The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-20

From the Washington Post.
cant. Isaac Bassett. whose illness dur
en-, the week has caused his friends some
---vierv. but whose condition continues to
;-,,rove. has the distinction of being the
-a.ond appointee to the position of page
., the United States Senate. During the
--sr forty years of the government the
,,ernbers of that august body had to do
..ai- own hustling. They had much less
-, do than they have now, for the journal
# a whole session in both houses would
-ban only make a quarto volume Of less
nan 900 pages, and the innumerable calls
If constituents and visitors of all sorts
that now go TO fill a senator's rime were
then an unknown quantity. kilograms
we're an unknown trial. for there was no
telegraph. and imperfect postal facilities
made letters infreduent, while personal
letters we're few and far between. for
a visit of a few hundred miles to Wash
ington then was more of an undertaking
than a trip of as many thousand miles
in This age of steam and electricity.
Bat it came to pass when Andrew Jack
son took the reine of government, and
the Senate had grown 60 be a ponderous
body OF twenty-siX members, that the ao~
emulation of work on the floor OF chc
senate called for some labOr-saving device.
Tnere was also at the time a rage for
office-making and appointment, and the
Senate created the position of page.
Capt. BasseJrs only predecessor in Of
ice was GrantOn ID. Hanson, who was
appointed in 1929 on the recommendation
of his grandfather, Gen. MontJoy Bayley
the scrgeant-at-arms. Mr. Hanson even
tuallv graduated to the position of chief
clerk in the office of the paymaster gen
eral of the war department., which he
honorahly filed for thirty-foyr years, and
still fills in spite of his advanced years
The next page appointed was Capt Chen
Little Isaac'D Bassett, a delicate hoy
of II years. His sponsor was Daniel " eb-
ster who always took a kindly interest
in the lad, an affection that was warmly
reciprocated by the page.
Young Isaac Bassett was a native If
Washington, being born here inS1S19, when
the city. was just arising from. the
slashes," and had not risen very far, Ell
Their. His father was Stmeon BassetL
from Milford, Conn, and his mother was
of Irish birth. It is a little remarkable
that when the young page had been but
a short while in his new position Hon
est John Davis" of Massachusetts, noting
his careful faithfulness in the discharge
Of his duties, predicted that the Senate
hall would be the scene of his life work
1t has proved a faithful prophecy. From
page to messenger, and from messenger to
assistant doorkeeper, Capt. Bassett has
served the Senate for siXtyfour years. ne
has come to be as much fixture in the
hall as the Vice Presidents desk or the
marble clock which ne was wont to turn
back at the end of each March session
when some special legislation was desired
TO be contaminated
Capt. Bassetts position in the Senate is
hardly understood by the outside world.
In the House there is a doorkeeper and
sergeant-at-arms In the senate the office
is one and the same and the assistant door
keeper is just as much the assistant SER
geant-at-armS.
This is the position hsid by Capt. Bias
sett, and it is by the title, assistant ser
geant-at-arms, that he prefers to be
known. His duties embrace the general
housekeeping of the Senate the seating
of the members, and the actual police
work of the sergeant-at-arms, when the
latter is called upon to act in that capac-
ity. 1t was in this latter capacity in his
younger days that Capt. Bassett once
had to face a drawn revolver, one of the
few that has ever been drawn in the Sen
ate chamber 1t was in the hands of the
elder Salisbury, who was at the time, to
speak plainly very drunk. He had been
raising six or seven different sorts of
row during the session and was finally or
Capt. Bassett went TO take him into Gus
tody, when Salisbury drew revolver and
pointed il full at him. You touch me an
III shoot t head off you exclaimed the
calmly approached and laid his hand on
his shouldcr. when some of the other mem
bers came up and coaXed their unruly col
league out to take drink. Capt: Bassett
in telling this story always says, however,
that he was careful to notice that the
senators revolver was not cooked
tain's duties have not led him into such
stormy paths. In fact, they have been
largely nominal. He still sees to the
seating of the members, however ana Is
always on hand to carry out any of the
solemn formalities, such as introducing
messengers frcm the President or the
House of Representatives. He also signs
all the caucus calls for the party IN
The old gentleman is very secretive.
and although he is a mine Of remit
niscence and information concerning all
the prominent statemen for more than
two score years past, he tells but little
write book. he says. If he does 1T will
make interesting reading.
Capt. Bassett has. always been a
favorite in the House, both as a boy
and young man, and now that he has
reached his advanced age he is looked
upon by all the members with a kindly
yeperation as the emblem of the old Or
Senate.
When he was stiI one Of the younges,
ster, who, in fact, got him the appoint
ment; He has favorite story or
how he fell from grace with this great
man. The young page, according TO his
own account, grew a trifle gay with his
elders and one day when Webster, who
MN out for a carriage he returned and
reported, rather flippantly, that he could
not md one. Then Webster arose in
MAJESTY and power, and with the heavy
ffrown and thunderous voice with which
ne was wont to silence his political adj
Eersaries, said: boy go find me a car
G ia5 you fd have TO go all the way to
Georgetown was as far then as Alex
ShuTla IS now aud Capt. Bassett went
forthwith. But he said that from thar
Edg I0rth he never again sat on Web
IT was not often that the captain was
ogt OF favor, however. He has been the re-
SIpeht OF numerous marks of attention
rom the Senate. On the anniversary of
1ls hfty years of service he was presented
WIN a beautiful silver snuff-box being one
1II the very few in the capitol who still
Ntpt up that ancient custom. The presen-
SSduop was made by the President of the
senate with a public address.
IN 1875, on his birthday he was present
"a with an oil painting by a number of
oAf senators. This was accompanied by
3 beautifully engrossed letter signed by
ii7eIla or Anthony ION behalf of the mem
;1ers OF the Senate, irrespective of party"
~ testimonial of their appreciation and
Lesard of the official, who had served them
20 long and faithfully. The portrait was
~ Ihorp, and was painted from sketch
iilIaue OF the captain from the Senate gal
4elF without his knowledge.
c, On the occasion of his golden wedding
i5SIdtor Evarts and a number of his col
aetdgues presented him with a handsome
IIlNer salver, and he received a second
esidLqsome snuff-boX from Senator STAN
fofd, when the latter was in the Senate.
hn