davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-07

sometimes. but not always. grants eN-
ira months pay to the boys at the end
of the session.
Col Ransdell considers himself practi-
cally the guardian of the boys under his
charge. He takes pains to learn if candi-
dates for employment have mothers or
other relatives in Washington who can
exercise the necessary supervision over
them. The colonel feels that the boys are
at an age when they are peculiarly In
need of mothers care and, no matter
how fatheriy his interest in them may
be. it is impossible for him to take the
place of father and mother and home to
young. active. eager boys who may he
cast on their own resources for intel
lectual and physical amusement in
strange city.
Considering the character and type of
boys selected for service in the Senate
chamber, one would look for them to
achieve honorable careers. regardless of
their experience in the Capitol. Many of
them would succeed anywhere. but their
experience here must undeniaby result in
great advantage to them. If boy is stu
dous and ambitious he will be sure to at
tract the attention of some senator who
will be likely TO aid him materially in
getting along in the world. AS ilustri-
to. there are held up for their emulation
such men as former Senator Arthur p.
German and Maj Gen. John NJ. Wilson.
both of whom in their youth were pages
on the floor of the Senate. While these
cases are most often quoted. they are not
alone. Many pages have grown up to be
honorable, distinguished and successful
men. and their training on the Senate
floor has been no small factor in their
success.
There is no special system Of education
mapped out for the boys. but they are
encouraged to keep up their studies so
that their education will not suffer by
reason of their being out of school.
Quite a number of them go to night
school. and this course Is encouraged.
They are also encouraged to go to church
and to spend their holidays and spare
hours in q proper manner. OF course. the
boys whose homes are In Washington
need no other guardians than their nat
ural ones. but they are just as much OBJ
jects of interest to the senators and the
sergeant-at-arms as the rest
At the present time the personnel of the
corps of pages is follows: Mclean b.
Smith, Roy L. Doe. William w. Schwartz.
Louis D. Wine, Henry Mainwaring Stan
ton +. kalk. Daniel Coyle Wilkinson.
Louis Fl. Bayly. John c. Clemson. Kelvin
NJ. Pardoe, Kenneth ID. Legge, all of the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-07
THE HOTEL CLERK ON MOUNTAIN CLIMBING

circumstances but l think 1t was was Il
tell he was one of those besotted crea-
lures who actually enjoy the sight Of
suffering which he himself has been the
cause of. He meandered around awhile
longer, gassing about the view. and then
when my Adams apple had abated Its
more violent paroXysms and l had sue
tongue back into its accustomed recess
under the rafters of my mouth we start
ed down again.
You'd be surprised. Larry, to see how
easy il is to come down a steep noun
tain. You merely go to the edge and let
CO. and after that you have no worry or
concern about the return trip until you
near the foot of the mountain and begin
TO pick out the spot where you'd like to
hit. OF course. | presume man falling
out of a balloon on still day could
come down faster, but he would not be
handicapped by catching his clothes in
briar bushes or snaSging his nose on :,
wild grape vine swinging across the trail
as | did every now and then. or jammng
his face into the trunks of trees, such rs
other trees. some with smooth bark and
some with the rougher and more painful
kinds of bark on them. He wouldn't en-
counter any of those backsets. natur ally
Still we did pretty well. | think I
of the record We made coming down that
mountain 1t took us all of four hours
to go up. and We came down in trife
less than seventeen minutes. / could have
made even better time than that, but
about half way down l stubbed my foot
and stopped and went back and looked
for something I'd lost. 1t would not
have appealed to some people, perhaps,
being merely a toenail off one of ny
toes and possibly others might NOT have
cared for it or priced it greatly because 1t
was damaged SOoQS any flOW, having met
with a previous injury through a ham
mer falling on it, that made it look some
thing like a Brazil nut but l had had it
a long time and ii gave moderate salts
faction and l felt more or less attached
to it. So ] stopped and went back for
it. That was what delayed me So then
we got to the foot and while he went on
and notified the hotel people to send 4
team for me 1 picked pine needles and
splinters and boughs of the mountain
ash and other souvenirs out of myself
and was not bit lonely until the wagon
came. Then I stayed i'm bed a couple Of
days and then | came home as you see
me now"
Poets is allus wrtin about the beau
ties of the mountains?'' said the House
Detective. casually.
Yes. | know" said the Hotel Clerk.
But the poets don't climb the noun
tains.'
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-07
That Tired Feeling.

