Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-01-20
NO. A..
Fostering the President.

United States has an easy life, let him
take an hours sitting in the ante
room of the second floor of the white
house, or, what is better. in the presi-
dents room, where the movements OF
his eXcellency can be better observed
Mr.. Hayes settles down to business at
10 o'clock each morning, and from then
until noon he Is open to calls from sem
ators and members, cabinet ministers
and foreign representatives. He has
no opportunity to go through his mail
IN the morning, that duty being i'll
trusted to confidential clerk in the
office of Private Secretary Rodgers, who
opens the letters, notes the contents
and assorts them.
A senator calls and requests the pres
ident to appoint a certain man as col
lector of the port, and then goes on TO
give his reasons. The president smiles
and promises to give the subject his
earnest attention; is glad the senator
called, and the latter departs satisfied
that his Influence" has been felt.
Scarcely has he left when in walks
member of the opposing faction, who
asks for the place for his friend. Then
there are more smiles and promises of
consideration, and the representative
also struts out feeling that he mas
gained a victory. Next morning both
men read in the papers that some one
else-probably a man they never heard
of-has carried off the prize. This is
what has sOured the politicians on Mr..
Hayes, and is what Andy Johnson
would have termed ''my policy" A
silent spectator, studying the visitors,
recently counted five Southern demo
cratic congressman to every one North
ern republican who called on the pres
ident.
While all this has been going on in
side, the ante-room has been filling
rapidly with people who have no sin
fiuence," notably young married
couples who are on their wedding tours
all waiting for chance to pay their
respects to the president Word Is
sent inside. His excellency takes a
position in the center of the room, and
the crowd surges in and shakes hands
with the chief magistrate. 1t is the
plain, pump-handle ceremony, with
smiling variations. The folks
pass out to go to their homes, and tell
how they shook hands and spoke to a
real live president. These little daily
receptions are events. in the lives of
thousands. Mr.. Hayes takes great
pleasure in them, and gives each per-
son such a cordial clasp of the hand
that you feel as if he had known you
personally for some years.
The president is Oyerrun with visi-
tors. Some come to borrow money and
ethers to seek his aid in the procuring
of pensions for them. Not few call
and request him to give them positions
in the treasury department or some
other berth they have singled out
And the amusing part is that many of
these people think the president has
nothing to do but TO say Eyes" and
their salaries will begin at that mo-
ment.
One Of the most curious visitors is
an old woman who comes to Washing
ton regularly from Maine. She has the
idea in her head that she owns the
whole United States. The deluded
creature brings an armful of papers,
old deeds, and takes a seat in the wait
ing-room. Here she goes over the doc
uments and prepares them so the,pres-
ident can sign them. She declares that
she has been cheated out of her rights,
and that as soon as his excellenCy
places his signature and seal on the
papers she will recover all that has
been stolen from her. This is carried
on for about q week, when the attaches
learn that her funds have run low.
They then hand her over to the dis
trict authorities. who kindly send her
back to her home. For twelve or
:
these singular pilgrimages, and all who
know her treat her with consideration.
Then there are a couple of chaps
who call two or three times year.
They generally labor under the hal
lucination that they are the president
of the United States. They come sep
arately, walk in and examine the house,
/ quiz the attaches to know whether
they are taking good care of the place,
ask how the machine is running, sit
around awhile, and finally move off.
They always leave word that they will
be back soon to take possession, and
| for the present occupant to hurry mp
and vacate.
The word "auto," written on the
edge of postal card, has terrible
meaning. and is the latest popular
craze. The president is deluged with
letters from all over the country, re-
questing that he will send his auto
graph. "Do you write your signature
YOURSELF he was asked. Certainly"
replied the president. There are at
present 400 letters upon his table from
persons who make this modest request,
and the president is so conscientious
about it that he will not allow clerk
to write the name for him. He laugh
ingly remarked that one day week
would have to be set apart as ''auto-
graph day if the deluge did not end.
And all the counties have not been
hna ri from cithnr