Brookings County sentinel. (Brookings, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1890, 1882-08-31
Dead Senators Desks.


Daniel Webster resigned his seat in the
United States senate July 20, 1850. His
desk is still in the senate chamber; but
which one, where it sets and who is the
lucky senator, that has it are secrets TO
all the world, except Capt. Bassett, whom,
MIR. Webster brought here when a mere
boy, and put him in position as a page,
eighteen years before he resigned. Capt.
Bassett has held place in the senate
from that day until the present, being
acting assistant sergeant-at-arms now.
But to the story of the desk. As above
stated, the possessor of it, or its num-
Der, is as profound secret to the sena-
tor who sits at it as it is to an Egyptian
mummy. Capt. Bassett's reason for
keeping all knowledge of the num-
bers of Mr.. Webster's, Mr.. Clay's, and
Mr.. Calhoun's seats secret is that,
knowing and understanding the desire Of
the desire of the American citizen, both
male and female, for relics, he fears to
give the secret away less the desk would
be Clipped away by piecemeal by the
curious who throng the capital every
day. There has been no change in these
desks from the day they were brought in
to the capital until now, other than tie
usual coat of varnish. Capt. Bsssett has
a memorandum record Of there numbers
and places, which he keeps carefully
under lock and key, and will, when he
comes to shuttle off this mortal coil, fur
nish to the proper person all the infor-
nation relative to the desks, in order
that their history may be preserved and
handed down to future generations an
mementoes OF Webster and his associates
in the senate.
There are three other desks in the
senate chamber which curiosity hunters
would like to be able to see and know
that they were the right ones. These
are the desks of jefferson Davis, of
Mississippi, Stephen A. Douglas of Illi-
nois, and Charles Sumner, of Massachu-
sets. Mr.. Davis desk occupied the
same position in the chamber that Beck's
does now, but it is not known to anyone
except Capt. Bassett, whether or not it
Is the same one. Mr.. Douglas was in the
same place as that occupied by Mr..
Pendleton, and Mr.. Summers was in the
place occupied by Mr.. Dawes.
In 1862 when the New York zouaves
were in the city, about twenty OF them
went into the senate chamber early one
morning 10 destroy the chair and desk
that had been occupied by Mr.. Jrferson
Davis. just as they were In the act,
Capt. Bassctt pat in an appearance, and
aste1 tLen what the were about. They
quickly told lin that they were going to
detroy " that scat and desk because they
were the ones occupied by JEFF Davis.
Capt. Bas-ett suggested 10 them that
their mission Ill Washington was to pro-
tect property not to destroy it. They
saw the point, AMI Capt. Bassett at once
proceeded 10 change the numbers ON the
desk as to be able to say all who might
inquire about the several desks referred
to that the desks that were used 10y the
senators alluded to were not now III the
same places; that they had been changed
around for the express purpose Of pre-
venting them from being nutilated by
relic and curiosity hunters. Capt. Bas-
sett is annoyed very much nowadays by
strangers who visit the capital to know
which was Mr.. Conklings desk. As yet
he has not seen proper TO change it from
its former position, but anticipates doing
so at an early day. All knowledge Of
who has the honor of using the three desks
above referred to-to-wit: Davis, Doug
las, Summers, is profound secret to
all the world, save and alone to Capt.
Bassett as, any knowledge Of Webster's
Calhoun's or Clay's.