Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1871-07-20
JAMES GUTHRIE.

J-AMES 0G hhlE
With Pierce came. James Guthrie,
the Kentucky Anak, with leviathan
shoulders, and six feet and half of
height. Son Of famed Indian fighter.
himself fiatboat hand and cattle-dro
YER in youth. Once, in characters
tic Kentucky affray, he received a shot
from a political opponent, which con
fined him to his bed for three years.
He brought to the Treasury boldness,
sagacity, and handwriting which no
man could decipher. One day he sent
letter to friend in Baltimore. The
next morning its recipient appeared in
the Department, and handed back the
missiye. ri.
Mr.. Guthrie,'' said he, 81 can not
make out one word of your letter but
the signature, so have brought it to
ynn for translation. y
The Secretary knitted his brow and
puzzled over it for some minutes. At
last he gave it up.
."Hang me, if | can read it either /
have forgotten its exact contents, but
know what wanted to see you for.
Sit down and I'll tell YOU"
Guthrie was a walking cyclopedia of
the Treasury. He knew more details
in each branch, than the subordinate
especially charged with them. His in
tuitions were like lightning Old clerks
insist that after hearing the first sen.
tence he loresaw all that man was go
ing to say to him, and tell droll stories
of his going to sleep through long
conversations and then waking up and
answering each point exactly as if he
had heard it. They aver that he would
run over hundred letters awaiting his
signature, and throw aside each one
containing a mistake of phrase or fig
ure, just as the cashier goes through a
pile of bank notes and filings out the
counferfeits.
The mouldy archives contain two
bits of paper, which illustrate not only
duUHFte's-eharacter, but the contrast
between two Presiaente,--H While JaUh-
son was in the White House, he re-
quested that the account of one of his
special friends might be paid. The
Fourth Aaditor refused to pass it, IN
sisdng that as a sworn accounting of
ficer he could not overlook its irregu-
larity and illegality. When that an
swer was reported to him, Old Hicko
~ instantly ser back the original doc'
ument, with this Endorsement on the
| back: ..
Let the Presidents fiat be obeyed
ANDREW JACKSON.
The account was paid forthwith.
During Pierce's administration, Con-
gress passed law increasing the sala-
rics of Government employees twenty
per cent. Nicholson, the public printer,
presented his. account with this addi-
tional percentage. Guthrie rejected it
on the ground that he was contractor
and not an employee. Nicholson went
for help to his friend, the President.
He indorsed the paper:
s'This account seems to me correct,
and, in my Judgment, it ought TO be
paid. FRANKLIN PIERCE"
Then it was handed back to the Sec
retary. Guthrie, in a rage, replied:
Tell the President that it is not cor
rect, and I'lllbe d-n if l pay it!"s
Nicholson, fancying he foresaw the
cabinet officer beheaded, reported this
rash response to the Executive But
that amiabIe chief only answered:
s'Did Guthrie say that? Then dc
not think he will pay it. I never knew
him to give up after l,utting his toot
down !'i-=--