The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-03-12

Il, II ne Ewes and wants to remain. He
is tie orphan son of the late Senator
Kenna, OF West Virginia. His fathe.
had many friends and no enemies
among the public men of this genera
tioc 1t viii make no difference
whether the senate shall have a demo
cratic or q republican organization;
Senator Kenna's son will be cared for.
It would not be Surprising if young
Eenna should duplicate in measure
the life of Senator German, of Mary
was little boy.
1t is not generally known, but the
pages live in an age limit; that is to say,
they must be twelve years of age in or.
der to be appoi nted, but they cannot
remain as pages after they reach their
sixteenth year. 1t is usually a very
sorry day for the average page boy
when his seventeenth birthday comes
around. He VIII have to be some years
older, much wiser, and better educated
before he can earn as much money as
pages receive.
When the age limit is reached and a
number of the boys are dropped, four
of them are selected to be riding pages.
Their selection depends on their
records for efficiency and faithfulness.
The page on the floor of the senate
draws S2-5o'a day during the session of
congress The riding page receives
$3.50 day the year round and has a
horse to ride. His duties keep him out
of doors a great part of the time, car
irving messages between the capitol and
che departments. The position is con-
sidered more desirable than that OF
apage. Fifty years ago the pages
received s1.5o day for the SEES
sion and the lump sum of $500 at
the end of the session to keep them
during the recess This pay and al
1owance were doaIbsed in 1s45. The
page now receives nothing for the re-
cess He is supposed to have land by
enough out of his salary to keep him
going until congress meets again. The
riding pages are envied by all boys of
their age in the entire city. They are
bright boys, all of them, and they feel
their Importance, too. AS the bearers
up to the doors of tho executive de-
partments, or even of the white house,
and in they march without hindrsnce
or delay.
The son, of the late Senator Riddle
berger, of Virginia, was appointed to
be a page, soon after his fathers death.
The widows of Senator Riddleberger
and Senator Kerna are benefited by
the salaries their boys receive. OF
course when the senate is not in session
the pages receive no pay. But the IN
rome of each page averages $3.50 wear.
This is great deal more than the aver.
age youth needs to keep him going, but
usually the page has some one depend
emit OF him, at least in part In fact the
pages are appointed in some instances
because they are the sons of widows
and deserving of assistance. If the
senate wished to do SO it could obtain
labor for much smaller sum, but il
could not obtain anywhere a more re-
fned-lookipg, courteous set of little
gentlemen than those who answer to
the clapping of senator's hands and
ruu his errands TO the document-roor,
ar the library. They wear knee breeches,
Feat little roundabouts, silk stockings
and wcll-polished shoes. Their faces
CAD hands are clean, their hair careful
" brushed, their finger nails polished,
and each of them looks as if he had
Just come out OF a bandbox, pretty and
sweet enough to be kissed.
The duties of page to-day are the
same as they were one hundred years
ago and the work is light and agreea-
bic. The page must be on duty at nine
O'Clock each morning, but the serious
business Of the day does not begin until
noon, when the senate meets. Before
that time he arranges the files of the