The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-01
The NATIONS CAPITAL.
EOW THE GOVERNMENT EN-
PLOYES ABE WORKED.
The Real Estate RiBg-Secretary
ManniBg's Condition Cox's Two
Salaries Other Matters.

" hEhAhkbgh NAAAs Az BStR-~
who suppose that the government en-
ployes do not work are mistaken, in
some cases. / was talking with the
private secre airy of one Of the Cabinet
officers last evening, and be remarked
that he must get home at once, "ior,
said he, II rave 10 be up early"
Chow is thst2' | asked. 81 thought
the government employees do not have
to rise early or work late"
"Don't they" he lsughed. swell,
you would think they did if you
would see me punching myself every
night to keep awake at my work after
the majority Of people are in bed. l
am at it until midnight or later half of
my time"
"And did you say that YOU were to
rise early tomorrow besides Z"
"Yes, / generally get up about $3.50
o'clock in the morning. You see there
is certain amount Of work that must
be done before the department en-
ployes get there to begin their duties,
and it is nece sary to be at the depart
ment about 8 O'Clock"
Sand when do you get away2"
"Ob, that depends. Sometimes /
get through by O'clock, sometimes
BY 6: O'Clock, but / generally have
lot OF work to do at night beside"
at is not merely the private secre-
taries that work long hours, either.
The members Of the Cabinet them.
selves do go. Even Secretary Man
ming, in bis enfeebled condition, is
working late at night now and on Sun
days preparing bis report. Take a
walk past the residences of the Cabi-
net officers and you are liable to see
the lights in their studies burning
past midnight. They have their desks
in their houses, and work there at all
hours. The President puts ia long
hours. He is an early riser, and it is
no uncommon thing to know that he
is closeted with come member of
the Cabinet or Col. Lamont until
midnight, or later, hard at work. Take
walk past the Treasury any night
and you will see large numbers of
rooms lighted up and employees at
work, catching up with the work of
the Office" Only the other day /
heard an employe in one of the divi-
sions of the Treasury say to one Of his
fellow clerks: 81 will be down to the
Office al o'clock tomorrow to help
get that work up" There are lots OF
them who take their work to their
homes with them. This is especially
the case with the professors in the
scientific bureaus. They take a per-
sonal interest in their work, and as
the appropriations made for it is
small, they generally are willing to
give good deal Of time to it, even at
r.diculously small salaries. From my
window where sit writing this letter,
I look directly upon the window of
one OF these scientific gentlemen.
can almost always see a light in his
study window until midnight or
thereabouts, sometimes later. He
does it for the love of the work and
because he cannot bear to see it neg
lected. Watch any of the Cabinet
officers as they go home and you will
see that they take a bundle OF work
with them to be disposed Of at home
during the evening.
In spite of the reports that Secre-
tary Manning is growing worse and
has determined to resign, he con-
tinues to improve. A gentleman who |
sees him daily, and has done so for a |
year or more, tells me that he has not |
been as well since he had the attack |
as now. He continues to lose flesh, |
and has succeeded in reducing his
weight to 235, which ia about sixty |
pounds less than it was when he was
taken sick. He is cheerful and chip
per, and finds that the return to work
seems to agree with him. He has
been hard at work upon his report,
and does not feel that the work is in
juring him.
Comptroller Durham, of the Treas
ury, is in a state of mind about Sam
Cox's two salaries. He don't like to
permit government official to draw
pay for two services at one time, but
he don't see how he can prevent it.
sit is a queer state of things" he said
to your correspondent, talking about
it. ~ can't see how we are to avoid
giving the salary TO Mr.. Cox If he
really wants It. He has already drawn
bis salary as Minister to Turkey up to
the time OF bis resignation, as he had
a perfect right to do. He has been
elected to fiji a vacancy in Congress,
and the law specially Gays that the
men elected TO fill vacancy shall be
entitled to the salary Of the position
from the date that the office became
II is a CURIOUS case, for it is a
general rule that no official shall draw
two salaries, l don't see why Con-
gress don't amend this law. There
was another case Of this same kind
some twenty years ago, when Mr..
Blaine and Mr.. Conkling were in the
House, and it was some speeches
made upon this very case that pro-
iuced the enlargement between
Blaine and Conklin0