TOHN c. JOHNSON. Philadelphia ia
nous lawyer, was discussing drunken
ness from the legal point of View IN the
smoke room OF The Rotterdam
No said MIR Johnson, smiling. the
Law doesn't take the eccentric view of
drunkenness that prevails among hard
drinkers.
"A hard drinker view of drunkenness
j. very odd. I once examined Il man who
mad been seen by several witnesses snor-
ing over large beer and small whisky
IN saloon. This man though, swore he
was not drunk
:" I was only he said, fatsued with
6rinkiu'.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-07

Talmud student would have been worth
quite sum of money to me at that
hotel. After feeling the waiter suitably
I'd go out on the porch and sit around
and endeavoring to figure out in my
mind why I'd come there. So naturally
under those circumstances when a fell
low came along and proposed climbing a
mountain l up and said yes before l had
time for that maturer reflection that
nearly always comes to me. some time
foolish proposition.
Larry, you'd be surprised to death tn
see how plain simple North American
mountain can deceive you. Viewing her
at a distance she appears to be merely
large blue rectangular chunk of geog-
raphy, with smooth, downy sides. sloping
gently upward to broad plateau where
the tufted clouds kiss the fir trees and
cooling breezes watt athwart. But when
eASN>''A
both shocked and panied to discover that
she's suddenly become as steep as the
north side of the Singer building. except
where she's full of cracks Just wide
enough for person of about my general
build to fall down into 'em when he's
not looking and scrape all the sheli-lac
off his shins.
Before we'd been climbing five min.
utes l had strong presentiment that
would not enjoy this expedition as much
as have some other things in my fair
young life. The desire to sit right dow n
where | was and wait for a hack or a
mule or a ST. Bernard rescue dog or
something, kept growing until there was
hardly room for me ana the desire inside
of the same suit of clothes. But would
look at the party who'd organized the
trip forging sturdily on ahead and I'd re-
member that people said there were bears
at large on that mountain and I'd get
right up and forge on ahead myself. Only
i am not Il success as a 1OrEer. If ever
l turn to life of crime l will not try
forgery. l realize that I am not gated
properly for it.
I'VE climbed and climbed and climbed
and climbed. After which to vary the
monotony we then climbed. And after
awhile reason began to totter on her
throne l have an indistinct recollection
that my tongue hung SO far down on my
chest that it looked like a red necktie. a
circumstance which naturally annoyed me.
because l do not wear red neckties any
how. and i find l can get more satisfac-
ton out of a tongue when it is inside of
my face. But that was merely the be-
ginning. Later that tongue became
"A pink lap robe. but yellow at the tip like
a harness strap where the dust had set
tied. and | was afraid il might get down
between my legs and interfere with my
knee action. Yet ever onward and up
ward. but principally upward. strobe
my sturdy companion. often turn
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-07
Radium III Surgery.

From the British Medical Aournal
Sir Freder.c ok Treves considers that We
have practically reached the therapeutic
Limitations of the N-rays. the high fire.
auency current and the F'insen light but
tina. in radium we still have UNEMPLOYED
fields of usefulness.
This writer believes. without desiring
20 raise false hopes. that radum will
cure every form OF naevuS, whether il
Is a port wine stain. II pigmented mole
hairy mole. and rodent ulcer which
has not yielded to the Fiusen light or
the N-rays. and that too, in two sit
tnGs Of one hour each. Wonders are
also accomplished in the early stages Of
epithelioma Of the lip and tongue.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-07

