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

|. Washington. D. G., Feb. 26.-The
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, repub-
lican and democrat alike. They are
as sharp as keen steel blade, quick
as lightning, ready and willing to
fetch for the north and tote" for
the south, making the most of their
term with wary young eye turned
toward the future.
These pages have rather enyiable
position for small boys, being ap-
pointed by the senators for term Of
four years at a salary of $3.50 per
diem and bonus. They enter at the
age of IL and leave at Is, provision
/ being made by the senate for them to
attend night school; thus for four
years they are in q position to acquire
a most intimate knowledge Of political
economy; of being able to study and
| to learn something of the art of ora
tory under the best of masters; 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 their
baseball nine and last year were the
proud and triumphant winners Of the
silver cup given by Senator McCor-
mick for both those sports in culnpe-
tition with the pages of the house of
representatives. At Christmas time it
/ is the custom of the vice president to
+ give the boys dinner, which is held
with all the dignity of a grown-up
function, there being no end of rcgu-
lar grown-up toasts and lengthy after
dinner speeches given and enjoyed by
/ the participants. When Leland Stan
ford sat in the senate chamber he pre-
scented each boy with a five dollar bill
at the Yuletide and a dinner at his
home followed by performance given
| by hired talent to entertain his little
guests. AS parting souvenir of such
| evenings. gift of cuff buttons or
delight the heart of the growing youth,
is presented to each page. In spring
when the outdoors is calling, the
circus comes to town. A senator al
ways provides the tickets and the
pink lemonade for all of the pages,
and there is happy expedition to the
big top
All Collect Signatures
Nearly every one of the pages
treasures an autograph album. These
contain nearly, if not all, of the sig
natures Of the great men of the pres
ent 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 sometimes in the
mornings of meeting days. The most
important legislation ever brought be
fore this body Of junior solons is bill
| to write into the statutes provision
for increasing the salaries of the sen
ate pages MANIFOLD One page pre-.
sides in the vice presidents chair, ano
the session is carried on in a serious
way. Visitors who drift into the gal
leries during these sessions invariably
are 50 interested that they will stay
to the close. astopished at the ora
tofical gifts displayed by some Of tbs
lads. While this is only amusement
to the boys. they are gathering &
presence and address certain to serve
them well in the future.