The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-05-31

transacting business with some OF these
young p0pipjays, 1t Is not to be thought
of. They have only to cast theie eyes
on You, and they can tell the texture OF
your cravat, the cost of your COAT. the
material OF your pantalOons, and the
maker of Your hat. The more broad
cloth You have on, and the larger the
diamond i'll your shirt front, the better
Willie your treatment. The same is
true of every department here. do
not say that all the clerks and subor-
dinates will treat persons who go to
them OF business discourteously, but
the fault is getting to be quite general.
and those who know how to treat people
are fast being translated.
AT THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
Before the door ofthe Secretary stands
a man that is at once my fear and adj
miratiOn. His calm and elegant man
ners, his accomplished articulation, his
graceful attitudes, his smothness or
tongue, and the easy politeness OF one
accustomed to the world, astonish ana
mortify you. You feel at once your
own shortcomings, your poverty OF
manner, your backward tongue, your
shrinking courage. Beside thls gen
tleman you feel yourself to be chlid
in the noble qualities that make the
man, You are ready to tell your bust
nass TO him instead of the Secretary.
You wonder, if the Secretary's colored
messenger is such a man, whst must be
the Secretary. But the Secretary, when
YOU see him, is much easier to talk to
than the messenger. You feel he ts not
quite so far above you. You must give
your card to this messenger b take to
the Secretary, and yet you feel more
like changing places with him and tax
ing in his card. He looks at the card
I very critically, for he is cOnnOS8letT
i'll CArds-a most admirable 1ndge OF en-
craving. He gracefully waves you 10 a
seat, and he waits, and waits, and
waits. To rest yourself, you take few
turns about the hall; he still holds
your card, but says he will take it in
"presently." Again you sit down; you
read an old copy of newspaper, in
Guiding advertisements and Washing
ton letter, and again venture to take
| look at the MESSENGER. he still has
| your card in his hand, but If he should
tear it up before your eyes, you dare
not demonstrate with him, and so you
wait and wait. This is kept up day
after day, the result each time being
that he keeps your card an hour before
taking it in, or the Secretary keeps 1t
an hour before sending for you. This
is not peculiar to the Interior Depart,
Inent; these delays are perpetual, and
perhaps are unavoidable. 1t Is Just
this state of affairs that makes the do
ing OF business in Washington such
trouble and delay. This is one reason
that our friends the othce-seekers were
kept So long from their families and
their creditOrs-they couldn't get inter-
views with the Secretaries.
THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
Ifyou wait in the reception room of
Creswell day after day for whole
week, you would never lack amuse-
ment. Here for u messenger they have
middle aged man, the owner OF a
weak intellect and two very playful
BOYS. You never want variety while
waiting your turn there. For the first
quarter OF an -four the boys will content
themselves by playing about your
chair, throwing paper wads, and gap
| ing in your face. AS they become more
acquainted with you, they are more IA
miliar. They will climb into your lap,
take out your watch, ask for pennies,
and such other little acts of playtulness
which makes the time pass quickly. II
you are inclined to be of a playful ma
| lure as we'll, the ceremonies will be
varied. Your hat will be transferred
| from the table to the head of one OF the
boys who will run out OF the
room, followed by the other boy,
who will, in his childish sport, knock
of the hat, and with kick, send 1t
| spinning down the hall or they Will
throw blocks at il, fill it with spit balls,
or do something else of the same agree
BILE nature. / don't know that the
messenger and boys are still retained
on the staff of the Postmaster General
They were when l last visited the
Department, as my hat will testify.
The messenger and employees
| AT THE ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE
are unobj Judge Hoar is so
cross and irritable that he has few
visitors. He is the exception. 1t is
generally easier to do business with the
head Of The department than with the
subOrdinates, but the rule Is reversed
in this case. You can't do business
with the Attorney General at all, with
out qunrreling with his subOrdlnates
you can transact business, and you
can't quarrel. See the effect OF wretch
ed example.