Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-03-15
Rabcock's Offices.

6abcock'S Offices.
The return Of Gen. O. e. Babcock from
his season of anxious tribuation at st.
Louis has not been followed by the act
Of Executive propriety whose rumored
performance was accepted as an evidence
that the President had at last come to
understand something Of what is due the
dignity of his office. Instead Of removal
from his position, new honOrs are heaped
upon him. The fusiladc Of popping cham
pagne corks which began at his hotel in
st. Louis is continued in the White House;
'Boss" Shepherd will be satisfied with
nothing less than sereLade by the Marine
Band; and the President himself, while
less dcmOnstrative than his friend, the
"BOSs, " continues the accused but uncon-
Yictcd Secretary in the closest personal
and official relations. This fact causes
no surprise, as his dismissal would have
done but it suggests what terrible
vacancy would have been created in Of
fetal circles had he beel convicted. So
many branches Of well-salaried Executive
business would have come to a stop that
it seems almost providcntial that the Nc
Donald correspondence was spirited out
Of the way. For Babcock is not only a
Colonel OF Engineers and also Private
Secretary of the President holding the
latter office in defiance Of law and draw
ing a salary Of $500 therefor, but places
OF trust and responsibility have crowded
upon him since he has held the ear of the
President, The most important of these,
as regards the amount Of money handled,
Il Engineer in Charge Of Public Build
ings and Ground, Superintendent of the
Washington Aqueduct, and Engineer Of
Building for the State, War and Navy
Departments. In addition to these, Gen.
Babcock holds several honorary appoint
m2nts in local charitable and public enter
priscs.
As Engineer in charge Of Public Build
in.s and Grounds, Ba5cock has made per-
haps his most distinguished mark on the
appropriation bills. In this position he
has charge of the expenditures for the
White House, and never before were such
expenses known. Instead Of furnishing
The White House once in four years, as
has been the custom, it is now an annual
atflir. Repairs are also needed with such
frequency as to suggest terribly rough
usage Of the National property by the
present occupants. For the current year
the appropriation provides for $4,000 for
''rcpairs OF Executive Mansion,' SIC, ZOO
for 'rcfurnshing Executive Mansion,"
$4,000 for 'tlling ground south of Exc
cutive Man ion," $4,000 for ''carc and re-
pairs of greenhouse" $4,000 for '!repair-
ing fountain south Of Executive Mansion"
Slj00 for ''relaying curb south of Exc
cutivc Mansion About year ago Bah
cock was appointed to take charge of the
work on the buildings now going up for
the State, Navy and War Departments,
which are to cost about SS,0O0O00, with
absolute authority over the immense con-
tracts for supplies and the employment Of
hundreds OF workmen. When it is re-
membcred that Babcock was also the Of
fetal measurcr Of the Shepherd ring, and
what an amount Of desperate figuring he
did on paving and sewers, it seems
wonder not that he accumulated wealth,
but that he had time to spare for playful
tccgraphy with Joyce and Mcdonald
concerning Internal Revenue Matters
The loss of 4 man of such herculean Ca
pacity for labor would have been sad
blow to the public service. Hence it may
perhaps be regarded us fortunate that
BabCOck returns to active life in Wash
ington, attending to the Presidents cor
respondence, laying new carpets the year
round, looking after the greenhouses, re-
pairing curbstones and letting contracts
for the Department buildings. In the
words of Mr.. Hugh j. Hastings, tele-
graphed to Judge Porter: ''Glory to God
Regards to Babcock. = Boston Post.