The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-08-27
They Can Only Servo between tho Agos
OF Twelve and Sixteen-What They
Think of Leading Senators-Wsll
Paid and Very Ambitious.
[copYRrGur, 1901

UTIluuS
said, that such a strike would stop the
wheels OF Government; and so 1T might
II thero were no means OF filing the
places OF tho strikers, for presumably
very few Of tho Senator'S would know
whore to 60 or what to do to procure
the documents, etc, for which they
keep tho pages running But about the
Capitol and in the several departments
OF public life in Washington there are
enough men OF National renown who
began their political careers as pages to
I'LL tho places Of all these boys; So
What if the Senate pages should
strike?
The Government would go right on.
The number OF famous mon who once
were pages seems to warrant tho pre-
sumption that embryonic greatness Is
now scampering about the Capitol IN
knickerbockcrs, running errandS, per-
haps, for men not fit to bear It's shoes.
Surely this is excuse enough for devot-
ing littlo consideration to tho pages
Of the Senate.
Four years is the longest term boy
may serve as page, since he is eligible
to tho Office only between tho ages OF
twelve and sixteen. In tho Senate
there are fourteen OF these boys, under
tho immediate direction OF AlonZo Ii.
Stewart, young man Of nearly twenty
years. who four years ago closed his
career as page and is now attached
to the Sergeant-atArms under the title
Of Messenger on the Floor of the SEN
ate. But this chief page and all his
assistants are under the supervision OF
Captain Isaac Bassett, the venerable
assistant door-kcepcr, who has served
continuously as an attache Of the Sen
alto since no was appointed page,
ffty-seven years ago, by Daniel Web
sters request. Captain Bassctt, with his
long white hair and beard, is tho most
striking figure on tho Senate floor,
and il any man is indispensable
there it is he. In tho matter OF cere-
monials he IS the authority on whom
Vice President, Presidents pro tcmpore
of tho Senate and all tho officers
and members OF that august body have
to RELY. For more than half century
ho has kept memorandum book ct
hand and made entries OF all those acts
which were likely 10 be useful as prec-
edents When death strikes Senator
down, or any thing else OF an unusual
character happens, the presiding officer
of the Senate turns TO Captain Bassett,
who sits on his left, and is informed as
to what is the conventional mode OF
procedure under the circumstances 1t
is said tina. Captain Bassett has, during
all these years Of service in the Senate,
kept close memoranda OF such speeches
and acts as have marked events IN our
country's history. He can tell the pro-
else spot where Webster stood when he
made any one Of his famous arguments;
where Sumner sat when he received the
blow which helped the cause Of emanci-
patton along; where every word was
said and every act performed which has
had direct bearing on the great events
Of this last half century. But he is as
uncommunicativc as the Sphinx, and as
for his memorandum books, he would
no more let newspaper correspondent
look at one of them than he would will
ingly sever his connection with the
Senate.
Tho fourteen Senate pages arc all
bright. interesting lads. Harry Long.
Mckee Cochrano and Albert Mackey are
the seniors. They have served three
years And Warner Moody and Fred
Kappelcr are the Juniors. Warner
Moody is the son OF Senator Moody, of