The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-02-25

! oSAAIlS tOu, ~. u, SD. "a LIE
little boys one sees sitting on the
| double steps of the rostrum at the
feet of the vice president in the
United States senate chamber are
/ the senate pages. Bright-faced,
cheerful, manly little fellows, they
wait daily upon the country S
statesmen, Republican and Demo-
crat alike. They are as sharp as
a keen steel blade, quick as light
ming, ready and willing to fetch
| for the north and tote" for the
south, making the most of their
term with a wary young eye turned
toward the future.
These pages have q srather envia-
BILE position for small boys, being
appointed by the senators for a
term of four years at a salary of
$3.50 per diem and a bonus. They
enter at the age Of II and leave at
16. provision being made by the
senate for them to attend night
school; thus for four years they
are in position to acquire a most
intimate knowledge of political
economy; of being able to study
and to learn something of the art
of oratory under the best of mas
tiers; of being acquainted with the
country's statesmen and hearing
their opinions publicly expressed,
and of coming into intimate contact
with public life.
Their pastimes and sports fill an
important part in their terms;
they have their football eleven and
haI
were the proud and triumphant
winners of the silver cup given by
Senator Mccormick for both these
sports in competition with the
pages of the house of representa-
tives. At Christmas time it is the
custom of the vice president to give
the boys a dinner, which is held
with all the dignity of a grown-up
function, there being no end of reg
ular grown-up toasts and lengthy
after-dinner speeches given and
enjoyed by the participants. When
Leland Stanford sat in the senate
chamber he presented each boy
with a fve-dollar bill at the Yule-
tide and a dinner at his home fol-
lowed by performance given by
hired talent to entertain his little
guests. AS a parting souvenir of
such evenings, a gift of cuff but
tons or some other small article
designed to delight the heart of
the growing youth, is presented to
each page. In spring then the out
doors is calling. the circus comes
to town. A senator always pro-
vides the tickets and the pink lem
onade for all Of the pages, and
there is a happy expedition to the
big top"
All Collect Signatures.
Nearly everyone of the pages
treasures an autograph album.
These contain nearly, if not all, OF
the signatures of the greet men of
the present day in official life.
The favorite pastime is a mock
session of the senate, when the
pages are allowed the use of the
senate chamber on days when the !
senate is not meeting, and some |
times in the mornings of meeting |
days. The most important legisla- |
ton ever brought before this body |
Of junior solons is a bill to write |
into the statutes provision for in |
creasing the salaries of the senate !
pages MANIFOLD. One page pre- |
sides in the vice presidents chair, |
and the senate is carried on in a |
serious way. Visitors who drift :
INTO the galleries during these SEES
sions invariably are so interested |
hat they will stay to the close, as
.onished at the oratorical gifts dis
played by some of the lads While
his is only amusement to the boys, |
hey are gathering a presence and
address certain to serve them well
n the future
There are in all % senate pages
10 regulars" five ''temporaries"