sufficient energy to work little. should
be the happiest man in the world IN
fortunately. my moods of melancholy and
misanthropy keep me from doing any
thing. l spend my evenings reading Bos-
wells famous biography. Johnson. with
all his obesity and awkwardness, led
singularly happy life. He was petted
by all his lady friends. and he bullied
every one who came near him until the
day of his death. l cannot imagine
more diverting existence.
Running a newspaper In Russia is no
fun. for many reasons. One of them is
the lack of support which the press re-
ceiyes in the land of the car. where few
are readers The Slovo. one of the small
number of daiiies published in ST. Peters
burg, was we'll edited and readable but
ii has just gone bust for want of sub
scrbers.
Even the best known dailies in the Rus
sian capital have surprisingly small cir
culations The Noyoe Nremya possesses
the largest-about I3.0Oa-while papers like
the Noyosti and the Viedomosti are con-
tent with 1o,DGo although both have a
world wide reputation and the former
numbers Camille Flammarion and other
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-07


that government letter carrier does for
wages. Then. too. | was filled with
mad desire to escape from the hotel
where I'd put up. 1t was on of those
regular summer hotels, stuck on the side
of hill like a wasp nest. 1t had mvre
LIS than there are in Welsh family
name and more halls and cross halls and
double cross halls than there are in the
catacombs When it came to twisting
around and doubling back and running
into blind alleys, that system of intoNi-
Gated hotel halls had the mystic maze
looking like the ground plan of a hem
house.
''Of morning l used to venture out of
my coy suite consisting of a room that
was crowded to suffocation, containing
one window one bed. one tooth brush
and me. and I'd wander on and on blind
or eight different staircases ran up in
seven eight different directions and
just sit down there and scream for help
until one of the official guides called 4
bell hop came and rescued me and led
me to the dining room, which was large
airy hotel dining room abutting on the
tween. The only time the flies that lived
in the stable quit biting the horses was ut
meal time. when they varied the pro-
gram by coming into the dining room and
biting the guests. The cuspe was some
thing to dream about afterward. l shall
never forget the arst morning, when
ordered rum omelet.''
We'll, wasn't it a rum omelet ali
right" asked the House Detective.
1T was. indeed. said the Hotel Clerk
Il think it was probably the rummiest
omeet that l ever met face to face
Old Chief Rummy of the celebrated Rum
dunn tribe couldn't have worked up 2
most palmy days Dinner was a great
institution, too. If anything happened 20
a chicken in the kitchen they brought it
to me. There'd also be several unsolved
mysteries served in canary bird bath
tubs with suspicious circumstance gravy
around EN- and reasonable doubt sauce
poured on EN-. the repast concluding with
small slab of Pish Tush ice cream and
some
You mean pistache ice cream" inter-
rupted the House Detective
Not this kind said the Hotel Clerk
This was the genuine Pish Tush brand.
although some of the guests used even
stronger language in speaking of it, After
all that the waiter would bring me the
bill. and as l contemplated the total, the
grand total. if l may use the term. Id
be filed with deep regret that | never
lea rned Hebrew I might read that
menu from right To left and come to the
prices OF the things before | came to the
things themselves. the prices and not
things being the main issue. Being a
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-07

their qualifications are considered with
great care.
Col. Daniel NJ. Ransdell. sergeant-at-
arms of the Senate. has charge of the
page boys. 1t is his business to APP
point them and he has established the
practice of selecting them on the recon-
menda lions of the various senator's.
The recommendation of a senator. how
ever. is not sufficient in itself to secure
an appointment. there are several
things to be taken into consideration.
To begin with. there are some funda-
mental requirements which cannot ne
changed or overlooked. For one thing.
no boy may be employed who is under
twelve years of age who is over
sixteen. Onehalf of the sixteen boys
are selected at the beginning of each
session of Congress. Eight new boys
are on hand in December when the next
session begins, and 1t may be stated
that seven of the eight have already
been chosen by Col. Ransdell.
How much depends on these little chaps
who aid very much in making the ma
tons laws may be Judged from the state
ment Of Col. Ransdel that they are the
most important element on the floor of
the Senate chamber for the prompt.
pleasant and satisfactory discharge of
public business. The senators would be
at a loss what to do without them.
Called by the snap of the fingers, they
must respond like fash, darling be-
tween desks and lodging senators who
ma De standing, perhaps, IN InelT pdti,
and receiving In their ready ears NUT
tered word or a name that the average
person might find hardly Ineligible. The
boys, however. seldom ask for explana-
TONS but with nod and look of COM
prehension they dash away for the book.
report or bill, or whatever it may be that
the senator. very likely engrossed in a
speech he is making or about to make.
may need. And 1t is a rare thing that
boy has to be sent twice because the
first time he failed in his mission
1t is obvious. therefore, that to be a
successful page boy must be prompt,
bright. affable. quick, accurate, alert.
willing and ambitious. With all this Is
presupposed such education as BOY
under twelve can acquire. Sluggards are
not wanted, nor boys with bad DISPOSE
lions Naturally the highest moral char
acter is an absolute requisite. 1t has
happened that boys with unpardonabi
faults have been employed, but they were
sent home as soon as their peculiarities
were discovered. The practice and the
purpose of Col Ransdell is to make sure
before a boy is employed that he is
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-07
An Unhappy Recollection.

