Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-09-09
THE FIRST ASSISTANTS.
4 Glass OF Government officials Who Do Good
Service hut Receive Poor Pay-The Boss
Ugly Man.

and first assistants are at the helm in
nearly every department. They are n
class or men of whom little is known by
the general public, but who are entitled
to good deal more reputation and gen
eral credit than they get. Your average
assistant secretary of the department is
generally hard-worked and little-honor-
ed official. He is expected TO be ready
at all times for just such an occasion as
this and he must be ready TO assume the
duties of chief of his department at
the shortest notice.
He must therefore not only know all
that the secretary himself knows about
the general management of the depart
ment, but he must know all the details of
his particular div sion all the time. And
vet he gets little credit for these arduous
duties. Very few people outside of Wash
ington can name three assistant secretar-
les, or have any idea how the government
is managed during the absence of the
heads of departments.
The assistant secretary though he must
do all that the secretary does and good
deal more. gets nothing in the way of
extra compensation for his service. He
does not even get the salary that his
chief is allowed durirg the time that he
is filling the position.
Let us run over the list of gentleman
who are managing the great government
of the United States and see what they
look like.
Gov Porter, the first assistant secretary
of state is perhaps the most distinguish
cd of them ALL He is a tall handsome
gentleman, with great hair and mustache,
and a little bunch of gray whiskers on his
chin. He came into office shortly after
the inauguration of President Cleveland,
and although he had little experience in
national affairs. save that which his posi-
tion as governor of Tennessee gave him,
he has proven ore of the most efficient
officials that has filed that position for
many years
His duty is to take charge of ell the
consular appointments and all the bust
ness relating TO the consular servi ice, and
be ready to assume the duty of the secre
tary of state on moments notice. Tins
latter requirement means a good deal for
of course ii follows that he must not only
be familiar with the duties of his own
branch of the service, but pretty much
everything else in the department. He
is not only an efficient officers, but an
extremely popular one. He transacts
the business of his position, whether Sc
cretary or assistat secretary, with dispatch
aud such unvarying courtesy that he rem
ders himself extremely popular with all
those who are brought into contact with
him.
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
Fairchild is another very popular and
efficient assistant secretary. He proved
himself both able and obliging during
the time he was assistant secretary, and
when Secretary Manning was stricken
down and Mr. Fairchild assumed the du-
ties of the department those who knew
him felt sure that he would fill the posi-
tion with credit to himself and safety &c
the interests which he guarded. He is {
very young man, some where in the thir
ties, with black mustache, keen black eye
and black hair, very pleasant 'manne
and faculty of acquainting himself rapid
ly and thoroughly with the details o.
matters brought to his attention.
The assistant secretary of the interior
is ex Congressman Muldrow. He repre-
scented II Mississippi district III congress
for many years, in fact until he chose to
decline further service in this line and he
naturally came TO his position in the in
terror department with good knowledge
of the details of his duties In fact. he
is good deal more practical than Score
Jary Lamar who ia secretary, and who
called Muldrow to his present position in
order that he might have someone who
would take much of the burdens Of the
department of his hands. So when he
goes away and leaves Muldrow things 60
on Just the same: in fact, a little more
smoothly. Muldrow is a small, rather
young looking man, with blonde mustache
and frank, obliging manner.
just across the street is the postoiiice
department, Mr.. Stevenson, the first as
sistant who was also member of con
grcss for several years, has, made so prom
inent n record for himself since he
came TO that position that there Is little
necessity TO say much of him. He is tail
well proportional, with brown mustache
and a very bald head. The fact that he
was successful in putting about twenty
five thousend democrats into postoilices
that were filled with republicans when he
came il TO his position a little over year
ago is about all that is necessary TO say
Of him He is q hustler, and anybody
that wants to do business with him must
come to the point promptly
Mr.. jerks, solicitor general of the de-
partment of Justice, is well known here
having been assistant secretary OF the in.
terror for a considerable time. He pro-
badly takes the premium for the boss
ugly man OF the administration lie is
thin. hatchet-faced, with cavernous
mouth, irregular teeth, red side-whiskers
and q awkward manner. But he is one OF
the most able and efficient men that has
ever held the position which he now holds
and the department Of justice viii move
on smoothly under his administration
while Mr. Garland is hunting deer in
Arkansas. The war department is gen
orally left in charge of the chief clerk
Mr.. Tweedale, in the sbsence of the secre-
tary. Tweedale is n quiet man, with
brown mustache and a pretty good ayoir-
dup0is. He was chief clerk during a
pretty good share of Arthur's administra-
ton, and is naturally familiar with the
duties of his Office,
In the navy department the honors are
passed around Sometimes one officer IS
given the position of acting secretary in
the absence of the secretary. sometimes
another Commodore Walker is given
this duty He is a big. broad -shouldered
Yankee, shrewd and always cheerful. His
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