Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-10-30
How the Treasury Building is Scrubbed
aud Cleaned.

How the Treasury Building II Serub beA
aud Cleaned.
AN ARMY OF MESSENGERS AND cHARwoMEN-
TWO oLD-FAsAIoNED RooMs-AN INSPECTION
TOUR A "CLKAN SWEEP" ETC.
The first controller OF the Treasury, Judge
Maynard, and his deputy, Mr.. Mcmahon, have,
probably, the neatest rooms in the department.
Both men are very fastidious, and have some
old-fashioned ideas about things. Their rooms
are in the old part OF the Treasury building; the
furniture has seen service for years, and the
carpets are well worn. A brick hearth in front
OF . fireplace is painted bright red. A genuine
'grandfather's clock" with a big round face.
and the moon and stars circling through its
forehead, stands in a corner, with it's head
almostup to the ceiling, and looks with supreme
satisfaction upon set of old-fashioned brass
andirons that have been recently hunted ont of
a secondhand shop. The rooms look like a
section OF some Old homestead, and are quite
an contrast with some OF the more elaoorately
OF the building. 1t is the duty of a German
messenger to keep the rooms Clean and great
pride is taken in there being not speck of a N n
anywhere about.
FEMALE INSPECTORS AsToNIsH AN OFFICIAL
The other day two ladies with aprons on, and
lnquisitlve eyes, walked into the controllers
room through a door thatis not generally in use,
stood for moment In the middle of the floor,
ran their eyes over everything at glance, then
began 10 look In the corners, under the chairs
ana behind the furniture. They examined the
wood work critically, looked behind the great
od clock, and peeped into the fireplace. Then
they asked the judge his name, did not IN
derstand, and had him repeat it, Then thew
said tney thought il would do. and passed int o
the next room, leaving the astonished official
aiohe 10 collect his scattered wits.
TWO RS.
In the next room they found a stain upon the
door and were going to make note of it, but
hnding that il would not rub off concluded not
TO. Tney asked the deputy his name Then
they asked his Initials and took out u business
Ike notebook.
az. r." said the deputy.
81. R- -: =, inquired the lady with the notebook.
"k. ?" The pencil rested on the book in.
''Douoie r. Say r. twice. A, C, D."
ana ne went over the entire ALPHABET
up to * aud told them TO multiply that by
two The ladies laughed and explained that
tney were Mrs. Lame, the superintend dent OF the
charwomen, and her assistant, Mrs. Harris.
ana that they were inspecting all the rooms In
The department. Then they complimented the
rooms anu went their way
IN QUEST OF DUST AND CoBWEBs.
This was The Instrumentation of the new sys-
tenn OF Inspection which has just been inaugu-
rated in the Treasury. The chief clerk and the
charwomen seem bent on making q clean
sweep al the department. There are six num-
drea rooms TO be cleaned, and it is an immense
Noih W nave Ill uOue property. Eighty char.
women have about two hundred or Two hun.
urea ana nIty rooms. besides all the corridors
On I'VE II borS and the steps 10 scrub and clean,
while the rest is done by the messengers aud
laDorerS.
About a quarter to four O'Clock each day the
scrubs train IN through the lower basement
uoor, auu are strung along the walls of the dark
Vauited corridor. Then for ten minutes, while
The clerks are getting out OF the building there
Is subdued CHATTER OF tongues in many foreign
dialects, the broad brogue rounding up richly
IN the rolling volume oil sound.
THE BROOM, BRUSH AND BUCKET DRILL
little later. when the building is clear, they
may be seen with their buckets and brushes
ana rags washing of the steps and the smooth
stone floors Of the corridors. In q room, in
which The STAR reporter was SHOWN by Mrs.
Lane, there are rows OF buckets and brushes
and mops, and eighty old calico scrub gowns
hung from pegs. Here the cnarwomen make
Their toilet. and with their i'm PIGMENTS in hand
march out to give the building its daily bath.
~ former days they had ~ walk up the stairs,
benches to sit on whiie they wait, ordered,
also, That the elevator should run after Office
hours Tor their benefit. When the big building
is turned over TO them II is very different from
The busy department OF a lew hours before. The
broom and the dust brush take the place of the
pens. Waste baskets, iuil TO the top are hustled
through the halls; every room is swept, every
piece OF furniture busted and all the scraps
and litter oil the days work gathered
done by messengers who have been duty all
day besides. Scrub women, scattered all
Through the building, are down on their knees
III the corridors aud On the stairs,
woRsHIPING AT THE SHRINE OF CLEANLI-
MESS.
Superintendent oversee the work, and what
ever loanug there may be done In the building
during the day, there is none then. Many q
jest and gibe they throw at each other through
the corridors, Uut IT. doesn't interrupt their
work, aud they never stand tor more than a
lnomenI, with their hands resting on their mop
handles, "a make retort In short time the
wnoie building has Oeen cleaned-the litter
cleared out, and the dust settled and brushed
away. With the force they have 10 DO this il is
hard work, ana sometimes the messengers lind
it h ard 10 wall after hours ior soue tardy clerk
and 40 their ,.ay's cleaning. The inspection is
10 look after this particularly, and thus far
there nave been lew complaints 10 make. 1t is
thou ht, though, that the messengers ought 10
he relieved rom this work and larger force OF
charwOmen employed. The messengers have
to get to the department. before any one else,
and when they have 10 stay In the evening 10
clean up, il makes their hours Very long La
times gone by this has led to much sighting OF
work.
HARD-woRKING SECRETARY.
At one time during secretary Folgers admin
istration some OF the MESSENGERS got very me-
yecttul. The Secretary himself often worked
! ter hours and many clerks followed mis- ex-
ample. This made II very late for cleaning.
day in a very dirty condition. Tue clerk VINO
occupied ii tried every means OF correcting the |
He .ss se sSs .a hs reported
'ierk, but nothing seemed to do amy |
good. Finally one day IL got beyond Gu
1urance. 1t was half-past i've. Nearly all the
clerks had been home for an hour. This par.
ocular clerk was still at work in his f1lLhy
,Oom. In desperation he went to the Secre-
,ary's room. There sat Judge FOlger hard at
work. No Secretary before him had ever tried
% oversee much OF the work OF the depart.
nenL From bond call to the jauitor's rsgu-
ations he tried u look after every thing He |
lad even stopped clerks from smoking in tue
corridors. The tastidiOus clerk boldly put be-
ore him q complaint Of the condition Of his |
'oom.
mir. Secretary, you have to pass the door a. |
you go out. Viii you not stop some evening
usl ut the door and look in?"
Il shall go now replied the Secretary. 81
hall go now, and he put aside his work and |
accompanied the clerk. He stood in the middle 1
,f the room aud looked about him. The cob
webs hung from the ceiling aud choked up the |
corners; dust was on every thing, aud Ia the |
middle Of the room stood six spittoone and q |
and rag, in puddle Of waller. |
You did well, young man." be said, ITO call |
ny attention 10 this, and from that time there
Was revolution In the scrub departmento Of the |
treasury.
The Old GuarA.
Written for TIE EVENING STAR
summer is routed from her rosy plains
The splendid queen with colOrs flying 0ed