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with a high honor and entered the coveted engineer corps. After a career marked by distinction, he reached the head of the corps and became Chief of Engineers.

When Daniel Webster was a United States Senator, he had appointed as page a little freckle-faced boy from Capitol Hill, named Isaac Bassett, who remained a faithful if humble servitor of the Senate for sixty years or more. Isaac Bassett grew into the tall, stalwart old gentleman, whose white beard and white hairthe latter rolled from his neck-made him for many, many years a picturesque figure as he announced, “A message from the President of the United States"; or, in the crowded hours of a closing session, with blushing face and a broom handle, he would turn back the hands of the clock and thus save the face of the Senate at the cost of violating the Constitution of the United States.

There is no Isaac Bassett now, and no page of the present day who sits under the admonishing gaze of the modern guardians of the peace and dignity of the Senate can possibly appreciate what it meant to be tapped on the head by Mr. Bassett's gentle fingers and be told, “Come, boy; hustle."

During his lifetime, Captain Bassett-whose military title was derived from his service as commander of the guard of Capitol employeesorganized to protect the big marble building from threatened incendiaries and other enemies of the United States-kept a diary and gathered a mass of material relating to the men and measures of the sixty-year period of his official life, with the intention of having it published after his death. As yet, however, no publication of this interesting and valuable data and anecdote has been made.

Two Pages Who Went to Congress

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O far as can be learned accurately, the two men who having been pages in the House of Representatives, and who afterwards served as members of that body, were the late William L. Scott, of Erie, Pennsylvania, and Richard W. Townshend, of Illinois.

Both lived as boys in Washington and had no capital except the friendship they formed among the public men of their day. Scott, after the pageship ended, was taken to Erie by a Congressman who had befriended him in Washington, became ultimately his man of business, branched out on his own hook and, eventually, became one of the wealthy railroad and coal operators of the United States. He was known to fame as a Democratic leader and as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Mr. Scott died in

1891. His daughter, Mrs. Townsend, is a prominent social leader in Washington and his grandchild, regarded as the most beautiful young woman of the Capital, is the wife of Senator Peter Goelet Gerry, of Rhode Island.

"Dick" Townshend went west after his apprenticeship among the lawmakers ended, taught school, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1862, enlisted in the Civil War, afterwards went into politics and was for ten years a Democratie member of Congress. He died in 1889, and, singularly enough, his official biography in the Congressional Directory written by himself like that of Mr. Scott, is silent as to his term as a page in the House of Representatives.

A Page Who Kept the Speaker Posted THER prominent men have served as

O

pages in the House of Representatives but history has made no note of them and their names cannot be found in contemporaneous records. There was, however, one page in the lower house who gained fleeting notoriety by being the parliamentary guide, if not the philosopher and friend, of a Speaker of the House. His name was Thad. Thomas, and the Speakerat whose elbow parliamentary tradition says he stood to guide him through the mazes of rules and precedents—was William Pennington, who served over fifty years ago.

Tradition has it, too, that Thad. Thomas would often give counsel to his chief in tones that were audible throughout the chamber, both adding to his own reputation as a parliamentarian and calling attention to the weakness of the presiding officer.

According to official statistics, Grafton D. Hanson was the first boy to be appointed a page in the United States Senate. Nepotism in official life apparently existed then as it does to-day, although possibly not in such virulent form, for the Sergeant-at-Arms, in 1829, when Hanson received his appointment, was General Mountjoy Bayley, the boy's grandfather. John C. Calhoun was then President of the Senate, and Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, Lewis Cass, and other great men and statesmen were members.

Mr. Hanson was a type of the faithful and loyal public servant, like Captain Bassett, who, having been called to the service of the State, are disinclined to desert. He was promoted from one place to another in federal employment after leaving the Senate and died not so many years ago at a very advanced age while holding the responsible office of chief clerk of the Paymaster General's Department of the Army for forty

years.

