Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-03-01
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THE SENATE PAGES.

10 regulars" S 4temporaries,s and
2 for the telephones. Their duties in
the mornings before the senate meets,
consist of tasks that are light, varied,
and divided. Some boys are assigned to
duties at the beginning of the session
and do not change their tasks. There
must be copy OF every bill, report
and document on each desk daily, a
file Of the congressional record and Of
all bills and reports of committees.
One page attends to the pens, holders,
and ink: one sees to it that the desk
of the vice president is in order and
that his gavel is ready to call the se1-
ators to order. Another has the curious
| duty of seing to it that the sand bot
i ties are filled-for the senate IN It's
official capacity has not progressed TO
the modern blotter This same boy fills
the ancient snuff boxes at each side
Of the chamber curious old custom
sfill adhered to by the upper body OF
congress.
custodians Of Electoral Votes
To two of these boys is given the
honor and duty Of carrying the Two
boxes which contain the electoral votes
from the senate chamber to the mouse
of representatives. marching with the
senators to the south wing Of the cap
itol. Other duties cover the distrlDu-
ton of supplies in the chamber and the
cloak rooms.
When the senate meets, the pages
sit in a row on the rostrum steps, nail
on the republican side and halt on the
democratic side, ready to serve the
statesmen, who call them by swapping
their fingers. They take bills to the
desk, announce visitors, ana run Tue
errands for the senators. ;, -,
The pages come from all over the
country and from various stations IN
life. Some are already acquainted with
official life. Others come direct from
the farm. They come from the north,
the south, the west. Many OF them
help to support widowed mothers anu
younger brothers and sisters.
The Future of the Page :.
These pages go from the senate 10
West Point, to Annapolis, into banks
mercantile houses, politics. medicine
law. letters and art. They have be
come successes in every walk OF lie.
One little boy who sat eager-eyed on
the rostrum steps many years ago re
turned to the chamber as Senator =:
v. German. Another lad became chiei
engineer of the army. stanton MAX
credited with being the first American
ndNui OttUtI W itSC liAo AIN - N~~O
world war, was once senate page.
Lately vessel was named in his honor:
David Barry. now sergeant farms OF
the senate, formerly the Washington
correspondent of the New York Sun,
and the Providence Journal, and As
sistant Doorkeeper Carl d. Loefflerr,
who has charge of the pages, each
served his term on errands for the
nation. SO did Stuart Robson, the
actor. On one occasion when MIR.
Robson was playing in Washington,
the pages, learning that he had once
been a page himself, sent testimonial
to Mr.. Robson. He responded with
an invitation to the play and box seats
for all of the boys.
These boys are happy and forum
ate lot, owing much to the competent
men in charge who watch over them
and instruct them in their duties. Iney
enter upon their fouryear term as
pages when at receptive age. Their
life becomes interesting. Continually
hearing high class discussion of the
situation Of the nation and its needs,
they cannot avoid absorbing a knowl-
edge that may carry them far. This
side of their lives gives them an expert
ence which is an edI<ation in itself.