Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-02
Capital Sidelights

Page, clerk of the House, which com
bined both the spiritual and secular
significance OF the occasion.
On December 10 Mr.. Page rounded
out 45 years of consecutive service
about the Capitol Building, where he
has had conspicuous part in govern
mental affairs. His card memorialized
1.-The birth of Saviour" with me-
dallion Of the Nativity, and in a
parallel panel took cognizance OF the
l25th anniversary of the birth of the
Nation" with a. medallion of the Lib
erty Bell The panel under the Lib
erty Bell carries the thought of patri-
otto devotion to Government under
the reminder, Render to Caesar the
things that are Caesars, and here Is
printed THE Americans Creed of
which Mr.. Page is author. In the
parallel panel Is epitomiZed our faith
in God, under the remainder of the
admonition Unto God the things that
are Gods" Here Is printed the apos-
ties creed.
The two panels are linked together
with scroll engraving, by the song OF
the angels-"On earth peace to men
of good WILL
Christmas at the Capitol has pc
cause his first job in the Capitol was
Christmas present. and made his
Christmas Is years ago the most mem
orable Of his entire life.
Family exigencies forced young
Page to give up school and 60 to
work very young. scarcely 10 years
old. He worked first in a barrister S
office in Baltimore for the the munifi'
cent wage of one cartwheel or trade
dollar week. Then the family
moved hack to Frederick, where he
was employed Az devil in a paper
bag factory and printing establish
ment. The strain for quantity produc'
ton to make a wage sufficient to exc
out sustenance for the family. OF
which he was sole support, put his
hands In such condition that they had
to be done up in mutton suet over
Sunday so they would be in shape TO
resume work on Monday.
One Saturday noon he went home
for dinner to find his mother and sis
ter deciphering letter on House OF
Representatives stationery. 1t was
from the then clerk OF the House, Of
fering him position as page to the
clerks and asking him to report !mme-
diately. While he finished out the day
at the shop, his mother set to work.
continued far into the night, on
suit Of homesqun clothing for young
Tyler to wear to the new job in the
Capitol.
Presenting himself at the clerks
Office, he was turned over to a colored
clerk named Aaron Russell, for in.
struction In his duties. The second
day this clerk took him down to get
his pay. Tyler could not understand
this, he thought he was being dis
charged Finally it was made clear
to him that Congress was going to
take a Christmas vacation and he
was free to go home for the holidays,
and that he was being paid the salary
for the remainder of the month,
which amounted to some 20-odd dol
lars and 20 cents.
What a. time he had buying gifts
for the homefolks. including one of
those old-fashioned castors with a re-
volving shelf for his mother. When
he reached home his mother was
much disturbed, feeling he had done
some wrong and had been sent home,
and then, when he showed all his
wealth. she thought he must have
come by 1t dishonesty.
That was a. great Christmas for
Tyler Page and his home folks, and
one of the keenest delights was to
revisit the paper-bag shop where he
had shaved and tell the other fellows
about his gentleman's job in the
Capitol.
There's a little moral in this for
those who are prone TO decry any
disposition on the part of Uncle Sam
to act like a Santa Claus employer,
as in the case of young Tyler Page,
thereby making his whole life
brighter. Uncle Sam has never had
a more faithful or efficient employee
than Tyler Page, and none has loved
his Government more or by precept
and example preached more whole
souled patriotism. That first easy"
$40 he got was a mighty good invest
ment from the Federal funds.
II
persons who visit the Capitol realize
that In a triangle around Statuary
Hail. which was the old House
chamber in which Tyler Page origi-
nally served as page, four men now
have their Offices whose terms of
service If added together would be
200 years.
During the Democratic regime Ty-
Ter Pages first guide and mentor at
the Capitol Aaron Russell, had been
taken off the pay roll of the House.
MIR. Pages first act as clerk was to
restore him to the roll as a mes
senger In his own Office, the clerks
office where they had both served to-
gether Is years ago. So Aaron Rus
sell Is today in his fifty-ninth year OF
service.
Then there is W. A. Smith, far bet
ter known as Andy" who occupies
q railed-off corner In Statuary Hall,
and who Is not really a Capitol en-
ploye, but attached to the Govern
ment Printing Office. However,
Andy" has had his office In the Cap
itol for more than a half century as
clerk in charge of the Congressional
Record, and is now rounding out SO
years work for Uncle Sam.
In another corner of Statuary Hall
Is the House document room, where
Joel Grayson Is the presiding genius,
the only man living who can find
scores Of old documents. Joel, who
was a particular protege of Uncle
Joe" Cannon, first came as a page 81
years ago.
OF course, the dean of all the long
time employees IL Theodore F. Shuey,
official reporter of debate in the Sen
ate. Other veterans include j. NJ.
Mckee, in charge of the House fold
ing room; Bert Kennedy. doorkeeper
of the House, and Sam Robinson, spe-
cial messenger on the Congressional
Record.
Here's the wife of a member OF
Congress who has spent 16 days in
a compressed air tank. Mrs. Charles
r. Timberlake, wife of the member
of the House from the second Colo
RADIO district, has been living in d
steel tank In Kansas City. Mo, where