Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-04-01

snuff and return ta hIs place. Tho senate still provides snuff for its members. Reg ularly each yrar appears in tho report of tho expenses of tho secretary of the senate For nvc pound jar Barnum's mixture snuff for Use uf United States senate, $3. ' Most of this snuff is consumed by Captain Bassctt, but his gold snufTbox is always at the service of senators, and one or two of thCm-nUtably Senator MuTrill-sjiIl tako pinch from it occasionally.
 Captain EasSctt' little rcCuliaritics in cludo morU than snUI taking. Iic dresses invariably in NaCk out of respect for tho senate. He has two suits of clothing made each year. One is frACk suit Of black broadcluth, and it is always shining and spOtlcsS. Tho other suit is lighter in weight and is for summer Usc. IEc coat is of black alpaca. and with this hr wears n white vest. The captains hair Is long and silky, Every morning he comes to the senate barrier shop and has it dressed. The barhCr hIIIshts it straight down the back of his head la point about an inch above his standing collar. ThCru the straight fall k broken into aTCSul1r wave Every hair follows exactly tho dirrc,iAn of its fellows. This CoitTurc th,. ,u',. ain prcSS rvCs thruu-h"Ut ;hc uuy. Nu; ,yvn the eldest Invmh,r ,f the senate clu say 2 Supporting tho dignity of the srua;, k Bass tt's chief d"ty, Another k tn kv p the pages up unv side of th1 v!rr |. -! dent . rustFum in order \ third iS tn meet the q; rk frn;n the hOUS, Vr Jh' pri- vatc secretary from tho executive mansion bearing q message tu tho senate and tn announce him tO tho presiding Uiiir, r. IL is in this OCcupati..,l, where he spreads Lis long legs Compa~>liko and ducks his ven erablr head, saying hulrScly. "A message from the president Uf the United Statcs!' that ho is most familiar to the public.
 He Controls the Clock.
 His most unique performance is on the last day of the short session when tho hour of nOun approaches. At five minutes bc- forc 13 o'clock Captain BaS>Ctt walks down the aislruf thv senate hCaring long pole and pnkCS the hands of the big clock back To or l5 minutes. Now congress does not expire at noon hy the senate clock. It expires at midday No court has ever passed on the question, but it would not surprise a grCat many people who have seen Captain Bassrtt go through this absurd performance if some net of congress of great importance was some | day invalidatvd ny the supreme court be cause it was signed by tho president after midday of March 1.
 Tho salary which Captain Bassett draws for performing tho onrrous duties which have described is $}, ,oY3 a year. That is not at all bad, and yet, ConSidcrin. the | fact that the captain does not come in for | tho ''CXtraS" which are distributed >n free | ly among the senate clerks, it iS by com pariSun Eut rXCcSSivC. Tho srr.,ruut at- arms draws $l,iUU and tho secretary ui the senate $3, S46. And each of th,->, "tli CillS has prrqui>i;y<. For example, Scc- rotary Cox draws n regular amuUnt from | tho Cuu;iUEvut fund for Ih" hirV If hvrs. | aEG carriage tu tIkr l;i, S>:'G,N tD the Vr',- i,!'.nt, wh;lr tine clerks whn .-n tn th, | White lInu~r wilh tllv~v invS>a:,S travel in the cI->. l'ut th,n every "nr in Inc :, n ate employ gets a~ much out of l. nrlr Sam as hc can. The senate librarian, for rX- ample, has le.rn drawing $I GOO a year foI | many years, in addition to his salary of $3,2U0, for preparing an index which i, | never published. Hardly year ra~>,'S that $l,O"O ar $1,W0 iS not given to elm | pluyrrS for 'iluvx" or other work Gcnl during regular uiliCc hours. And with few exceptions an annual sum of so, ,uOb ur l $iu. .OOo k given aS an extra unnth' pay to men who under the general Inv usually receive l3 months salary for six months work
 GihI:IE Gi:A% THAN bAlN