The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-07-30
Genial Lamar:

Mr.. Lamar is the genius of affability
in this administration, writes CORES
pOndent of the st. Paul Pioneer Press.
He is approachable at all hours, under
all circumstances, in his Office, in the
street-car, at his lunch, even at mid
night in his bed. He is ever kind, ap-
preciative, and responsive. His room
at the interior department is usually
crowded with congressman, women,
laborers, farmers, wire-pullers, politi-
clans, democrats of all sorts in quest OF
places. Each guest comes up to him
in the presence of the whole crowd and
makes his errand known. The score
tary listens quietly with face as inn
movable as that of a gambler, finally
asks questions, makes memorandum,
takes name, being particular as to
initials and spelling, dismisseS the APP
plicant, and calls for the next. To the
last hour and the last caller he is evenly
patient-never drives, never hurries,
ALWAYS listens, notes, and conscientious
" applies himself to the business that
comes before him. One day / was
walking back and forth in one corner
| of his room, waiting for him to finish
an interview with a dozen congressman,
SO that could ask him a question OF
news. Suddenly the secretary stopped
the conversation with the congressman,
wheeled, and said in tone of playful
grandiloquence:
80 correspondent! omnipresent, ON
niscient, and some say omnipotent,
what is your requests"
l told him what it was, and in q few
| minutes received the intelligence that /
desired. The next day l was there
again to ask, as have for months, if q
surveyor general had yet been appoint
ed for Minnesota.
'.Mr. -, should lose my appe-
tite if you should fail to come and ask
me that question. do not know but
that shall have it printed and hung up
where can see it. But am afraid If
did you would not come to ask it, and
1 want to see you every day."
At another time l asked him in re-
gard to a certain matter of news, and
he said nothing had been done in re-
gard to it.
But" said, II was told last night
on good authority, very directly, that
you had decided to do so and So"
With jolly laugh and a stinging
slap on my knee, which felt for hall
an hour, Mr.. Lamar replied:
That's good; that's good? You
didn't hear anything of the kind. You
made that up just to draw me into q
discussion, and get the news. / want
you to understand, sir, that this de-
partment is making reputation now
adays for secrecy, and if you keep on
getting the news out of me you will
| ruin US.
The other day an old ex-congressman
from Ohio, who sat in the house with
Lamar before the war, came in to pay
| his respects to him, not suspecting fol
an instant that Mr. Lamar would recol
lect him. The moment he came in the
door of Mr.. Lamar's Office the secre
tary jumped up from his chair, and ez'
. claimed:
''How do you do, Gen. -P knew
your face the instant / saw it. !"
This is the man who, two months ago
was pronounced an opium-eater and
dreamer, who could never attend to the
business of the interior department
Yet it is fact that fewer mistakes o
the administration have been brought
home to Secretary Lamar's door thar
to that of any other member of the cab
l inat