The National tribune., 1888-08-16
TIE HOUSE PAGES.

D0oUkeeper of tho House of Representatives., !
and whose especial duty is 60 look after the |
House pages aud keep them in order.
Nobody that knows anything about it enyies |
the CAPTAIN his Job, for more uncomfortable,
mischieY0us and impairment set Of young Fa5- !
Gals ever went unthrashed or kept out of re- !
formatory INSTITUTIONS They are noisy and |
impudent and one can imagine the job 1t must |
be TO keep a half hundred such youngsters |
under an thing like discipline,
Session after session and Congress after |
Congress comes and goes, but that band of
young imps seem to be like the Seuate-alWays
in session. Constant changes are made by |
discharges and appointment of new-Or rather
other boys but the gang is the same now IN
all its ways that it was when first watched Its
individnal and collective antics and praaks
many yealS ago.
All Of US know of the mischief perpotrated
in any boys school in the way of rude pFacti-
cal jokes of speech and action, but this set
could set up as teachers of deviltry for the mad
dest and widest set of academy or college
youngsters that the world ever saw.
One day / sat in the reporters gallery idly
watching the scene below while waiting for the
session to begin, and noticed an awful COM
motion about the marble steps below the Speak
er's table. Suddenly Capt. White darted around
the Clerks bench and grabbed the ringeader
of the mob by the collar. Showing him up into
the narrow corner by the Sergeaut-at- Arms
mace, he gave him an awful talking to, sbak-
ing the fingers of his one hand in the boys face
and threatening summary discharge IN case
the culprit was guilty of another single infrac-
tion of the rules. With parting warning
Capt White turned away, but had not gone
three PAGES before the Un8ba5hed young villain
rushed for the nearest fellow-pa grabbed
him by the collar showed him into the same
corner by the mace aud repeated almost ver-
batim in gestures as we'll as words, the dress
Iad inst aCu mis-
| White heard every blessed word and stood
aghast at the youngsters sublime impotence,
and was IN rage for moment, but was Obliged
to join IN the roar of laughter that came from
the dozen or two Members and others who ssW
the proceedings.
Very often these boys are the sons Of thrifty
Representatives, who procure, their appoint
ment and then carefully draw their monthly
salary Of SOTO take care of for them; but for
the most part they are the SONS Of needy
widows who have sufficient influence to pro-
cure the effective aid Of various Members.
There are good boys among them-sometmes,
and know personally Of one instance where
! the son of q distinguished dead soldier sup
/ ported his mother and a sister on his salary as
page, until he grew too large for the place. then
! he was given another place at the Capitol OF
! higher grade, and he to-day holds an impor-
! tRnt official position, III which he is not dis
! turbed, no matter which political party is in
| power
| Such cases are few though, and impression
able boys, who are easily nodded by their asso-
Citations and surroundings should not be APP
pointed pages, for the youngsters are usually
dominated and led into mischlefan and bad habits
| by a few whose innate moral principles are not
sharp enough TO bore q hole in g sheet Of paper
CASE FOB PSYCHOLOGISTS.
An old veteran Of the war in this city is suf-
faring from domestic affection that would
| puzzle student Of psychology to solve the
meaning and cause Of.
Thiscomrade settled in Washington when the
rebellion was crushed cut and, while raising
! little family, accumulated a fair proportion Of
the goods that the world gives TO sober aud in
| dustri0us men.
Two sous came into his fold, one Of them
| being now Just nearing mans estate, and the
other still q child. The elder boy is tall, brown
| haired, has large, fun, brown eyes, is shaped
almost like the ideal Adonis, and is 1.-the and
active as any professional athlete. he IS de-
/ cidedly handsome youngster-one that a
| fathers eyes would be apt to rest very lovingly
| upon.
| Yet that boy is a decided Vagabond. When
| he was only Ii he disappeared for six months
| and when he came home like the prodigai son
| il was learned that he had Joined gang Of
| tramps to sec the world"
! His clothes were necessarily burned, and he
| was bathed and scrubbed.
| That esca pade was0verl00ked as a boys freak,
| but year later OF no went again, staying lon
ger that time, but returning with the same
| story as before, and with the same necessary
| application of cremation Of clothing and baths.
The father was naturally intensely worried
at this strange tendency, and made extraordi-
nary efforts to e5trange the boys inclination
for wandering life. The boy, taen almost IS,
had fancy % live in Chicago, and the veteran
/ father procured for him an excellent situation
in an extensive establishment in that city. lilo
went-the boy did, stayed there just three
weeks and disappeared again.
When he again turned up here latter another
burning and washing) he told that be had
joined gang Of tramps that went to Western
| Nebraska; thence he tramped and stole ides
to New York, back again TO Chicago, and thence
came home.
Then, to WOO the boy to settling down, the
fsthar bought and handsomely fitted out a
pretty little cigar store out on Fourteenth
street and placed him 10 charge, with the
promise that if he would settle down and be-
have himself for year the store and all in ii
should become his individual property.
The father stayed by and aided the boy, aud
the business grew beyond expectation bat the
restless nature was not satisfied with the hum
drum Of proper life, aad one afternoon q cou-
pie of weeks ago the boy rihed the store Of such
goods as he could carry away and taking all
the money at hand, he locked up the place and
went away On another tramp, leaving word &c
the effect that he could not stand his life here
This is a case for psychologists 70 study
Here is handsome lad with indulgent parents
not oppressed by the cincture Of poverty OF
even OF limited means, aud having loving de-
voted aud even iudulgent parents, cosnforta
bic home, and all that would tend ordinarily +;
WOO a boy to his home tiss, deliberately OF BID
free choice, preferTing the yagabond life Of the
soilcd aud odoriferous tramp.
cannot understand il, but my heart zoe
out in the deepest sympathy for the poor f2the
and the grief-stricken mother.
VETERANS rs TIE CITY.
: Prof. Charles Koterish, Sd n. Y. Art, Igor
/ Valley Pa.
John C. shantz, let NJ J. Cav, Soldiers
Home Washins ton, D, G. Comrade Shant
5 entered the Regular Army at the close Of tn
war, aud served until disabled by an OK ploson
! He has been stationed until lately eli Roci
2 Island, H.. and has recently come TO the Sol
dicrs' Home.
t d.. J. B. Davis, 96th Pa, Shenandoah, Pa
. / Conrade Davis served as q private in the 9Gtl
Is Pa until he lost a leg al South Mountain. Re
turning home, he studied medicine and becam
a very successful practitioner. He was Exam
ming Surgeon for pensions until the incoming
; Of the present Administration, when he wa
j removed.
s Grand, genial, lovable John G. Linehan cam
q On to Washington % represent the Commander
g.