Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-04

DeIOTe noon on the uTSC MONDAY IN DeCen-
Der, preceded by the sergeant at arms, and
He steps to the side of the desk of the pre-
siding officer; the chaplain ascends to the
Vice Presidents platform. Then, exactly
at noon, with small ivory gavel, the Vice
President gives one emphatic rap on the
desk and slowly says:
"The Senate will be in order. The chap
lain will offer prayer"
After the invocation, the chaplain de-
parts, the Vice President ascends to his own
place, sits down in his big mahogany chair,
and says:
"The Secretary will read the journal of
the proceedings of the last legislative day.
Thus begins the third session of the Sen
ate of the Sixty-frst Congress. The COM
mon name of it is "the short session." be-
cause the life of this Congress will expire at
noon on March 4, 1911.
Visitors in the galleries take curious, in
quiring interest in the seven bright little
boys who sit on the carpeted brass rallied
steps on each side of the dais of the Vice
President and the secretary; little fellows
who are soon seen, one by one, scurrying
hither, thither, and yon on mysterious mis-
sions bent. The pages are messenger boys
for the Senators. Charles Dickens wrote of
them as 1.-THE rushing dancing little pucks
of pages" They are employed during the
sessions of the Senate at two and a half dol
lars a day; and that means thirty or thirty
one days a month"; whether the Senate is in
session every day or not.
These pages live officially in an age limit.
They must be no less than twelve nor more
than sixteen years old. At the age of Six
teen the boys are too large for knee breeches
and are dropped, their places being filled by
boys twelve years old. Pages are never
removed on account of politics-albeit the
little fellows have political views and know
how to express them When his seventeenth
birthday dawns, it is usually a sorry day for
the page boy; for it may be long time be-
fore he. can have so good an income; certain
ly many years before he can earn so much
with SO little physical and mental effort.
Some Stay for Life
RUT sometimes the boys are not dismissed
when they reach the age limit. Alonzo
H. Stewart of Iowa was an exceptionally
bright boy, and he was continued on duty as "a
riding page" In that capacity he was en-
ployed for the entire year, and had horse.
1t was the duty of a riding page to carry
messages for Senators to executive depart
ments and to all points in the national Capt.
tai. Little Lonny Stewart was promoted to
the position of deputy sergeant at arms of
the Senate. Ten years ago he came within
one vote of being made sergeant at arms.
He remained with the Senate thirty-four
years, until about a year ago, when he re-
signed to engage in private business.
Little Karl Loeff1er was very popular. He
was retained in the service after reaching the
age limit, was riding page, and pair clerk,
was elected to succeed Stewart, and seems
to be fixture for life with that august body.
Dell Sumner was fat, sleek, good natured,
happy page boy who carefully attended to
business; so that when he reached the age
limit he was retained, and is now on the
democratic side of the Senate as superin-
tendent of pages, and he also is fixed for life.
The Senate does not make changes in the
personnel of the minor places merely for po-
litical profit
There are now fourteen pages on the floor
of the Senate, and four riding pages. The
former, as stated receive two dollars and
half day during the long and short sessions
of Congress. The riding pages receive nine
hundred and fifty dollars year, their pay
going on whether the Senate is in session or
not. Usually they have enough to do. al
though they are not rushed with business
when Congress is not in session.
Hard Tests of Endurance