Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-10-30
from The Madison Democrat
THEY WERE MASHED.
Two Dakotains Who Fell in Love With
Col Villas and his First Assistant.

Col. Josper Remington and his friend
NJ. c. Thorp, spent yesterday in Madl-
son. The colonel was formerly resi-
dent of Madison and wanted to see
how it had "panned out" He left here
in 1851, at the age of II, aud went
through the rebellion III Kansas regl-
ment and came out colonel VI
course he was greatly surprised at the
strides our city has made and found
multitude of things of interest to him.
But the thing that interests him the
most is post office he wants in Dakota.
he has been to Washington for two
months laying for it. His friend
Th0rp a lawye went along 10 heip
him and see that everything was prop
er. They declared they were no nearer
the Prize now, that they could See' IMAM
before they went.
"Rnt" said the colonel, "you bet am
glad. | went! Before going ! had no
idea what change in the admlnlstra-
tion meant. Why, / would not WORK
the wav Cleveland and his cabinet do,
and be badgered and bedeviled by
office seekees the way they are for
a million dollars year.
/ believe they work on an average
of 16 hours a day and about hall that
time tney work admiSt the BANKED
hlanke9est confusion you ever saw.
Van ought to see the crowds that pour
INTO those offices when the doors are
onened. Circus day and fair IS nowhere.
was scolding and snarling because
onr most Office wasn't attended to, but
I an'r scolding any more. | don't see
how they turn off as much as they do.
WHY | was in to see Villas the morn
inc after | got there, when it came
time for the doors to open. He asked
me TO set down and wait. | did so.
And well. | tell you that stream Of
humanity was sight. | undertook to
count for an hour or so and got mp to
| three thousand and then stopped,
Every man wanted to shake hands
and about every other enc or one IN
three would insist that Villas must
give them zone minute Us their case
"was special" and they were IN tight
place" etc. etc. The madde5t man L
saw in the mob was Congressman who
bought a candidate along with him and
insisted Villas should give me a MN
ME" then and there. Villas tried to eX-
DlAln 10 MIN lllC III PoOS4b4iItt VI NCiiitS
so, and the thousands behind them
kent pushing and believing harder
and harder. There were dozen fell
lows striving to shake hands, and
Mr., Congressman was hustled along
ont nv the mob and the Officer, mutter-
mo oaths about stuck up administra
ton "they'll catch HI next winter,
etc, etc.
No, sir, ] don't scold any more if they
don't act on our postofllce during Cleve-
lands term.
But tell you was just mashed on
that postoficc department manage
ment. OF course you all know Bill"
Villas here. ! used to play marbles
with him in Wisconsin. There is no
doubt but he is the best looking and
hrainiest man in the cabinet. And his
first assistant-Gen. StevenSOn-is a
daisy. He is a:perfect gentleman and
Won ought to see him work. OH
know more than one-half the office
holders of the country are III the
fourth-clasS postoflices. There are
10000 of them in round numbers. The
first assistant postmaster general who
fills the fourth-class postotliceS, has
more appointments to make than the
president. He is six feet tall and pro-
portionately broad. His figure is
very symmetrical. His chest is deep,
and he looks as though he could work
"rorty-two hourS out of the twenty
four for week" and not feel it. He
has a large. well rounded head, partial
ly covered with light brown hair. His
face is strong, with lirmneSS written
all over it, yet It's customary express
ion is as kindly as his manners are
gentle. a small light brown mustache
covers his upperl lip, but otherwise his
lace is clean shaven. Ills eyes twinkle
pleasantly when he talks To his friends,
but | should think they could flash lire
at IN enemy. His simple manner and
soft voice leave an impression OF gen
ueness. ut the same time that h3S
erect, Soldiery bearing and manly
face and form impress you with his
reserved strength.
He is more like kentuckiam than
any man from anywhere else that ever
saw. But YOU see at once that he is not
a kcntuckian. He does not swear, and
he does not drink whisky. Still he has
all the easy fricndlness of the ketuck
ian. and all of his aptnesS for speech
making and story telling. l should
think he WAS not more than 30 years old,
although he has served several terms
in congress and wears ey" glasses
occasionally Mr.. Stevenson is one of
that small body of public men who do
not feel their dignity compromised by
wearing light colored clothes i'll sum-
mer weather. 1t seems very sensible,
even if it was UNUSUAL, to find HIM
dressed in a brown WOODEN suit during |
our hot spell while presiding over the |
postoflice department as acting post
Stevenson has been ut |
his post all summer long. He came at
the beginning of the hot weather, and |
he has been at his desk right through |
all the broling hot days of this the
hottest days of this the hottest summer |
known in Washington since before the |
war. He has worked steadily aud |
prolitably all that time. lie has APP |
pointed something like 1000 democrats
10 fourth-class post-oilices. Illinois and
should be proud of their rep
resentation in this administration.
The Colonel remains III this city to-
lav with friends and goes on home to-
night. lie says Madison is the love
Hest place in the world.