Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-29
PRESIDENTS RIGHT HANDS.
Private Secretaries in the White
House Since Buchanan's Time.

Private Secretaries in the White
House Since Buchanan's Time.
From the Neao York Sun Und.)
Dan Lamont is CIeveland's right hand.
and good, strong, persuasive one, too q.
Sometimes he is as potent as both hands.
He may occasionally be seen in New
York, If one knows him. Otherwise he
would attract nobody's eye, for he is
quiet, taciturn, and prefers to look on at
the crowd from afar. But if you get near
enough to look into his Scotch eyes you
will see caution, shrewdness. and keen.
penetrating glance. he will hardly be
content with his career rs Cleveland's
private secretary. Perhaps be may go TO
the White House again some day. Who
knows? Senator German used to be q
page in the Senate, and ex-Acting Secre-
rary OF State Hit was, a few years be-
fore. stenographer to Congress commit
tee.
Fred Phillips was a much more import
ant right hand for President Arthur than
the politicians generally thought He
was as taciturn, If necessary, as Lamont,
but concealed his taciturnity under dis
guise OF child-like innocence. Phillips
had difficult job Ia keeping the New
York political bores away from Gen.
Arthur, and he did it exceedingly we'll.
He is sometimes seen in New York admir-
ing the art gallery at the Hoffman, but he
still lives in Washington in elegant
bachelor apartments at the Metropolitan
Club. Phillips looks with some amuse-
ment and amazement upon Dan Lamont.
| He says that lamont may help make or
unmake politicians. but he never will beat
the President shooting allgators or re-
ceive Presidential compliments tor the
way he cooks planked shad on the Po-
tomac. Mr.. Phillips used to be asked for
by ladies who called at the White House,
but be never knew that it was for his
| handsome eyes, and not because he was
the Presidents private secretary, that
they wished to meet him.
Gen. Garfield expected to depend very
much upon his right-hand assistant, f..
M. Brown, but for the few months Brown
was in the executive office he seemed
somewhat dazed. He was the youngest
of all the private secretaries, and the
moustache he cultivated was still downy
| when he entered the Office. Brown had
been Gartield's stenographer, and never
ran smack up against politicians until he
went to the White House. Now and then
ne comes to New York, and may be seen
in the corridor of the Fifth Avenue Hotel,
| with Tommy Nlch0l, who was once one of
Garfield's secretaries. Brown is now as
sisting Mrs. Garfield in the management
of her estate.
Hayes right hand was poor, withered
| instrument. Hayes made him so. He
brought Mr.. Rogers with him from Ohio,
and the secretary seemed to the polti-
clans curious kind Of mortal. II Hayes
had found him with his nose and eyes
! buried in the pages of an old book at a
secondhand book stall, people would not
have been surprised. Rogers Was a
| tawny, middle-aged man, and he ran the
executive Office something as an attend
ant stands guard at the tent OF Gen.
eral. He comes occasionally to New
York, where be seems to feel lost.
Rogers is now claim agent in Washing-
ton. t
Grants private secretary, Gen. Bah
cock, was man with career when he
took the office. He was q blunt,
brusque officer, who had served on
GRANTS staff. He began another career
after he followed Grant into the White
House, and came very near going from
his office there to the penItentiary. Bah
cock was the only private secretary, ex-
cept Lamont, who had, according TO re-
pute, the persuasive voice in the ear of the
President; but there is this difference:
| Grant was thought to be Influenced by
BsbcOck's wishes, while Cleveland is I'm
derstood to rely upon Lamonfs Judgment
and observation in making political COM
binations that are to be effective Bah
cock was drowned few years ago of the
coast of Florida.
Col. Warden was Andy Johnson's right
arm, and good one. The Colonel under
stood the curious mental and tempera-
mental peculiarities of johnson, aud was
able, therefore, not to run counter to
them. Col. Warden now and then comes
to New York, and is instantly recognized
by the clerk at the Metropolitan. He is a
short, stout gentleman. with gray hair,
and is now lawyer in Washington.
Col. John Hay has been, perhaps, the
most fortunate of Presidential right
hands. President Lincoln brought him
to Washington from law Office in
Springfield, Ill. Hay was then very
young, but he proved himself equal to the
fiery furnace heat at the White House
during the war period. Col. Hay, how
ever, turned from politics to literature al
ter be quilted the White House, and
wrote one book "Castilian Days." which
gave him a desirable literary repute; a
poem, 'Little Breeches," which betrayed
the talents OF a humorist. and for a while
was connected with the New York Tri-
bune. He now lives in one OF the most
beautiful and costly houses in Washing
ton, which he built, and is supposed to be
finishing his great book, 1.-THE Lie OF Lin
coin" Col. Hay often comes TO New
York, and generally prefers the Brevoort
House. He dresses simply but expen-
sively, ia a medium-sized gentleman, with
full dark beard and dark eyes. His wife
brought him fortune OF several million
dollars.
In glancing over the careers OF these
his predecessors as Presidential right
hands, will reflections come TO him sug-
gested by the TACT that all quit politics
when they went from the White HOusep
Is Dan Lamont going TO be the exception
which proves the ruler Another thing.
Every one OF them has remained ia
Washington. Is Daniel going TO break the
rule?
The First Man Who Packed Her.
rings.
Fran the PaH NaH Gazette
At Berwick. IN Holland, honor is about
10 be done TO the memory OF "A great
Dutchman whose name and whose ac-
hieyements are, probably, unknown to
the rest OF Europe. This month will mark
the fifth centenary Of the memorable dis