Mr. Hanson, in the closing days of his life, would become reminiscent of the time when he waited on the statesmen. Having been a page in the days of old-fashioned statesmanship, he became "an old-school gentleman"; that is, he

wore a stock, top boots, carried a goldheaded cane and bowed low to every lady of his acquaintance. His remembrance of Daniel Webster was especially clear and he loved to dwell on Webster's especial

fondness for him as was indicated by an affectionate pat on the head or shoulder when directing

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THE SENATE PAGES ON THE
STEPS OF THE NATIONAL
CAPITOL

Standing in the center is Mr. David
S. Barry, Sergeant-at-Arms of the
United States Senate and author
of this article. Standing at the rear
(right) is Mr. Joseph E. O'Toole,
who has charge of the pages on the
Republican side. At the left is
Mr. Edwin A. Halsey, who per-
forms a similar service on the
Democratic side.

Hanson to convey a message or deliver a docunent to "the reprobates," as he of the lofty brow and eagle eye had named "the minority."

Hanson was a page in those traditional days when the eloquence of such silver-tongued Senators as Henry Clay and Preston of South Carolina flowed so fast that the official reporters could not take down their words. Their quick brains and subtle fingers were paralyzed. The reporters who perform the parliamentary pothooking of the present day recognize eloquence when they hear or see-it, but they seldom permit the flowers of oratory to interfere with their business.

One of Mr. Hanson's anecdotes of the early period, one, by the way, which illustrates how carefully such delightful specimens of Congressional wit have been preserved, was this:

A drove of mules was passing through the grounds of the Capitol one day, and Henry Clay, calling the attention of John Holmes of Maine to them, banteringly said, "Holmes, there are a lot of your

constituents out there."

"I see," replied the New Englander dryly. "They are on their way to Kentucky to teach school."

PA

WE

which Thomas M. Cooley was a member. It was a bench enjoying the very highest reputation.

The pages in the legislature of Michigan"messenger boys" they were called there were, like those of other States, eager to get promoted to Washington. One of them, seeing his chance, wrote a letter to Senator Christiancy, his fellow townsman of Monroe, and it reached him in Washington in the nick of time-on the very day that a caucus was held with the object of electing a new sergeant-at-arms. But the incumbent rallied enough votes to hold on. One of his supporters was Judge Christiancy, and the outcome was the arrival at Monroe of an official letter of which the following is an exact copy:

E often hear intellectual people say that superstition is harmless; but nothing is harmless which makes a man believe that he is a puppet at the mercy of signs and symbols, omens and inanimate relics, that there is a power in the world trying to do harm to mortals.

How Pages Meet the High Cost of Living AGES in the Senate are appointed by the Sergeant-at-Arms and under the rules must be between twelve and sixteen years of age. They are paid $2.50 a day for the session, which means every day from the beginning to the end of a session, including holidays and Sundays. In these days of the high cost of living, a bonus of $20 a month is added.

Although there is no ruling on this point, the size of a page has as important a bearing as age on the matter of his appointment and retention. This is well illustrated by the following incident:

Thirty-five years ago a wave of so-called political reform swept over the legislatures of various States, and several "stalwart" leaders in the United States Senate were retired to private life. Among them were General Logan, of Illinois; Matthew Carpenter, of Wisconsin; and Zachariah Chandler, of Michigan, all friends and supporters of President Grant. Mr. Chandler's successor was Isaac P. Christiancy, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Michigan, of

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I order the removal of John P. Ringgold, a page in the Senate, on account of over-age. And appoint to fill the vacancy thus made, David S. Barry of Michigan.

And, in accordance with law, respectfully submit the same for your approval.

This change to date from the sixteenth proximo.
JOHN R. FRENCH,
Sergeant-at-Arms, Senate U. S.

Approved: Jno. P. Jones,
Chairman, Com. on Contingent Expenses.

