Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-03-28
WASHINGTON NOTES.
How a Woman COrnered Honest
John Sherman-Life Saving Sta
IiOns on Ehe Florida Coast.

WASHINGTON, March s6.-There is a Demo-
crat in the office of the United States Treasury
This may seem strange, in view of the fact
that the man remained in Office all during the
administration of Secretary Sherman. He was
appointed years ago. 1t is not Secretary Sher-
mans fault that this Democrat is still in office.
II the man did not have the kind Of wife that
he has he would have been bounced by Mr..
Sherman. The wife was more than match for
Sherman. When the canvass of Presidential
candidates was hottest, Mr.. Sherman, who was
doing all he could to strengthen his boom,
learned that there was a Democratic clerk
in the department. He first inquired
Of the officials under whom the
Democrat worked as to what kind
Of clerk he was He got the information
that he was an excellent clerk, one Of the best
IN the department. THAT can't be helped"
Sal0 Mr.. Sherman. "he is a Democrat and must
give way to some good Republican from Ohio. ="
SO he ordered the mans dismissal, giving him
the customary thirty days leave of absence.
Here IS where the wife started out to get in
some fine work, and she succeeded right well.
To look upon her is to know that she is what
they call person of strong individuality.
That's exactly the kind of a wife she is. She
can talk-talk to anybody, and if given time
VIII TAX any man-no matter how ready of
speech he may be-blnd. She is three inches
taller than her husband; has sharp and some
what angular looks. 1t may be said of her as
1t is of Mrs Hayes, that she is a better man
than her husband. She conducted an aggres-
slve campaign in behalf of her husband.
Under her directions he went to all of the
on1c1als who were over him and knew his
qualities as a clerk. Neither one of these off,
Gals thought that the man went to any other
of their colleagues All OF them liked the man
and all gave him the best kind of letters They
spoke in the highest terms of him. He told
each official to whom he applied that he
wanted letter to help him get something
else to do. In all he got six letters of the very
best character. His wife took them. She tied
them together in a bundle, and walked one
bright morning to Sherman's office She was
not prepossessing, but she had kind of bust
ness air about her. She founced sturdily into
the room and said "Mr. Sherman you have
discharged my husband simply because he is
Democrat. | want you to reinstate him."
sherman told her that :. it would be
impossible to do so. "Then'' she said 'I am
going to have these papers here printed in ev-
cry Democratic and every anti-Sherman news
paper in the country. Just read them and see
what kind OF man you have dismissed. They
would not do reform candidate much good
when printed with all the facts " Sherman
read the letters. He was mad. He was worse
than mad. He told his visitor to come back
the next day, but to leave the papers with him.
Taken separately, neither Of these letters was
such very strong thing, but altogether they
made it very binding. As soon as his visitor
left Sherman sent for the officials who had
ne sa1d "a combination against me From
the way you have written about this
man the conclusion must be reached
tnaC the man ought not to be clerk No, no:
he ought to be in the Cabinet. 1t is the worst
or dlScourteSy to furnish such document as this
to be used against me?' There was an incina-
ton on the part of some Of the officials to
laugh, but they did not. They explained how
it must have come about. Neither official knew
that the others also gave the man letters, and
they pointed out that there was nothing dis
in aft hat ,,l,,I,
bundle pinned together and written on official
paper or the department that made the matter
such binding one. Examining the letters
separately. Sherman had to admit this The
officials left him in better humor The wife
of the bounced clerk came back the next day
and found him in better humor He was in
such good humor that he forthwith rein
stated the husband. The wife thanked him,
and walked as griTnly in her victory as she
had gone into the fight. Nobody has attempted
since to disturb the tenure Of her husband
Inc letters, by the way, were never printed.
THE LIFE-sAvING SERVICE IN FLORIDA
Upon the motion of Senator CALL the Life
Saving Service bill has been so amended by the
Senate so as to provide for five stations on the
Atlantic coast of Florida, three at the follow
ing points: One near Key West. one near Jupi-
ter Inlet one at or near Cape Canavaral: and
one on the Gulf coast west of the Apalachicola
river. The bill also provides for six additional
houses OF refuge on the eastern coast of Flori-
da. In the course of the debate Senator Jones
showed that there was an amount of property
lost within sight of Key West in one year that
exceeded the entire property lost in all other
districts of the United States. Senator Call. in
his remarks called attention to the fact that the
record of the Life Saving Service shows that
over hundred vessels have been stranded on
that coast, the large majority OF them on the
Atlantic side, and to the further fact that the
houses of refuge there are not life saving sta
tions The portion Of the coast upon which
these wrecks have occurred, the vessels strand
ing coming within the special purpose Of the
Life Saving Service, is about four hundred
miles, and the distance between the houses of
refuge is forty miles or more. There is not
single life saving station. when there have
been over hundred wrecks stranded upon the
shore there within the last few years accord
ing to this record, a larger proportion than
anywhere else in the United States.
PoTONAC