From tine ST Louis Globe Democrat.
Mrs kragg-I see they have just cele-
brated the centenary Of Mendelssohn.
Mr. kragg-Tve always felt a prejudice
against that fellow.
Mrs. Kragg-Why?
Mr. krags-Every time ! hear this con-
founded wedding march / think Of our
wedding!
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-07
Literary Sensation When
Memoirs Are Published
CORRESPONDENCE of The STAR.

LONDON. July 30. 1909.
COMMITTING like a sensation is eX-
pected to be caused in France short
~ by the publication of some racy
memoirs. which were supposed to have
been safely burned. They are those of
the famous Gen. de Galliffet. who died re-
Gently. Almost decade ago the general
sanctioned the publication of q few ex-
tracts from tie "reminiscences which he
had begun to write but he was said to
have been so enraeed at the chilling re-
ception Of those photographed frag-
ments that he threw the remaining man
uscripts into the fire.
That such was their fate. however is
now denied Vigorously by NJ Jules ciar-
cite who atfirms III the Temps that the
extracts referred to We're merely dis
clIrSite memoranda TO which the general
alta ched no Importance. Later Cabinet
set to work seriously on his remlnis-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-07

FrunI The talcUfta StatesnAn.
owing 10 the active campaign which
tho state Of san Pauoi is conducting i'll
England for the sale Of Brazilian coffee.
the Indian tea industry should take early
aud effective steps Ia main ain its inter-
.stS hy iudicious advertising in the Unit
I'd Kingdom.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-07

cepces which he told his friends would
be published only after his death. Sew
eral years ago he wrote to NJ. Claretie,
II have begun my fifth volume.
'Gallifet's memoirs of Paris. the court.
the army and of life in general-what II
mine of information these pages will be-
says NJ. Claretie. "A world which has dis
appeared will live again: it will be a
procession of phantoms. another Revue
nocturne.' / have heard him describe the
death-the suicide-Of Nine. BaZaine.. a
story the empress wished had not been
told: private recollect6ns of Prince Je-
rome Napoleon and conversations with
Gambetta. All these We're living and
astonishing passages Of history. 1t would
be regrettable. indeed, were these remi-
niscences not to see tlie light
Rider Haggard's only daughter. Sybl.
was married this week to Maj. Cheyne of
The Indian army. This wedding. which
took place at the parish church of Ditch
ingham the home OF the brides famous
father. was the outcome OF little ro-
nance after Rider Haggards own heart.
The happy pair met originally in Eng
land and became friends. but an acct
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-07
By Irwin S. Cobb.

HE Hotel Clerk nad
been away on a
3 h Ort vacation.
When he got ba OK
to the st. Reckless
he was limping
slightly and his
sunburned n o 5 e
shaded off from
dark at the tip TO
lighter tones at the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-07