Later on, sitting together on the steps of the Senate rostrum-the pages' throne-Ringgold, who was employed temporarily in the Chamber in another capacity, and Barry, while exchanging confidences, brought out the fact that the new page was more than a year older than his predecessor removed because of “over-age.” But, then, Ringgold was tall while his successor had the misfortune of being short, like Alexander, Napoleon, Andrew Carnegie and other more or less distinguished men.

Soon after that letter had been received at Monroe, Michigan, where it was duly appreciated, a full-fledged United States Senator came to town-the first time the recipient had gazed upon such a personage. The statesman was full panoplied-frock coat, silk hat-which is practically taboo now, even in the United States Senate. The embryo page, having been invited

to meet the great man at breakfast, at the private house where he was the guest of honor, was told by him that Senate pages were much favored beings, that they received five dollars a day, wore pretty blue uniforms furnished by Uncle Sam, were required to report for duty only on such days and in such hours as the Senate might be in session, and, in many other respects, were far removed from the humdrum drudgery devolving upon ordinary mortals.

Reporting for duty in December, the trusting page, not entirely a novice because of his experience with the lawmakers of the Wolverine State, learned, somewhat to his sorrow, that the Senators of that day, even those with the shiniest hats, the largest coats and the most luxuriant whiskers, were apt to be a little careless in their statements occasionally, just as those of to-day nod once in a while and overlook a point or two.

It was found, for instance, that the boys were paid one-half of the amount stated by the Senator, that no uniforms were worn, and that the hours of duty were regulated by those in charge without especial reference to whether the Senate is or is not in

IF

the rule in Congress, especially in the Senate, where the custom is rightfully frowned upon, as undignified and calculated to discourage the building up of character and manly independence. The boys, however, have a few time-honored methods for making pin-money, and, as may be supposed, they employ them to the fullest extent. One is to sell autograph books filled with the signatures of Congressmen, which bring good prices, or to get such books filled, on commission. Twenty-five or thirty years ago, when Congressional oratory was at a higher premium than it is to-day, the custom of interchange of speeches, at individual expense, was more prevalent than

F invalids and people in poor health could only hold persistently the perfect image of themselves, and, no matter how much it might howl in pain for recognition, refuse to see the sick, discordant, imperfect image, the harmony thought, the truth thought would soon neutralize their opposites and they would be well.

session. In fact, a page's duty, at that time, was similar to his duty to-day.

There Are No "Tips" for Pages

THE

HE boys have a very good time. There is lots of fun with the work and some opportunity-not nearly so great, however, as the public may have been led to believe by fanciful publications of the reckless or uninformed of making "tips." Senators and Representatives ar not as much given to handing out small change needlessly as might be supposed. It has long been a saying of the pages that "Congressmen are 'tight wads,'" but, in one way and another, the boys manage to pick up enough money on the outside to keep them in chewinggum.

It is proverbial that the pages of the House of Representatives get hold of more tips and outside money than those of the Senate, but in both chambers extra coin is derived more from extra work of a legitimate character than from the pockets of the members. But "tipping" is not

now, and the pages of that period, in the sessions preceding political campaigns, reaped a bountiful harvest from the circulation of subscription lists on a commission from private printers.

Once in a while, tradition has it, one of the older pages (for occasionally a boy not too big physically to attract suspicion, or in spite of it, manages to run over the age limit) attempts a little genuine lobbying, having been long enough in service to cut his eye teeth, but this sort of foolishness generally ends disastrously both to the employer and employed. One of the Senate customs of long standing is the annual Christmas dinner to the pages by the Vice-President of the United States. The Vice-President is the presiding officer of the Senate, and in the years since the genial Thomas R. Marshall-who is very fond of children, especially boys has been the host, the dinner has been followed by a symposium of speech-making on topics assigned by Edwin A. Halsey, the official on the floor of the Senate, who acts as master of ceremonies on these interesting occasions. At the last dinner, the boys discussed such topics as "The League of Nations," "National Prohibition," "Should the Senate Pages Attend Night School," and similar subjects.

