Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-10

of whatever has age led him to preserve
above his door the old number marked in
gilt letters, which designated his home be-
He looked upon the mo. 49, as a usurper of
No: 3s7." His wife is living and he has
two sons, Isaac Bassett, jr., and Geo. Bas-
sett. and daughter, while there is an Isaac
Senate until he developed into manhood,
when he sought other employment. In 1883
capt. and Mrs. Bassett celebrated their
golden wedding, and on that occasion
members of the United States Senate, as
wei as handsome written testimonial
signed by Henry B. Anthony. and accom-
panied by a portrait of himself in oil.
capt. Bassett is one of two men employed
IN the service of the Senate who are appro-
prlated for by name, Besides his salary of
$1.O94 per annum, he Is given $500 by direct
appropriation.
Faithful to His Trust.
MANY are the stories that are told Of
Capt. Bassett, nearly all of them being in
stances of his great fidelity to duty. During
the war Capt. Bias sett went into the Senate
to find several soldiers busy defacing the
desk formerly occupied by Jefferson Davis.
They were hacking the woodwork with
their bayonets. Bassett promptly went to
them and in his quiet way remarked:
mat desk was used by Mr.. Davis, but
It's the property of the United States, and
L am here to protect it. Please don't touch
1t again."
The captains argument was needed, and
the desk romans in the Senate now, being
used by Senator Cockrell Of Missouri.
Capt Bassett was lover of relics. Every
desk in the Senate had a history known to
him. These desks are nearly all of great
age, though they are kept in such thorough
repair that they have the appearance of
being new. He could tell who had used
L. lash r,;-
personal incidents connected with the SEN
ate property. 1t was such things that ap-
pealed to him. He knew little about the
political business of the Senate, and while
he thought little of the great political sig
nificance of a speech, he would remember
the speech and it's peculiar effect the
senate and the occupants of the galleries.
he had no politics, except that he was an
intense Union man. and to him the country
was one, and political divisions seemed in
significant. All Senators were simply
senators to him, and that title called
forth his most intense interest and respect.
It was enough for him to know that a
Senator wanted something He was sure
to have it if the captain could supply it.
republicans and democrats were alike to
him. They were all kind to him, and he
knew they were all Senators
1t Wasn't Cooked.
An instance occurred about quarter of
century ago which showed how cool
Capt. Bassett could be under trying cir
cumstances. 1t was in connection with
that famous, exciting scene which took
place in the Senate lobby when Senator
Willard salisbury came to the Capitol in a
condition which caused him to lose control
OF himself. Senator Salisbury was to be
quieted, and the inoffensive Bassett was
chosen to approach him in order to pacify
shim The former didn't quite understand
what Capt. Bassett was going to do, and,
drawing a pistol, he placed it's muzzle to
the captains chest, saying, in an excited
tone of voice:
IF you touch me I'll kill you"
Capt. Bassett didn't vince, and the pistol
was not fired. When he talked of the Incl
dent, which brought him many congratu-
lations for his GOODNESS, he said:
But 1 looked at the pistol, and saw it
wasn't cooked"
When there was a high state of excite
ment prevalent during the Tilden electoral
incident, 1t was the duty of Capt. Bassett
to carry papers from one house of Con-
gress to the other. An innocent partici-
pant in the proceeding, yet Capt. Bassett
was the victim of a good deal of hard feel
ing and he received anonymous letters
inclination to wreak vengeance on the in
offensive official may appear, he was, in a
measure, a target for cranks but he main
tanned his outward calm aspect for which
he was always known.
His "Reminiscences.
A favorite theme of Capt. BasSett has
been his declared determination to write a
book CT "reminiscences, and it is known that
he has couple of trunks filled with ma
terial with which to construct his work
He is supposed to have considerable manu-
script in shape to be published. but being
very reticent about all his actions there is
no one who has very definite idea of what
his material consists. 1t is supposed to be
nj IN
personal matters which have occurred in
the Senate within his memory and of which
he has been an eye witness. AS he cared
little for political questions, and took no
interest in them, it is not likely that any
papers he has left contain more than
sketches of personal incidents.
Many stories are related of the simplic-
ity of the life of Capt. Bassett. He was
entirely free from anything that could in
the most remote way be termed a diSSipa-
ton. He was a total abstainer from to-
bacco. He hardly knew the taste of wine,
but he did indulge in pinches of snuff a
habit he acquired in the old days in the
Senate and he always had charge of the
senatorial snuff boxes, which remain in the
Senate chamber to this day, though they
have become obsolete. The captain has
been presented with number of handsome
snuff boxes, and he has exchanged pinches
of snuff with many of the most famous
men in the history of this country.
In the Same Company.
Senator German has always had es-
pecially kind place in his heart for Capt.
Bassett whose acquaintance he made when.
as page he revered the captain and re-
garded him as one of the greatest men in
the country. Mr.. German knew Capt. Bas-
sett quite we'll in his early days. During
the war when the venerable assistant door
keeper was elected captain of a military
company in the District of Columbia,
young German was chosen lieutenant in
the same command. The company was
drilled by Capt. Bassett, and it became pro-
ficent as one of the means for defending
the Capitol. 1t was never called out in
active service, how ever. 1t was by this
service that Mr.. Bassett became Capt"
Bassett as he has since been known.
BUILDING MATERIALS.
Interesting Experiments Made to De-