everything he should be; and the colonel
is generally successful in this
Il cant think of a single case said
col. Ransdell. in speaking of this sub
ject. where a boy was let go because
he was too dull to comprehend what was
required of him. and it has been exceed
ingly rare that any dismissals have been
made for other rea sons.
The sergeant -at-arms is represented on
the floor by four men. These are re-
publican. selected by the ma jority: dem
ocrat, selected by the minority. and two
aids. one on each side. These oHlclais
are at present AlonZo II. Stewart. B. w.
Layton. Carl Loeff1er and A. ID. Summer.
These men have immediate supervision
over the page boys. They are expected
TO that the boys report for duty every
morning that Congress is in session al a
stated hour. They are inspected to see
if they are neatly dressed in their regu-
lation knickerbocker suits. their han
brushed and their shoes cleaned. LII II
happens that the Senate is not in session
that day certain number of the boys
are excused and the others are given
such work TO do as may be necessary
for them to performs. Under the direction
of the floor assistants the boys go over
the files and see If they are in order
they straighten up the desks of senators,
clean out the desks. if instructed to do
So and take the contents or certain por-
tions of them TO the senator's rooms
When the Senate is adjourned the boys
generally take the place of the doorkeep-
ers at the Senate entrances and see that
only those authorized enter.
For boys under sixteen. the pay grant
ed-$75 per month for the session-is lib
eral, and it is natural that there should be
great rivalry for the positions. Sometimes
the need of employment is so great that
the sympathy of the sergeant-at-arms Is
in danger of overriding his judgment In
very many cases those bright boys on the
Senate floor are the main. If not the sole
reliance Of widowed mothers. In fact
when it is possible to do so. boys who are
fatheress are given the preference in the
appointments.
When a boy Is nominated for the posi-
ton of page he is asked to present him
self FOR inspection and examination by
the sergeant-at-arms. He has to come tC
Washington at his own expense. For this
reason. in part. many of the boys live In
Washington. and only one of them lives
as far away as Iowa. 1t may be noted
here that there is no allowance of any
kind for the page boys except their sal
airy There Is no expense money. no trav-
cling fund-nothinE. except that Congress
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-07

their paw stops when their work ceases.
But boys cannot always be a work. 1t
makes Jack dull boy now. as it did
when the old saw was first formulated.
unless there be a proper and iudicious
admxture of play with it. SO the pages
will have their fling according TO their
various likes and the plans of their
various parents and guardians.
Probably the public takes the greater
share of interest in the pages who can
he seen any day that the Senate Is I'm
session. darting here and there in an
swer to the summons of some senator.
1t is customary to call them by a snap
of the fingers or by clapping the hands,
the way service is summoned in ORR
entail countries. The boys sit on the
edge of the presiding officers lais.
eight of them to either side of him. or
rather of the clerk, who is seated just
below and in front of the Vice Presi
dent OF course. all sixteen boys are
rarely there at one time. but as many
as are not otherwise engaged are sup
posed to be in their places. When
senator calls for boy the one at the
head of the line answers and the others
move up. When a boy returns after
answering a senator's call he takes his
place at the end of the line. A boy may
not GO on an errand down town or out
of the Capitol building without first
securing the permission of the SER
geant-at-armS.
1t is considered rare privilege to be
appointed a page in the United States
Senate There are always many more
applications for the places than can be
Granted The consequence Is that it is
possible to make pretty carefui seies-
ton. and the boys are always iookeh
over personally if 1t Is possible ana
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-07

dent resulted in separation. Two years
later while Miss Haggard was travelling
in Japan. she again met Maj. Cheyne.
and this time the course of true love ran
smoothly The bride is an expert anna
teur photographer and has helped her
father lot in preparing material and
local color for his literary work.
There has been a revival of interest in
DR. Johnson of late that must have re-
joieed the shade of Boswell 1t is due
TO the coming celebration at Lichfield. the
lexicosrapher's native town. OF the two
hundredth anniversary of his birth. 1t is
rather surprising discovery. by the way.
that outside the English-speaking coun-
tries. the author of "Rasselas' practical
~ is unknown. the only translation of his
Life extant being, curiousfy enough. in
Russian From The letters Of the late
Prosper Merimee, however. it is evident
that he not only was familiar with Bos-
wells great work. but found it an anti
dote for melancholy. Writing TO a friend
in 1850 the French author declared:
II think i shall advertise for an agree
able companion, willing TO fly with me
from Il world which every day becomes
more detestable. If | could summon up
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-07

as distinguished foreigners among it's
contributors. AS fact. iliteracy is the
rule rather than the exception i'm Russia:
over IS per cent of the army recruits
cannot read OF write, and recruits are
twenty-one years of age. Hence news
papers in ST. Petersburg are published
only for the educated minority. and while
in style they compare favorably with the
best European journals few of the pro-
prietors can expect to make fortunes.