Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1870-11-23
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.

Colonel Fisher has q Last Talk 1Uitb the
administration on Grill Service Reform
-lG. Dent Appzies to be Principal Er-
dHliaer.
From the Cincinnati Gazette Radical ]
WAsHQNGToN, Nov. Il, 1870.
THE day before Commissioner Fisher
withdrew from the Patent Office, a sOme-
what amusing, if not significant, inter-
view took place with a man who pre-
sented himself as an applicant for ap-
pOintment.
Col. Fisher was seated at his table,
when q person entered walking very
erect, and seated himself with a pomp-
GUS air, which, of itself, was clearly
patentable under the rules.
The Commissioner having completed
a paper he was indorsing turned to the
stranger, and the following cOnversa-
ton ensued:
Col. Fisher-'GoOd morning, sir
iStranger-GoOd morning, Mr.. Com
missioner. Ny name is Dent-brOther
of Gen. Dent, bTother-in-lawt to the Pres
ident, sir
Col Fisher-IAh.'
Stranger, Yes, sir. pve done more
for the country and the Republican par
ty than any man in It.
Col. Fisher-Indeed'
Mr. Dent-'Yes, sir; and am an ap-
plicant for the position of Principal Ex-
aminer.'
Col. Fisher-'As / understand it, sir,
the position of Principal Examiner is
not open for appointment. 1t is place
! that a man can not fill without previous
| training and considerable experience in
other departments of the office
Mr.. Dent-'But I can assure you, sir,
! that I am fully qualified for the place.
may say peculiarly qualified for it; and
| I must be allowed to add sir, in some re-
spects, quite as well, if not better quail
| fed for it than you yourself aTe.'
! Col. Fisher-'The Principal EXamin-
er, sir, must, in order to be efficient, be
very thoroughly acquainted with the
whole machinery Of the office, and the
| business pending before it and even if it
were vacant, it should be filed by the
promotion of the one next in rank in
| the order Of competency and general
merit
Mr.. Dent-'As to my qualifications,
| sir, 1 repeat they are all that can be
needed; and, besides, I have done great
deal for the country, sir, great deal
| Col. Fisher-'That is possibly true, sir,
but there is no vacancyof the kind you
name. There may be a chance to COM
pete for a Second Assistant Examiner
ship shortly
MIR. Denf-'HOw much does that pay?'
Col. Fisher---'S Sixteen hundred dol
| lars'
Mr.. Dent-T am doing better than
| that now; but suppose [ should want to
| try for it, what is necessary?
Col. Fisher-'We always require the
recommendation of some one known to
| be in accord with the Administration
Mr.. Dent-I would never ask MEM
Der of the House or Senator to OindOTse
me. [ should scOrn to have them SIR
Would a letter from Gen. Dent do, sir =?
should bring that
Col. Fisher-'A letter from Gen, Grant
would be a proper Endorsement, since he
| is the Administration
Mr.. Dent-'Then What?'
| Col. Fisher-"Then, when there was q
vacancy to the place you want, we
should send all applicants before a Board
and whoever passed the best eXamina-
ton would get the place.
Mr. Dent-tSuppOse, sir, in that eX-
animation, I should display qualifica-
tions quite equal to your own, or even
superior, and such as would fully fit me
for your placer
Col. Fisher-'Then, sir, whenever there
was a vacancy, I should recommend you
for it.
MIR. Dent-I have no doubt my exami-
nation would SO result, sir, and show my
qualifications to be equal to your OWn'
Col. Fisher-'YOu have the entire adj
vantage of me, sir, Your constant allu-
siOns in my qualifications may come
from something you know or have heard
of me. know nothing of you, sir, and
have never heard any thing before
Mr.. Dent-It seems to be useless to
press this conversation further, SIR
Col. Fisher-'I have indicated the only
way that an appointment can be secur-
ed while 1 am Commissioner
With this the pompOus gentleman
withdrew. Next day he returned and
went over the same ground with the
Acting Commissioner, and received sub
stantiaIIy the same information. Not
being satisfied with this he pushed around
into another room, where he accOsted a
gentleman he took to be connected with
the Patent Office, and began with very
dignified air:
Are there any Assistant Examiners
positions vacantP
Wag-'Yes, sir
Mr.. Dent-'I desire to apply for one.'
Wag-'But who are you STRIP
Mr.. Dent-'My name is Dent-brOther
of Gen. Dent brother-in-law of the Pres
ident, SIR
Wag-'The devil you are: you're just
the man we went
Mr. Dent-rYou are just the man we
want. This is the only department in
| the Government that has not got Dent
in it and we want you, sir.
The pleased expression thafhad cover
ed Mr.. Dents countenance at the hrst
intinnation that he was wanted gradual
Iv faded, as the wag ran on and just as a
company of bystanders broke into a
laugh, the gentleman who had done so
much for the country, and wanted to do
more, disappeared in the corridor.
H. Y. B.