The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1927-11-25
CLOSE-UPS IN The
NATIONS CAPITAL

pup
old. Thereafter he served in ar
ious capacities until the Sixty
sixth Congress, when he was elect
ed clerk of the House.
He has known all the outstand-
ing figures of Congress for the
last half-century, and has been so
continuously and constantly on
the Job that traditions have grown
I'D about him. Even the former
Speaker of the House, Champ
Clark, once asked him, half in
Jest and half in earnest, if it were
true he had been born in the Cap
itol.
"Not exactly, Mr.. Speaker" Page
replied. "but like our old friend,
John Quincy Adams, l expect to
die here"
Curiously enough, Page now oc-
cupies the very room in which
Adams died. His office is part of
the old sandstone structure which
the British partially destroyed in
1914. 1t is directly beneath the
corner stone of the Capitol laid
in 1893 by George Washington.
Page remembers the wooden
streets and the one-horse street
cars of other years, and the dis
tant days when NJ telephones, no
| electric lights and no steam heat
contributed to the comfort Of the
representatives of the people at
their legislative tasks.
When he first came to the
House, the chamber was heated
by open fireplaces, in which burn
ed giant logs. If the body met at
night. it transacted business by
the dim light of gas jets, which
frequently failed. Then it was
the youngsters job to light the
big bronze chandelier with wax
tapers, and the candles that sat
on each desk and adorned the
walls.
Congress, Page holds, is no bet
ter and no worse than the people
who send the Representatives tc
it's halls. The people make and
unmake it. 1t is the people.
Old Soldiers Home, a magnlfl'
cent estate almost in the heart OF
Washington's best residential sec
ton. draws no bounty from the
government. The inmates, more
properly the residents, are living
off the interests of their money
| and the funds of their comrades
and former comrades at arms.
True, the contributions often, al
ways. in fact, are made involun
tarily, but the fact remains thai
the mney actually comes from the
men in the ranks.
Old Soldiers Home is the es
tate that court martials have
built. A soldier goes A.W.O.L, OF
is drunk, or offends some tenet o.
military law. He is fined. May
hap, he is put in the guardhouse
"One-third pay for two months
may be the sentence of his super
iors. Thus another twenty OF
thirty dollars is added to the
special fund maintained for the
upkeep of the institution. Th'
money is loaned to the Treasur!
and the interest is used for thu
comforts of the aged men who ar
content to spend the twilight o
their years at the home which tn
indiscretions of their "buddles
past and present, have built TO
them. Each year the total OF line
averages about 100000, and tn
interest on this mounting sun
makes a very respectable item TO
maintenance.
One other source, through non
inal, compared with the create
fund. is the interest on S4,OOO,OO
representing the permanent fun
acquired through the wal wit
Mexico. Originally, the home wa
built on deductions from the pa
of the soldiers, but in 1908 thl
ceased altogether, and the revel
lie since has been derived frol
fines and punishments, and, o.
. casionally, unclaimed estates {
soldiers.
Any regular army soldier WI
has served his country twent
years, or any enlisted man fro,
the regular establishment who
incapable of supporting himsel
: may find a home the envy
many richer by far in this world
goods. Nearly 1000 former sc
vice men find here a haven, whel
> with comrades of their age al
/, experience, they spin high yari
: and wait in the shadows of
: ample trees.
= Senator William E. Borah, I'll
i Gentleman from Idaho" has
S new horse. He was given the Sc
ator by an admiring friend fro
+ a neighboring state.
g But the horse is listed IN u
J. pedigree books as Governor
2 smith" which he was named lol
! before the donor presented hi
= to the Senator. Borah announc
he will seek no change in b
S CHARGERS name. but he leaves i