Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-01-29
THE MESSENGER BOYS AT THE
CAPITOL.

CAPITOL.
A LAD who visits the City of Wash
ington for the first time, and looks down
from the galleries of the House of Rep
resentatives or of the Senate Cd the
busy scene below. will be sure to find
his eye attracted by groups of bright
looking and neatly dressed boys NOV.
ing hither and thither about the floor,
speaking Familiarity with this and that
great man, or amusing themselves on
the steps of the Vice Presidents or Of
the Speakers platform, and he will per-
haps regard these boys with something
like envy-all the more when told that
they receive about two dollars and sew
enty-five cents day, during the ses-
sions of Congress, to pay them fot hav-
ing such a good time.
Possibly our lad would.not regard the
picture as so pleasant if he knew how
burdensome are the duties of these boys,
and how exceedingly well they earn the
money paid them. There are nearly
thirty of them attached to the House,
and half as many to the Senate. Their
ages run from nine years upward, some
numbering twice rs many summers;
and it is not by any means the oldest
who are the brightest and the most
favored. They are of respectable fam
lilies; some of them are nephews of
Members of Congress "a Member once,
indeed, had such questionable taste as
to procure the appointment of his own
son; and some OF them have been known
in after years to become Member, them
selves. The recently chosen Senator
from Maryland is doubtless proud to re-
member that he himself was once a
page. Although in two or three in
stances these boys have been elected to
their places instead of appointed, they
are usually appointed by the Sergeant
at-Arms-of course on the recommen-
dation and through the influence of the
Congressmen-and they are under his
control. The old custom of appointing
only orphan boys is no longer adhered
to. The boy who fell over the baluS.
trade, and was made page by special
resolution of the Senate, is a very eX-
ceptional case probably his favorite
song thereafter was, "Such getting
up stairs, | ne er did see."
The pages wear no uniform, or regula-
ton clothes, or badges of any sort
They are required to present themselves
for work at nine 'clockjn the morning,
although Congress does not meet till
twelve, and they are not dismissed
until adjournment for the day takes
place. They put the desks of the
Members in order, file for each the
bills and papers which are strewn about
in confusion, then 60 to the Document
rooms and work there, helping TO put
affairs in shape; and then present them
selves at twelve in the great chambers
of legislation to answer the clapping of
the Members and Senator'S hands, and
attend to their countless wants. Now
they are sent hunting for some book
that is needed, for some man, now for
glass of water, now they take q mes
sage from one Member to another at a
distance, from one House to the other,
and sometimes to ladies in the gallery
they fetch a cup of tea into the Cloak
room; fetch the hat and stick out of it;
they distribute mail by the armful;
they struggle into sight behind piles Of
palm-leaf fans big as they are them
selves, which are soon cooling the hot
air, if it be late session. and during
the nights preceding the close of the
session they do not know what sleep is
but are worn out with running anC
waiting. Thus it will be seen that they
are on their feet with but very little
intermission, running and tumbling ovel
each other in their eagerness to please
but they seem happy and good-natureC
through it all, and when they do 81
down it is on the steps of the presiding
officers desk, where they are usually
tickling or punching or teasing eacl
other as if they had nothing else to do
and were passing away the time.
Sometimes during a recess of Con
gress you may come upon them in ;
lower room assembled in body, ;
mimic Senate, one of them in the chair
: and another making Il speech, and Mr.
: Blaine, and Mr.. Conkling, and Mr.
: Bayard and the rest are being initiated
to the life. 1t is in some contrast Il
these gay rogues that one sees acrippleC
and dwarfec little hunchback outsid,
: the Hall of Representatives, opening
and shutting a door for the passer il
hopes of the coppers or the nickel tina
: may be tossed him, although he doe
not beg. AT night q little goat car
riage comes for him, and he drives of
The pages whom we have described
do not leave the Capitol during tn
: hours of their service, and carry n
messages beyond the doors. For out
side work there are three riding pages
who are furnished with horses, an
who 90 to the various Departments, tn
, Executive Mansion, or on other of tn
/, outside errands of the Legislators. An
theirs is not exactly the pleasant horse
: back riding that looks so attractiv,
but, on the contrary, it is hard an
l weary work, cold in the winter. an
burning under a fierce sun in the sun
= mer, leaving them meanwhile as badl
t off as John Gilpin.
Many OF these youth are appointe
: because there is some great need
! their families, or have some pitiabl
j circumstances in their history. Tn
curly-headed little fellow is the onl