The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1880-05-06
SOME OLD TIMERS.
Men Who Have Been i'm the Public
Service for Over Half a Century.
[From Washington Letter.

[From Washington Letter.
The bill pending in the House for
pens1oning persons who have served for
atty years In the civil branches of the
Government meets with public favor
among the members of both houses. It
was remarked by a Senator that any
person who had exercised sufficient tact
to maintain his position through the
mutations of politics during the long
sweep Of half century was certainly
entitled to very liberal recognition at
the hands of the Government. not only
for long and faithful service. but for his
ingenuity in eluding the decapitating ak
which follows IN the train of change in
party domination The oldest officer in
the Government service is a venerable
gentleman of Tompkins county, n. Y,
Roswell Beardsley, who was appointed
Postmaster at North Lansing, in that
State, on June %, 1923, during the adj
ministration of John Quincy Adams, and
James Mclean, of Ohio, Postmaster
General. This ancient official has been
IN active service ever since, and the re-
turns of his postal accounts to-day indi-
cate vigorous health and close attention
to business. William Hunter, of Rhode
Island, Second Assistant Secretary of
State, was appointed clerk in that de-
partment May %, 1929, by Martin Van
Buren,, the Secretary Of State, and has
passed through all the intermediate
positions and administrations since that
period. On Dec. Il, 1880, Edward
Stabler was appointed Postmaster at
Sandy Springs, Montgomery county,
Md, by Postmaster General W. F. Bar
ry, OF Kentucky. In a recent letter, Mr..
Stabler says that he is still enjoying Wig
orous health, and during the past
winter was. able to indulge in his favor
tie sport of deer hunting. The oldest
official in the Legislative branch of the
Government is Capt. Isaac Bassett, of
Massachusetts, who was appointed a
page in the Senate by Daniel Webster
in 1881, Mr. Webster then being Senator
from that State. Capt. Bassett is now
Doorkeeper of the Senate, and occupies
confidential relations with that body,
both among Democrats and Republicans,
and possesses q vast fund of interesting
"reminiscences Of the great Senators Of
the past half century, and of the exciting
scenes and debates in that body. Capt.
Bassett is preparing book covering the
recollections of his connection with the
Senate for fifty years. In the Postofice
Department, Jas. Ell. Mari entered the
service June l, 1881, by appointment
from Postmaster General Barry, and
from clerk in charge of the letter-book,
at salary of $500 per annum, has risen
to the position of chief clerk to the First
Assistant Postmaster General. Next to
these veterans in official longevity is
Daniel B. Grim, Postmaster at Grim
vile, Berks county, Pa, who was APP
pointed in 1886 by Amos Kendall, and
. John Woodbridge, Postmaster at North
Edgecombe, who was appointed by Mr..
Kendall in 1889. The instance Of the
longest uninterrupted official career was
that Of Jacob Soldering, Postmaster at
Lynnville, Lehigh county, Pa, who was
appointed Feb. 2, 1920, and held the
office until Feb. Is, 1876, a period OF
fifty-six years. Postmaster Richard FL.
Jones, OF Brewer, Berks county, Pa,
was appointed in 1874, and was succeed
ed by his daughter as Postmistress in
I 1875.