Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-04-18
THE HEALTH AND HABITS
OF Cabinet Ministers and How They
Exercise aud Work

IStSEiGl 'ITfNlNii'lfh' h''-l
WASHINGTON, April l2.-Secretary Man
uing's illness is undoubtedly due to over
work He came here from Albany the per
sonification Of health His eye was bright,
his step steady and the joints Of his ponder
Gus frame were well oiled He had been ac-
rustomed to walking good deal in Albany.
and his wurl, was such a. to keep him mov-
ing about Here he took no exercise what
ever. and he worked harder than even FOlger
nai done before him He lived at first at
the Arlington hotel. which Is about two
blocks from the tomb-lke treasury. His
carriage was called to carry him this
short distance. and on cabinet days
h, rode to the White House, which
is situated Just around the corner and
whose front door is not 30 feet away from
the side door Of the treasury. When his
wife came here and he moved out To Dupont
.ircle he took. for a time, short drive after
he left the department, and Mrs. Manning
came down in the carriage for him almost
daily. During the winter these drives We're
often omitted. and not long ago Mr.. Manning,
feeling the need of more exercise, determined
to walk down to the treasury every morning.
He did this for a day or 50. The distance is
about A mile and had he continued it might
have saved him But he found that the
office seekers laid in wait for him and that
ne could not get to work on time He then
went back 10 his carriage and worked on
until he dropped-
The treasury building is the darkest and
gloomieSt structure in Washington 1t is a
great oblcng stone building with big. dirty
Ionic columns running along its sides, and il
looks for all the world like the gigantic sar-
cuphagus Of some Rntediluvian giant Its
massivenesS is oppressive, and the only bright
spots in it are the south rooms, which look
out toward the Washington monument and
across the Potomac To Arlington and the Nir
ginia hills. Three Of theSe rooms, on the sec
ond floor, constitute the offices Of the secre
tarv Of the treasury, and it Is in these that
Manning has spent the greater part of the
past year.
/ Let me give YOU his daily life. He rost
7 from his Cd at O'Clock and by or a little
later his carriage brought him TO the de
partment Entering by the basement door
/ be would ride TO his floor in the elevator, ant
/ immediately begin at his mail, with hi,
/ stenographic secretary sitting on the opposite
| side of his big fiat desk, and ready TO tax,
down his answers to the letters as he looked
I them over This first mail would perhap
contain 3n1 letters, and most of these wOulC
| require much thought He would be answer
/ iEc them when 10 or IL o'clock came, anC
: with this hour a throng of callers, buSines
| Lnen and office seekers At first he receive
these, as the president does now, admittin.
them to his office and going around the rinI
| talking to each and shaking hands witt
| every one This was also brain work. am
| later ON he found it took up too much If hi
time He then took refuge in his ante-rOou
and admitted only such callers as had i'm
rortant business About . O'Clock tn
d. callers would be shut off and th
secretary would take his lunch. Thi
ile =auld eat at his desk, and it wa
brought down by his boy from his home L
him. 1t generally consisted of some frui
and a sandwich Of chicken, turkey or tongue
Manning would not even rest while he wa
eating il, but would have the department
officials admitted and would discuss ques
tiuns of finance and would look over tn
papers which they presented to him. II
would then go back 10 answering letter.
Besides the 80 of the first mail, he wOul
now find, perhaps that 100 or @D additions
had come in later About o'clock
number Of letters and papers would l.
brought 10 him to sign. and ! doubt not tina
these often ran into the hundreds Ii woul
take thought tu look over them. and whe
he was through he w1uld again dictate letter
until about & O'Clock Then his carriage an
Mrs Manning would come. and he would E
ont home He did not come to the treasur
al night. but he always took work hon
with him, and he often sat up as late as {
. o'clock in the morning He worked MOI
hours than the street car driver, and h
brain had les rest than the pendulum of
4lO-day clock. He paid little attention
society. gave not more than one or two dill
ners during the whole season, and went
none except those Of the cabinet ministe
and the president
1t is mistake TO say that Secretary MAJ
ming has had thtsr attacks before. He b:
, been in good health up to his coming
! Washington. and has had no sickness
speak Of since he was about 10 wears old !
this time | think be was connected with Il
, printing department of The Argus, He ha
a hemorrha.e of the lungs one day. and Il
doctors told his father that he would have
get out of Albany or die. His father was
poor lalOrer, and he was for time IN despa
as to how TO raiSe the money He final
fixed it BY sending the boy off on Il sailiI
vessel to Cuba, and | am told that youI
AIannuI- NUI..e5I LlS paSSaSe AZ '.iH
away a wear or So and came back to Albar
with his lungs a. sound as thUSe Of a lion al
his health like that of young satyr !
went back to The Argus and after makiI
Grover Clev Gland governor and preside
! came here TO Washington worth about sSt
I 600 He is a good business man and Is
a great politician He can judge a man at
+ glance. and he has been here the nd
/ Gchates Of the president. He SENS to
r the only one of the cabinet in whom Pre-
= dent Cleveland has trusted, and he has be
$ to certain extent the power behind t
+ throne.
While Secretary Manning was on I
i ! Argus be did some Newspaper writing.