The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-04-01


very mysteriously and says that he ex-
poets to publish it before very long. No
one has ever seen the first sheet of the
captains manuscript, and so the Bas-
sett "reminiscences have come to be a
byword in Washington.
In personal conversation Bassett usu-
ally refuses to talk about any of his
heroes. He surrounds them with mys-
terry, shaking his head ominously with
an expression which is intended to
mean, 81 could tell some things if I
would. " But beyond the fact that Web
ster and Clay were great speakers; that
Clay used snuff persistently and that
Webster and Douglas drank too much
he has nothing for the public ear. He
will not even identify the desks which
were used by these great men. He
claims that he can distinguish them by
private marks, and that he has a record
which refreshes his memory when that
is necessary, but he is afraid that if the
visitors to the senate chamber knew
which desk was used by Webster they
would chip pieces from it for relics.
There is no doubt that Webster's desk
is on the senate floor, and so are all the
other desks which were put in use about
so years ago. There were SO of these
mahogany desks originally.
Snuff In the Senate.
Captain Bassett has a number of SOU
venirs of his service, but the most nota-
BILE of these is the snuffbox of gold
which was presented to him by the SEN
ators on the occasion of the fiftieth an
niversary of his appointment as a page.
He delights in explaining that he ac-
quired the taste for snuff taking by fol-
lowing the example of Henry Clay. In
those days snuff was kept for the Use of
senators in box which stood on a shelf
near the presiding officers desk. Mr.
Clay never brought his own snuffbox
with him to the senate for fear that if
it was before hin he would take too
much. He usually called one of the two
pages when he wanted a pinch. Or if
they were busy he would walk down
the aisle of the chamber, sometimes in
the middle of a speech, calmly take his
snuff and return to his place. The SEN
ate still provides snuff for its members.
Regularly each year appears in the re-
port of the expenses of the secretary of
the senate, 'fFor five pound jar Bar
NUNS mixture snuff for use of United
States senate, So" Most of this snuff is
consumed by Captain Bassett, but his
gold snuffbox is always at the service
of senators, and one or two of them
notably Senator Morrill--stin take a
pinch from it occasionally.
Captain Bassett's little peculiarities
include more than snuff taking. He
dresses invariably in black out of respect
for the senate. He has two suits of cloth
ing made each year. One is froek suit
Of black broadcloth, and it is always
shining and spotless. The other suit is
lighter in weight and is for summer use.
The coat is of black alpaca, and with
this he wears a white vest. The cap
tain's hair is long and silky. Every
morning he comes to the senate barber
shop and has it dressed. The barber
brushes it straight down the back of his
head to point about an inch above his
standing collar. There the straight fall
is broken into a regular wave. Every
hair follows exactly the direction of its
fellows. This couture the captain pre-
serves throughout the day. Not even the
Oldest mem Der of the senate can say that
he ever saw Bassett's hair rumpled
Supporting the dignity of the senate is
Bassett's chief duty. Another is to keep
the pages on one side of the vice presi-
dents rostrum in order. A third is to
meet the clerk from the house OF the pri-
vate secretary from the executive man.
sion bearing a message to the senate and
to announce him to the presiding Off
Ger. It is in this occupation, where he
spreads his long legs compasslike and
ducks his venerable head, saying hoarse-
", ga message from the president of
the United States I" that he is most IA
miliar to the public.
He Controls the Clock.
His most unique performance is on
the last day of the short session when
the hour of noon approaches. At five
minutes before 10 O'Clock Captain Bias
sett walks down the aisle of the senate
bearing a long pole and pokes the hands
Of the big clock back 10 or 10 minutes.
Now congress does not expire at noon
by the senate clock. 1t expires at mid
day. No court has ever passed on the
question, but it would not surprise 8
great many people who have seen Cap.
tain Bassett go through this absurd per
Torrance if some act of congress of great
Importance was some day invalidatec
by the supreme court because it was
signed by the president after midday Of
March 4.
The salary which Captain Bassett
draws for performing the onerous dutie:
which l have described is So, 092 year
That is not at all bad, and yet, consid
ering the fact that the captain does moi
coma in for the fsextras'' which ara dis
tributed SO freely among the senate
| clerks, it is by comparison not excessive
| The sergeant-at-arms draws 81, 500 anC
the secretary of the senate So, 396. Ant
each of these officials has perquisites
For example, Secretary Cox draws /;
regular amount from the contingent
| fund for the hire of horse and carriage
to take messages to the president, while
the clerks who go to the White Hous'
with these messages travel in the cars