The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-02-20
CAPTAIN BASSETT.
Something About the Veteran Doorkeepei
of the United States Senate.

of the United States Senate.
Captain Bassett, the veteran door
keeper of the United States Senate, is
the Oldest officer in the public service.
He and his good wife celebrated re-
Gently the fiftieth anniversary OF their
wedding. Captain Isaac Bassett is the
Oldest officer in continuous service in
the employ of the Government. He is
sixty-nine years of age, and has spent
fifty-seven of those years in the en-
ploy of the Senate. He entered the
service of that body as a page, receiv-
ing his first appointment upon the
recommendation of Daniel Webster.
His figure is better known in the Senate
chamber than that of any other indi-
vidual. He is hale and hearty man,
erect as an Indian and as active as
many men who have not half his years.
He rarely misses q session. He is the
first to enter the chamber every day
and the last to leave. The desks and
chairs are religiously guarded by him.
He knows the history of each and can
tell who have occupied each particular
chair and desk for the last half GEN.
fury. He will not, however, impart
this information to any one. He has
private marks on the desks and chairs
that are registered in book into
whose pages none are permitted to
look. Whether the captain will per-
NIT this knowledge to be communicated
to those who may follow him is I'M
certain. The vandal relic hunter is
what horrifes the captain. He would
prefer to see the desks of Cass, Cal
houn, Clay, Webster and other great
statesmen who have preceded and fol-
lowed them burned in the Capitol Park
rather than mutilated in the chamber.
These desks are built of the best ma
hogany and of uniform pattern. Every
desk made for the Senate since the es-
Enlistment of the seat of Government
at Washington is still performing
service. The same is true of most OF
the chairs. A few of the latter were
broken down with heavy service, and,
as they were beyond repair, were re-
luctantly removed by the veteran Bas-
sett. The ponderous David Davis
crushed one of them. Bassett had a
special chair made for Davis, but the
big Senator would sometimes, in wan
dering about the chamber, seat himself
in q fellow Senator's chair. After he
had crushed through one of these and
was forced to assume the floor" in a
very undignified manner, he was par
ticularly careful about depositing him.
self, and looked we'll to the strength OF
the chair before sitting down. Captain
Bassett's place is at the left of the pre-
siding officer, and he is always there.
When communications are presented
from the House or from the President,
the Clerk of the former or the Secre-
tary of the latter are formally intro
duced to the presiding officer by the
doorkeeper. This is a duty which
Captain Bassett reserves for himself
and thousands who have from time tC
time visited the Senate galleries will
doubtless recall the tall and erect
figure of the gray-haired man who
stood under the clock at the south OF
main entrance to the Senate chamber
and who, bowling with genuhectior
that marks the devotee, exclaimed in a
loud tone: "a message from the Presi
dent of the United States. Cor. Chi
cago Inter Ocean.