The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-01-14
THE SUPREME COURT CIRCLE.
II Forms n Self Interested Social Commit
nifty In the National Capital.

nifty In the National Capital.
A serious faced, sombcr CARRIED and high
halted procession is one of Washington's
interesting everyday sights. 1t occurs ON
Pennsylvania avenue. 1t Is the solemn
march Of the justices Of the supreme court
from tho capitol to their homes in the fash
ionablc west end. At 4 O'Clock the court
adiourns 1t matters not IL counsel Is in
the middle of an argument. The justices
sit where their eyes fall upon the face of
the marble clock over the door As the
long hand vcrged on IL and the short hand
Is at 4. the chief justice stops the proceed
lngs and announces that the hour Of ad-
iournment has arrived. There is only ono
instance on record In 10 years when the
session has been prolonged beyond the usu-
al hour. That was when Mr.. Cleveland,
then cx- president, made his only appear
ance before the court. At O'Clock he had
not quite finished his argument. Chief
| Justice Fuller interrupted with the usual
announcement.
IL have but little more to say" replied
| the cx-president thumbing two or three
| typcwritten sheets Il would much prefer
| to finish tonight, so that l can take train
| for New York"
With that Mr.. Cleveland proceeded. The
chief Justice bowed, and the court sat un-
| til 20 minutes past 4. 1t was great in
novation.
Ten minutes after the adjournment
| the members of the court are swinging
down the avenue Mt a five miles an hour
gait. Sometimes they are in pairs, some
times in threes, sometimes singly. Rarely
they are in chatty mood and talk and
laugh. Oftener they stride along with
their heads bent forward, each absorbed in
his own thoughts and preoccupied to that
degree that he may pass members OF his
own family without recognition.
The supreme court circle forms little
community of itself for social ends. 1t
has its days and its dinners The esprit
de corps is strong. 1t embraces the fami-
lies, tho private secretaries, the officers of
the court, and even extends to employees
and servants. The supreme court page
for tho court has n corps of pages to go fol
books and papers and to bring glasses OF
water--fecls that he Is an entirely differ
ent young person from the senate or house
page. Then there are the supreme court
messengers. Each justice has mcssen
ger. AS soon as new justice comes tC
town he is called upon by the cOlorcd mar
who served his predecessor. The colOrct
man introduces himself and Immediately
assumes all of those minor duties and cares
which come within the province of wei
trained messenger. 10 some new justic,
1t is novel sensation to have messenger
take charge of him One of these mcsscn
: gers called upon a western appointcc ani
briefly announced;
Il was the messenger of the late Mr.
= Justice So-and-so."
"Well2" asked the successor
1 ''Ivc come to be your messenger, sni,
the colored man.
, II don't know that l need your scrv
. ices replied the justice.
"Oh, yes, sir" said the colorcd man
you do. Every member of the cot has
> messenger. I'm yours.
t Unabashed by the protest and the coo
ness, the colorcd man attached himse
= without further explanation and entcre
upon his duties. The service may scei
> awkward at first, but the justices soon fin
, that 10 is pleasing. There Is no cas- o
record of justice dispensing with h
messenger after tho ice is once broken.-
Leslie's Weekly.