While the boys revealed in their Christmas dinner speeches a pretty clear knowledge of the matters they had heard discussed in the Senate, and a knack of expressing themselves in true oratorical style, truth compels the assertion that, although some of the boys do go to night school (Continued on page 148)

The Editor's Chat

Suggestive Helps for the Multitude of Readers of THE NEW SUCCESS, Who Write to Dr. Marden for Advice

Are You Bigger Than Your Job? THERE

is a great difference between being a lawyer and being a member of the bar. President Butler of Columbia says that one of the greatest misfortunes of the country, is the fact that law is a stepping stone to political preferment. Most of the men so preferred are not really lawyers, but only members of the bar, and not at all the right type of men for leaders.

Are you bigger than your job? If not, you will never be a very big man, never be advanced very rapidly or to a very high place. The winner is always bigger than his job; it is the man behind the merchant, the man behind the lawyer, the man behind the politician that counts most.

The World's Offerings NEVER before has the world offered such tremen

dous rewards for the trained intellect, the specialist, the man who knows how to do one thing superbly well; never before has the world held up such great prizes for the optimist, the man who has the right outlook upon life, the man who faces life with courage, hope, and confidence, with assurance, with a spirit of kindness and helpfulness.

Never before has the world offered such rewards for great endeavor, for a high purpose.

Never before has the world offered such splendid rewards for human integrity, for robust honesty, for the square deal, for considering the man at the other end of the bargain.

Never before has the world offered such superb rewards for right thinking and right living.

Make the Mind an Art Gallery of

Beauty

WHY not determine this year to cultivate the

habit of making the mind an art gallery of beauty. the habit of decorating it with bright, cheerful, hopeful, optimistic pictures, prosperity pictures, health pictures, instead of hanging up in it black sables and ugly, demoralizing pictures? This will make all the difference in the world with your happiness, and your success. Everything depends upon the way you face life, upon the models you hold up for yourself.

Most of us do not realize that our every thought and every emotion, our moods, our mental attitudes, are all creative forces, always producing that which is like themselves.

The habit of always expecting the best things to come to us, that the future holds all sorts of good things for us, instead of thinking that we are nothing but puppets unrelated to our source, tossed hither and thither by chance or a cruel destiny which is dogging our steps from the cradle to the grave, changes the aspect of our whole career.

Why shouldn't we expect the best and the grandest things in the world? We have certainly inherited all good from the All Creator. We were intended to live the life abundant, the life triumphant-not the poverty-stricken, the failure life.

The fact that we crave good things, beautiful things, glorious, sublime things; that our ambition is always looking for something better; that our very souls long for something cleaner, purer, nobler; these are indications that our very nature was planned for the things we desire, that they were intended for us and that we should have them.

Just Plain Old-Fashioned Kindness MOST people realize, as they near the close of life,

that the best thing, the most important thing in the world is plain, old-fashioned kindness. Kindness is the best sort of religion, it is practical Christianity. The man or woman who is kind to everybody has the recipe for a helpful, happy life.

No life is really happy until it is helpful, is really successful until it is radiant with joy and gladness, the gladness of good cheer, of good-will toward everybody, of the spirit of brotherhood toward all men. Only by giving ourselves can we hold what we have, can we grow. We cannot be selfish and still be kind to everybody. We cannot be greedy and grasping, we cannot bear ill-will, hatred, envy, jealousy or malice towards others and be kind to them. You can't be kind and be a fraud. If you are kind you are honest and helpful, you are charitable, you are loving.

A spirit of generosity and kindness is an indication of greatness of soul. Jealousy, envy, a disposition to keep from others the credit which belongs to them, are marks of a small nature, a pinched mentality. A kindly spirit always accompanies largeness of nature, breadth of character.

If I were asked to give in one word the summum bonum of life, I think it would be-kindness.

If there is anything we should regret it is the fact that we have been unkind to others, unkind to human beings or to dumb beasts.

The habit of saying kind things of others and about them, of always looking for the good in them, savors

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