Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-05-26
office has nothing to do with contracts

matter all over, ano nnally, the Ioiomi u
day, | visited the Secretary of the Ma,
w, who said, Speak quickly, sir; do
not keep me waiting | said:
Your ROYAL Highness: On or about
the 10th day Of October, 1861. JOHN
Wilson Mackenzie, of Rotterdam, Che
mung county, New Jersey. deceased,
contracted with the General Government
TO furnish to General Sherman the sum
total of 80 barrels of beef
Well, it was as far as could get
He had nothing to do with beef con.
tracts for General Sherman either.
began to think ii was curious kind OF
Government. 1t looked somewhat as il
they wanted to get out of paying foI
that beef. The following day | went to
the Secretary If the Interior. ] said:
Your Imperial Highness: On oil
about the 10th day of October
THAT is sufficient sir-l have heard
of you before. Go--take your infamous
beef contract out of this establishment.
The Interior Department has nothing
whatever to do with subsistence for the
army
went away. But | was exasperated
now. | said would haunt them; ]
would infest every department of this in.
iquitous Government till that contract
business was settled; would collect that
bill, or fall as fell my predecessors, try
ing. / assailed the Postmaster General;
| besieged the Agricultural Department
| wavlaid, the Speaker of the House Of
Representatives. They had nothing &c
do with army contracts for beef.
moved upon the Commissioner of the
Patent Office. ] said:
Your august Excellency: On OF
about
'Perditon! have you got here with
your incendiary beef contract at last
We have nothing to DO with beef con
tracts for the army, my dear sir
oh, that is all very well-but some
body has got TO pay for that beef. II
has got to be paid nO0, too, or I'll con.
fiscate this old Patent Office and every
thing in it.
But, my dear sir
1t don't make any difference, SIR
The Patent Office is liable for that bee
l reckon; and liable or not liable, the
Patent Office has got to pay for it,
Never mind the details. 1t ended ir
a fight. The Patent Office won. But
found out something to my advantage.
was told that the Treasury Department
was the proper place for me to go to.
went there. | waited two hours and :
half, and then I was admitted TO The
First Lord of the Treasury. l said:
Most noble, grave and reverend Sig.
nor; on or about the 9th of October
1861. John Wilson Macken--'
s. That is sufficient sir. have heard
of you. Go to the First Auditor of the
Treasury
| did so. He sent me to the Secunt
Auditor. The Second Auditor sent me
to the Third, and the Third sent me Il
the First Comptroller of the Corn Bee
Division. This began to look like bust
ness. He examined his books and al
his loose papers, but found no minute o
the beef contract. went to the Second
Comptroller of the Corn Beef Division,
He examined his books and bis loose pa
pers, but with no success. was en-
couraged. During that week got a
far as the Sixth Comptroller IN that di
vision; the next week got through the
Claims Department; the third week
began and completed the Mislaid Con
tract Department, aud got foothold il
the Dead Reckoning Department. i fin
ished that in three days. There was on
IL one place left for it now. | laid seig,
to the Commissioner of Odds and Ends
To his clerk, rather-he was not there
himself. There were sixteen beautiful
young ladies in the room. writing il
books, and there were seven well favored
young clerks showing them how. The
young women smiled up over theil
/ shoulders, and the c 'erks smiled back a
them, and all went merry as marriage
bell. Two or three clerks that were read
ing the newspapers looked at me rathe
hard, but went on reading, and nobody
said ANYTHING. However, | had beer
used to this kind of alacrity from Fourth
Assistant Junior Clerk all through my
eventful career, from the very day en-
tered the office of the Corn Beef Bureau
clear till / passed out of the last one il
the Dead Reckoning Division. haC
got so accomplished by this time that
could stand-on one foot from the momen
l entered an office till clerk spoke t
me- without changing more than two
/ and maybe three times.
So / stood there till | had changed fou
different times. Then I said to one Of
the clerks who was reading:
'Illustrious Vagrant, where is th'
Grand Tarkp eHa sis
What do you mean, sir? whom d.
YOU mesu? Ii You mean the Chief o
the Bureau, he is OUT 80
fWili be visit the harem to day p
Tie young man gIared upon me s
while, and then went on reading his pa
per. But l knew the ways of Ties,
clerks. / knew / was safe, if he go
through before another New York mai
arrived. He only bad two more paper:
left. After while he finished then
and then he yawned, and asked me wha
1 wanted. = p S .sd Tasa -Esogo
Reuowned and honored Imbecile -
| On or about