The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-09-02

existing contests between the several
aspirants for athletic honors. Their
principal diversion is boxing The boys
have all the appurtenances which go to
make up the professional prize ring.
From among themselves they select a
time-keeper, referee and seconds. A
rope stretched around the room gives
the vault the appearance of a genuine
ring. Purses subscribed from the
spectators are hung by a string sus-
pended from the ceiling in the honor Of
an old custom which prevailed before
these boys were born. Then they have
Graeco-Roman wrestling, putting the
shot and several other ways of enjoying
themselves in the same line.
During the recent conventions at
Minneapolis and Chicago the boys had
a large blackboard, ordinarily used to
record the returns, placed in the lobby.
Upon this were written the names OF
the various candidates for presidential
honors. An imaginary jockey was
written over these politicians and a
Then these congressional bookmakers
were ready for any and all bets from
employees and outsiders who wished to
speculate on the chances of their
favorites. That the boys knew some
thing of what they were doing was evi.
denced by the fact that during the
Minneapolis convention they quoted
Harrison as favorite on their board,
and took in all the money they could on
Blaine.
The principal sources of revenue OF
these young statesmen, outside of their
regular salary of $75 n month, are the
filing of autograph albums for the
members, and the selling of speeches to
the same indulgent representatives.
The ordinary autograph album with
only the name and state of the senator
or member has long since ceased to be
thought Of by these progressive pages.
Now the proper thing, and the only
thing, to have is a handsome book about
IS inches long and 10 inches wide, with
spaces on each page for the insertion Of
the photograph Of the senator or mem.
Der, with a line below for the sigma
ture. These books are bound in real
leather, heavily embossed, and make a
pretty but expensive ornament For
this book the page generally gives $40.
Then he must buy the cabinet photo
graphs of the senators if it is to be
senatorial album, or of the members if
it is to contain the likenesses of the gem
tlemen who belong to the cave Of the
winds. After that the only thing to be
done is to get the subjects TO sign their
names beneath their reproductions,
which they are usually very willing to
do. For these books complete, the boys
get from $50 to S75, according to the
liberality of the purchasers.
Upon the occasion of the last birth
day of John Greenleaf Whittier, Sena-
tor Hoar, of Massachusetts,, got one Of
these books and started TO make col
lection of signatures to present to the
Quaker poet. After having hunted all
morning in the committee rooms for
his colleagues, he succeeded in getting
ten signatures. Then he decided that
he had better let this work out to some
one more used to it. Accordingly the
services OF a page were secured and by
evening the name of every senator had
been written in the book, which was
sent, with the compliments of the sign
ers, 10 The poet.
During the progress of the session
many speeches are made upon the tariff,
the silver question and other subjects
which are liable 70 become issues As
soon as they are printed, the page Sc
cures as many copies as he can get BY
the close OF the session he will have
complete sets Of all the speeches made
on the leading questions of the day.
These are much sought for by the poll
iticians especially during presidential
year, and the pages reap golden har-
vests as the result Of their forethought.
Take it all in all, the lines Of a page
are east in pleasant places and his lot
should be happy one.
SMITH d. Fly.