Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-04-10
AUTOGRAPHS AND STAMPS.
The Demands Made Upon Public Off.
c.ais-.oys y. i.o .ta.G IIEe Departments.

There are two kinds .: hunters in addition to
the ever present office hunters that public Olii-
. cidls cannot escapc-the autograph seeker and
the postage stamp collector. y change Of adj
ministratIOn brings 10 TIE front the entire
army OF the lOrrner aud they continue their
attacks until the close of the administration
when the signatures OF ex-Offici;,is are not so
much IN demand The desk OF the Presidents
CcOr-keeper, which stands al the door of the
cabinet room. i never Tree from autograph
albums. sometimes there are several piles OF
them Charles LOeifler, the dOoT-keeper, has
his hands fail in applying with the many re-
quests that are made ri MIN % secure auto
graphs Inc Presidents signature II first OBJ
tanned on the proper pa gc. q certain place be-
ing marked in the book for each autograph
Cc-IreU- Afterwards the cabinet officers are
Caught as they come from tine Presidents office
anu lind that the easiest Way out oil the scTsipe
l. 10 Ill down and scratch oil their names. The
signatures OF other men of prominence are Sc
cured IN the same way, ana when they are all
iu the albums are returned To their owners
Requests Tor autographs by mail are received
every day III the different departments. AT the
Department OF Justice tine requests TOR the auto
graph of the Attorney General range from one
To six daily only one writer in about ten
thinks OF enclosing stamp The majority OF
the letters, therefore, find their way into the
waste basket, although some are answered in
Something Of the following manner: 81 am di-
recied 10 inform you that there is no money
available by the Department OF Justice for pay
ing postage for autographs" Those who want
the autograph very much, take the hint, and
send back stamp. one person sent
which he inclosed a postage stamp, with the re-
mark that he was glad to see that the Attorney
General took such broad and pusiness-Iike
view OF his official duties. Most writers object
to paying six cents tor postage, tor that Is what
II will cost them If they neglect To inclose the
stamp in the first place. a request was received
the other day for 1.-The autograph OF the Attor-
ney General, written by himself personally. -
The stamp mania has decreased somewhat in
the past lew years. and is confined mainly to
school boys, VINO take saturday mornings Tor a
tour OF the departments. Some OF the officials
get To know the bright, happy faces OF the
Youngsters, and take occasion during the week
To lay by tor them some cancelled stamps from
the foreign mails. Persons who make the col
lection OF stamps business occasionally are
heard from, but they 60 at IL in bCsiness-like
way, and cause comparatively little annoyance
A short time ago an advertisement appeared in
the local pspers offering 50 for a complete
set OF the Department OF Justice stamps. The
officials could not understand why the school,
boys attacked the department with such an in
creased force, until one OF them happened To see
the advertisements Boys, in speaking OF stamps
always refer 10 them by the name OF the coun
try or place To which they belong. A little Eel
low called upon the chief clerk of the Depart
ment OF Justice the other day and said: please
sir, give me a Department OF Justice" Ht
couldn't understand for some time the reply
that the country possessed but one such depart
ment and that was In daily use. He finall
explained that il was department stamp hs
wanted and not the department ITSELF