The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1886-02-12
The Nations Pages.

An Indianapolis correspondent at
Washington writes: Some interesting
character and peculiar bits Of life are
found in the pages Of the senate and
house Of representatives. In tho upper
branch Of congress there are about
fifteen and in tho lower branch about
thirty-tive pages. Their duties are we'll
known to the average reader. Their
fields Of labor are the floors of the two
branches Of congress. A page for the
senate. however. never does anything
for = member of the house and vice
versa. Sometimes a page is found who
is almost of age and nearly full-grown;
but they average from 9 to IA years,
and most Of them are very small in
stature. and upon first appearance
boyish in character. As years go on,
if they are retained the little fellows
become sagacious. often proud, and not
infrequently initiate the statesmen in
bearing and conversation. There is no
better school for \ boy in which to be-
come an actor. He has the best of OPP
porsunity to study every phase of charac-
ter. Speaking of the pages sometimes
initiating the acts Of their superiors.
reminds me of an incident that occurred
3 few days ago. A very diminutive
page who was borne upon the rolls of
the last congress was superseded. When
he learned that his place had been given
to another he became considerably de-
jected. for this little fellow had dissipat-
ed in mild way and had been prof gate.
SO that he was found almost without
funds, and was as far away from home
as the state of Missouri is from Wash
ington. But the boy had been an OBJ
server and knew trick or two. He
studied the situation. He solved it.
Going to his boarding -housc he hastily
packed up his effects without attracting
the attention of anyone. With great
caution he removed them to another
quarter of the city. Then he went out
to bid his confreres adieu. Meeting one
of them, who was about 10 years old.
and as tall as man S arm is long he said:
well. good-by, old fellow; I'm off
Ny constituents have given me the
shake. The situation, however. leaves
me little fat. am nearly broke; but
I have found way out. i will jump
my Dosrd-bill. They all do it,
Sometimes the pages run in schools,
like fish. and become clannish. Not in
frequently one meets crowd of them.
all under three feet in height, at the
midnight hour, making the town howl.
Many of them smoke cigarettes and
play billiards. Frequently the little fel-
lows drink beer, for they can bus it
anywhere at the counters. There is not
very great proportion of them, how
ever, who fall into these channels Of
dissipation. Those who do generally
come from the larger cities. Then the
pages have way of ''hazing,n and
some of the capers they play upon
plebeians or inexperienced boys are
wonderfully severe and terribly en-
barrassing. One of the favoritc tricks
in the line of hazing is to take new
boy down in the lower basement under
the hall of the house and show him the
rubber man, This basement is very
broad and cavernous. Portions of II
are unlighted, and the unsophisticated
youth soon finds himself lost. The sur
ronndings are weird and frightful. and
it sometimes takes an hour to get out.
Pages receive SIS per month during
the session. Those in the house are
generally changed every two years. but
the boys in the senate are retained. and
some OF them grow up to manhood
from childhood at their posts of duty,
as did Senator German, of Maryland.
1t is said that a considerable number of
the pages in the house are blood rela-
tives to members, and sometimes the
members have their sons appointed.