Bismarck weekly tribune., 1888-09-28
BUDDING STATESMEN.

OOOO11U O1A1 IOVlIlNs
eoYs WHO WAIT ON THE LAW
MAKERS OF THE SENATE.
Where the Pages Hail From-Salary and
Outside Income-Dress and Duty-HOw
the Boys Amuse Themselves Interested
in Politics The Boss,
The senate page corps numbers fifteen as
bright and quick boys as can be found any
where They receive appointments on the
recommendation of senator's, and come from
all sections Of the country. There is the
elongated and dark hued southerner and the
ruddy checked and chunky western boy, the
quick northerner and the spectacled New
Englander. They are paid SIS month each
during the session of congress, which gener-
ally lasts about eight months for the long
and three months for the short session, and
at the close of the latter it is customary to
vote them an extra months pay in order that
they may return to their homes. In addi-
tion to their salary the pages make quite q
goodly sized sum by selling autograph al
buns containing the signatures of the sena-
tors and prominent people whom they but
tonhole for their autographs. Their period
of butterfly life is rather short, however, al
it generally does not extend beyond two con-
gresses the age limit being 10 and 16. After
they reach the age of 18 they are compelled
to leave.
DRESS AND DAILY DUTIES.
The pages are very neat in their dress and
pay great attention to STYLE They wear
tunic coats and knee pants, generally of some
dark material, and affect black silk stockings,
Their work begins at 9 a. m., when they as
semble in the senate chamber and get the
desks of the senator's in order for the day, ar
ranging the several bills, petitions, ETC., on
them, after which, unless there are errands
to run, they can amuse themselves until 12
o'clock. when the senate convenes, at which
time they station themselves on either side Of
the presidents platform. After the chap
lain's prayer the work begins in earnest, and
they are constantly on the run, answering
the snap of the fingers of the senator's, carry
ing bills and papers to the presidents desk
and executing the nultitudinous demands of
the senators.
The senate usually is in session till 1
o'clock, when it goes into executive session,
releasing the pages from duty. As it is Gus
tomary for the senate to adjourn on Thurs
day evening until Monday morning, there is
nothing for the pages to do in the interim,
and they amuse themselves in various ways.
Some are continually pouring over novels Of
1.-THE White Eagle, the Trapper," order, but
the greater number are enthusiastic bicyclers.
those who are not fortunate enough to own q
wheel not begrudging paying sixty cents an
hour for the rent of one, and many are the
amusing squabbles among them as to how
many minutes one has to ride it before an
other takes it, they having hired it on shares
1t cannot be denied, also, that some are con-
frmed gum chewers. The wide marble ban
nisters on either side Of the stairs leading to
the upper floors offer great temptation to
them to slide down them head first, rather
than walk down, and the velocity with which
they go (when a fall to the tesselated floor
beneath means certain death) would terrify
their mothers.
WELL POSTED ON POLITICS.
They are all young politicians, take deep
interest in the debates. and are thoroughly
posted on all topics that come before
the senate, and religiously defend the posi-
tion and merits of their respective senatorial
favorites. 1t is no uncommon thing, after
adjournment over some heated debate, for
them to take sides and debate the arguments
pro and con that they have heard And they
go at it with vim, defying parliamentary
law and grammar alike, and Just as much
in earnest as though they received 5000 a
year for it. But it is in their playroom, the
awful mysteries Of which they allow no other
mortal eyes to penetrate, where the pages
kick up high jinks For good and sufficient
reasons, apparent to the most casual OBJ
server, this room is located in distant and
secluded portion of the Capitol building, and
there they shout, laugh and play to their
hearts content. 1t is very seldom that quar-
rels among them ever result in blows, as it
means summons to appear before that aw-
full tribunal, in the mind of page, the SER
geant-at-arms, to be followed by q suspension
of two weeks or more, with loss of pay.
The pages are under the charge and direc-
tion Of old Capt. Bassett, who has occupied
the position, it is said, ever since the men,
ory of man. He started in as page himself
and is now a hale, bald headed and white
bearded old gentleman. His post of duty is
to the left of the president and behind his
youthful charges where he can keep an eve
on them 1t would seem to take some inge-
nuity for q 14-year-old boy to dispose of S75
monthly, but some of them rise quite equal
to the occasion. Others again have quite a
good sized bank account. Those who are so
fortunate as to have relatives in WASHINGTON
of course are well looked after, but those who
have to trust to the tender mercies of the typ
ical boarding house keepers become after a
time more or less reckless. Taken as a whole
they are a very gentlemanly, well meaning
lot OF boys, and are said to be great i'm
provemenr on the force of former sessions.
Senator German was once page, and the
story is that he frequently had his ears
pulled by Capt. Bassett on occasions when
he lapsed from grace.-New York Graphic.
Fish Refuse as Fodder.
1t appears that in Norway and Sweden the
refuse of the fish curing establishments is
largely used by farmers as a fodder for their
cattle. On the Norwegian coast dried heads
of Goldfish are SO used. the practice being to
boil down the heads into kind of soup,