Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-07-24
FIFTY YEARS A CLERK.
State Department. Clerk who Knew
Webster and Calhoun.
Washington Post

flF11 1EARS A CLEKk.
A State Department Clerk Who Knew
Webster and Calhoun.
Washington Post
81 entered the state department as
a messenger in 1885, when Andre W
Jackson was president of the United
States," said William p. Fahsrty, 10
reporter Monday, ''and have re-
malned there ever since" Mr.. Fab
erty celebrates to-day his eighty, sec
ond birthday. He is native of Balti
more, where, as a boy, he helped to
dig trenches during the war with
England in 1912, bat has been resi-
dent of Washington sixty-six years.
AT 50 years he stands as straight as
the Washington monument, and his
character is as upright as his figure
His egesight is undlmmed, ard de-
feet ID his bearing is the only evi,
dence of his advanced age. He can
recall and relate a number of isci
dents Of the individual peculiarties
of Webster, Calhoun, Buchanan,
Cass, and other secretaries of DAYS
gone by. He was on terms of intl~
macy with thesmost of them, and
held by them in the highest esteem
81 received my first appointment" :"
continued Mr.. Faherty. from Jack
sons secretary of state, John Forsy tn
in recognition of my services to The
democratic party IN Montgomery
county, Maryla land. 1t was not long
before l complained that had not
enough work to keep me occupied,
and on that ground offered my resig
nation, but being Dluntly informed
by the secretary that | was fool |
Withdrew my resignation. When
Daniel Webster became secretary of
state, he sent a messenger 10
me to tell me that | was to tall for
him, that there was man ready to
take my place. This is my first rec
objection of Mr.. Webster, but il did
not turn out so badly after all, for he
found place for the other man with
out removing me.
"What were Mr.. Webster's peculi-
arities2'
Il remember him particularly as of
often borrowing small sums of money
from me, which sometimes he repaid
and sometimes partly repaid and some.
times forgot Calhoun afGerward fol
lowing Webster's example, used fire.
quently to borrow small sums of mon
ey from myself and others, but un
like Webster, Calhoun never failed
to pay up. 1 recall an instance of
Secretary Calhoun stopping his car
riage on the way to conference at
the presidents house to pay so cents
which he had borrowed the day be-
fore to give an old beggar woman.
Webster was no teetotaler, but he
knew that | was, and | have a vivid
recollection of one night, about forty
years ago, when Webster, after de.
liveriug an eloquent speech in the
Odd Fellows hall, in favor of Irish
independence, came up TO me and,
slapping me on the back, cordially
invited me to 20 to his house and
drink some water with him. Bat the
fondest memory which | cherish is
that nearly the last writing done by
Webster was an inscription on a
printed copy of the great speech
| which he delivered before the HistorI,
! cal society ii New York. Here it is''
and Mr.. Faherty brought forth an
age>stained pamphlet. Its inscrlp-
ton. with Daniel Webster's best
wishes to VIM. P. Faherty," was IN
the great statesman's own handwrit-
ing.
No" continued Nj. Faherty, ''the
removals in the state department on
a change of government were never
as numerous as in other departments.
Mr.. Forsyth used to say that the state
department had nothing to do with
politics. l remember when Marcy
was appointed secretary OF state 9
very clever Irish fellow, who had
been in this department for some time
said to me that he was sure to &C
quick, as he had thu atened to throw
Marcy out of the window when he
was secretary Of war. But Marcy
was not vindictive, for instead of dis
missing the young man who had
threatened TO throw him out of the
window, that young man was the
very person he selected 70 go with
him On a holiday tour ne was about
to take. And | remember another
notable instance, to show that men
were not pushed out because they die
not belong to the party IN power
During the war l myself was strong
union man, but my son was IIeuten
ant in the southern army, and com
plainl was made to Secretary Seward
that I was rebel Well, instead oi
kicking me out, Mr. Seward sent fol
and me asked me if could. not ge
somebody to swear I was not q rebel
OF course I got a friend who wa
ready to give the necessary testimony
| Aud l knew that same secretary tc
actually do the same thing in another
case to enable him to retain the SER
vices of messenger who was indeed
an out-snd-out rebel"
'You were always democrat OF
coursef"
"Weli, had oeen democrat, bui
| after | had been m the state depart
meat for some years was sisgusted
at democratic meeting that / attend
ed in Washington ons night, and
acknowledgement TO &C to another, and
neither I did. But / must say the
democrats have always been far more
saving aud economical than the
others. They make messenger walk
when the other parties would have
hired carriage for him.
You remember Mr.. CassT
so yes: he was one of the finest
secretaries OF the whole lot. He was
a very generous man, and took de
light In giving a helping hand to q
/ young man who needed and deserved
it. He was quick to recognize talent
and encourage it. remember one
young fellow whom be found holler.
ing at the door of a travelling circus
and put into a nice situation in the
state department. He raised my sal
airy from 8, geo to ], 400, and when
his term of office expired he wrote a
1 r,aornIE Enanf loffor "a Irr1na Rlack