Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-09-15
WHY MIR. JAMES HOPES.
The Interview of the Postmaster Cen
eral With President Garfield.

The Interview of the Postmaster Cen
eral With President Garfield.
Special Dispatch to the Cincinnati Gazette.
New YORK, September 12.-Post-
master General James arrived IN
this city from Long Branch this al
ternoon, He spent several hours at
the post office, and in the evening
was found by Tribune reporter at
the Gramercy Park Hotel, spending
the evening with Postmaster Pear
son. Before leaving Long Branch
Colonel James paid visit to the
President.
'It had been arranged that Secre-
tary Hunt and 1 should visit the
President yesterday" he said, 'but
when we arrived at his cottage we
found that he was asleep, and
of course we could not allow
him to be disturbed. This
morning, however, accompanied by
Secretary Window, I left the West
End Hotel shortly after 9 o'clock for
Elberon. MIR. Window had seen the
President ON Saturday, so when we
reached the cottage he did not enter,
and Mrs. Garfield was in the sick
room when I entered it. No one
else was there during my visit. The
appearance of the President is much
better than expected. His eye is
undimmed, his voice is strong and
his grasp firm. The President had
been told that I was coming, and
when I got to his bedside he grasped
my bands warmly. I was anxious
not to excite him, and I said, Mr..
President, I come to say good morn
ing; to say that everything is all
right in the department, and then
to say good by"
"No, no, sit down. said the Presi
dent, still holding my hand, and
shaking it warmly, "How about the
expenses of the department! Are
you still cutting them down =?
And is the department running
smoothly?"
Mr.. President" l replied, "we
have advanced On the Chicago plat
form in the Post-office Department,
for we have put civil service reform
in force. No appointments of any
note are being made now. We only
fill vacancies caused by death and
resignation, and 1 do notsee that the
service is suffering in consequence.
The President smiled at my re-
mark, and then asked: "How much
has been saved on the Star routes u
"About S1,5O0,O00 a year," 1 an
swered, and I added, Attorney
General MacVeagh and myself are
still at work, carrying out your in
structions." The President replied
with a smile: "That's all right. Tn
glad to hear it, " and I bade him good
by.
1.-The visit continued Colonel
James, did not last more than two
minutes, but it was most satisfac-
tory one to me. I came away more
hopeful than I have been for some
time. His condition is, of course,
serious, but while he will have his
ups and downs, I feel that his ulti-
mate recovery is assured. His con
valescence, however, may be pro-
tracted, because he has been very
sick man. The change to Long
Branch has been undoubtedly Of
benefit to the President, and the
invigorating air of the sea-
together with the care he is
receiving at the hands of the
attending surgeons and the best Of
nursing will ultimately bring him
through. He is having done fol
him all that science, skill, and love
can do Mrs. Garfield is, of course
unremitting in her devotion"
What is doing in the Post office
Depart 2" the reporter asked.
"Everything is running very
smoothly, but there is nothing new
in it. Since I have been in New
York Mr.. Pearson has told me tha
now that the Canadians have re
turned our mail bags we have NOR,
than we know what to do with. IL
tells me that instead of having t,
order from 5000 to 10000 new bag
every month we have nov
enough on hand to supply
all possibly demands fo1
months to come Two or thre'
months ago it was difficult to ge
sacks enough to carry on the busi
ness of the country. Now, however
we have more than sufficient for ou
own use, as well as for the use O
the railway mail service"
'.How long do you intend to b'
away from Washington?
"I have been. great sufferer thi
summer from hay fever; in fact, i
has been more troublesome this yea
than any before. I am going to tn
White Mountains to try and break il
The trouble is all the members of tn
Cabinet have suffered in health thi
summer. The nervous strain O
their systems has been great, an
most of them have lost flesh unde
the ordeal.
MIR. James A. Weatherford, Of Sprinf