Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-09-11
TIE BOYS OF CONGRESS.
THE PAGES AT THE tcAPlToL AND
WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO.

Inc pages OF the senate ana mouse are
a sort Of understudy to the statesmen.
Each has some senator OF member whom
he admires and initiates, and it Is not be-
yond the range Of his ambition that he
may some day occupy a seat in congress
himself They have sort Of fellow
feeling for Senator German and other
statesmen who have risen from seat on
the steps by the vice presidents desk to
n chair in the legislative body All the
pages are statesmen in their way, and
are up in politics. Their fate is depend
ent upon the welfare of their members,
and they rise and fall with their party.
In Republican senate the boys are all
Republicans, and in the house they come
and 60 rs the majorites shift.
The senate pages have more secure
tenure and hold themselves to be of a
little more importance than the bows
who wait on the representatives. But
the latter profess contempt for class of
young individuals who don't take the
chances of politics at every election, and
pride themselves upon their own close
alliance TO their partys vicissitudes.
They look upon the knee breeched at
taches of tho senate as old fogies without
knowledge of wire pulling. They are
themselves au fait on all matters politi-
cal
They are the 'legs" of the congressman,
but they have heads of their own that
are crowded with schemes to their full
capacity. They are not usually well up
In book learning. but are well up on
affairs Of state. They enter public life
at the mature age Of 1907 Il years, upon
salary Of Sc 80 day and such per-
qusitcs as fall into their hands, and, If
their political fortunes are good, remain
in service until they are no longer boys
| Then they go out into the world to be-
come politicians, drummers, railroad
presidents or congressman, or else take
/ downward turn. They usually enter the
field of politics, as they are familiar with
all its branches. They are fully equipped
| for the position Of senator or representa-
| tive, but deficient in almost all other use
1 full knowledge.
The average page Of II or Is years old
| counts in his wardrobe a beaver hat, a
/ pair of knee breeches. cigar ease, a
4 Lord Chumley oyercoat and horn
handled cane. Many of these have a
brilliant career during their tender years
and have gone through all excuses Of
mature manhood before they are old
enough to vote at any well regulated
election
On the house side there are thirty
pages. fifteen who sit on the right Of the
speaker TO wait on the Democrats and
fifteen on the other side to respond to the
call of the Republicans. They are under
the command of two chief pages. who
have been promoted from the ranks, and
a one armed captain, who is chief in
command.
The chief rage Of the senate side is
almost as old as the senate itself and is
custodian of the snuff box and all the
antiquities and "reminiscences of that
body; while the pages who are under
command Of Capt. Bassett are usually
very small boys,
When senator claps his hands half a
dozen small boys rush out from different
directions, coming to collision in the
center aisle. and the one who sustains
the shock and picks himself up quickest
holds the secret conference with the SEN
ator and then with pompous air starts
of on n private mission-to the document
room for bill or TO the library for a
book
1t takes almost as much political in
iucnce To he senate page III congress
as 10 get a foreign mission. The usual
age is from 10 to 10. and very few remain
after they are IL.
Some Of them, after outgrowing their
positions, have done well in the wonld
but many have acquired dissipated hab.
its which have ended their career disas.
trously at an early age, Familiar con,
spicunus examples Of success are those
of Senator German, cx-Representative
Scott Of Erie, and the late Representa-
tive Townshend, of Illinois. who became
eminent in public life Others have beer
quite as successful in business or profes
sional life, though not as well known
, Pages usually make considerable money
and make it easily, and they spend i
with freedom. Besides their salare,
they turn a good many honest dollars
They complain in these days that they
. have not the opportunities they used I,
have for making extra money. Rich
and liberal members often pay then
large sums for small services. In tn,
house each page has to file the record,
, for ten members.
This is part Of the duty for which they
J are paid by the government. but eacl
member. at the end Of the session, usual
! ly gives the page who tends to his i'll,
from s. TO $40 II member sends |
page of TO buy theatre ticket or max,
some small purchase he often gives hin
s. or $40 bill and lets him keep tn,
change of the transaction. Some of tn,
rich representatives and senators are il
the habit Of making presents of money
; 10 the pages at Christmas time and a
the end of the session
THE AUTOGRAPH BUSINESS.
The autograph business used to be very
profitable. Every morning the page
would 90 around from member TO mem
Der a. they reached the hall and solicit
their signatures in big autograph books
A book containing all the names wa,
worth from IS 10 $40 to the page who
had it. They found a ready sale fol
a these books as fast as they could fill
them. and it did not take long TO get al
the signatures. One Of the regular duties
Of a member was to sign his name abou
thirty times each morning. An auto
graph book Is seldom seen in either III,
house or senate now. The fact Is tina