wrote one. The 'Rem,n.
iscences of Halt Century sounds
better than the 'Expelierc oil
Forty-eight Years. 1 was appoint
ed page III the Senate ia 1881,
through the Influence % Daniel
Webster. Previous to that time
there was only one page iD the
Senate, and he devoted himself
exclusively to lhe side OF the cham
Der on which Mr.. Denton sat. Ntr.
Webster thought that he wanted l
pagej too and he insisted on nv
appointment. .. .-.
Is it true, Mr.. Bassett," asked
the correspondent, that the seats
aud desks which were once cccu
pied by Webster, Clay, Calhoun
Benton, Cass and the Senate gen
e'ally ofhalf a century ago are now
IN use in the Senate Chamber ?"
"Perfectly truei" was the reply
81 know the Seuators Who occupy
the seats and desks of the states.
men you have named. l am thu
only pel son, | believe. who knows
the history of the furniture of the
chamher. / have certain MAJ ks or
the desks and seats which Clay
Calhoun, Webster, Benton, Cas-
and a dozen other prominent Sci
J ators OF their time occupied, b,
which / can identify them. 1t cost,
me u good deal of trouble to keel
The chairs and desks togethe, dur
ing the sessions. The sweeperl
tiuve tie chairs about. Often
have found Web-ter's chair befor,
Clay s desk, and the new chair o
some n.ember irom II State recent
ly admitted ia the UIion befor,
Calhonn's desk. Y.u see every
tirte. Si;ite IL admitted two new
chairs and desks are made for th,
new Senators. Frequently I am
asked by Senators 20 point out to
them the seats of Webster ant
Clay, but | always refnse If the
history of the seats became known
curiosi seekers W mid cut and oB
face them. jus. ahont :he time tl'
seal w64'e' removed from the old
Cnambeg, wheYe to 5upr me Cour
I E%N " - "ssN'T' f1btTS tp'b'+'O aoA'
.cui Il :esg s;1iiafrts 3to.n Webster
chair, hns / had !, rtpai, ed ant
tcraegtd She position OF it, and i
-las 20: been injured siuce. It j
Goi tofslQia ipg me to be mistaken
ahOr, N ic9ntity of the furniture
In an ni'tch s.i& kgep a list OF TIN
Fseats and desks have narhed witt
the names ot The Senators who oe
.cupy them ~ present. Some q
them are Very able men / assur
you. Diners are not SO able,'"oas
SIS the seat-and- desk occupie
by Jeff. Davis in the Senate ?'S
Yes, aud it has history, too,
stid Mr.. Bassett. s'I opered th
doors of the Senate Chamber dur
ing be ware to admit the Massa
chEsetts regiment which was. mob
! bed al Baltimore on its wav South
The t,5ops lodged IN the cEsmbe,
The ssats and desks had pot bee
taken ont at the time. One NON
: ing when I came to the Capitol
heard terrible noise in the Sci