The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-07-11
THE PAGES OF CONGRESS-.
The Active Youths Employed at
The CAPITAL.

-
Fifty of the brightest boys of tie
United States are employed at the Ma
tional Capitol a. pages to the Forty
ninth Congress. Little fellows from -
o 16 years OF age, each with q round.
shining silver badge on the lapel of his
coat labeled with his number, they run
in and out of the halls, now dartiug
through the aisles under the very nose
OF a member who is making a great
speech, now carrying great armfuls of
books TO one Congressman, and now
taking a letter to post for another, or
bringing a glass of water to the man
who is speaking.
Here one is moving about with a
great album in which he asks each of
the members to write his name; and
there, others are busy taking the cards
of ladies in the reception rooms o some
Congressman whom they wish TO call
out.
The pages of Congress are gathered
from the four quarters Of the United
States. They are chosen BY the ser
geants-at-arms of each House, and
represent nearly every State. The pay
OF a page is $3.50 a day. for the session,
including Sundays, though there is no
work for them that day. They do not
have.a very hard time, and on ordin-
airy days their hours are from 9 O'Clock
until the House adjourns at 4 or 5.
About half OF their Saturdays are holi-
days, as the. Congress oftenadjourns from
Friday over 10 Monday.
The daily session begins at noon, but
the boys must be present earlier, ana
file each Congressman's bills for him.
After Congress meets they have plenty
to do in running errands. During a
night session they grow very sleepy,
and as a general thing they are not
asked % remain. When a member
want a page he claps his hands, and
the pages, who, when not busy, are gen
orally standing about the clerks deSkin
front of the House, OF sitting on the
stairs leading to the speakers chair,
run to him for their orders.
Is the position a good one for the
boys? Well, on the whole. and for,
perhaps, one session, yes. There as
sociations are not bad, and if bad boys
are discovered among those chosen,
they are quickly dismissed for fear they
may corrupt the others. The duties OF
a page compel him to be polite and gen
tlemanly, and he learns a great deal.
During the recesses Of the House they
often discuss among Ihemselv 5 bills
and questions which would be thought
beyond their comprehension and they
delight in aping their Congressional
masters.
There are t~hirty-six pages in the
House of Representatives, and four
teen in the Senate. Two of the House
g are mounted, and it is their duty
to carry letters and messages on horse
To- nl- aFran, tho ra0fN.1
building to all parts of the city. They
ride TO the Capitol, put the letters in a
leather pouch, which they carry by a
strap across their shoulders, and then
ride off for answers to them.
Sometimes these boys carry notes TO
the President, sometimes to the Secre-
tary OF War, sometimes TO the Attor-
ney-General, and in fact, TO all the
great departments of the government.
They enjoy their work, and they are a
little envied by the boys who stay I'M
der cover. Speaker Carlisle, the tall,
grave, smooth-faced man who presides
over the House, has a page for himself.
as have also the sergeant-at-arms OF
the House and its clerk.
Often before the House and Senate
meet. they hold a miniature Congress OF
their own. One of the boys gets into
the speakers chair, and holds the ivory
gavel, another stands as clerk below be-
hind the clerks desk, while others scat
tered about the room make speeches
just as the Congressman will do an hour
The prince of pages and the father Of
them all is Isaac Bassett. who now has
charge of the pages of the Senate as
the assistant doorkeeper. Fifty-fve
years go. when he WIS a black-haired
boy Of twelve, Daniel Webster, then a
Senator, took him on his knee, and
asked him if he would not like to be a
page. He has been in the employ of
the Senate ever since, and during his
whole service he has not been absent
from duty twenty days.-YoUth'S Com
pdRi0H.