The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-29

A Glance at the Cabinet Officers ut Their
Desks During the Swalterinr. Daxa.

Glance az the Cabinet Ohtcers nt Their
Desks During the sweiterins Days.
Washington Correspondence PHILADELPHIA Times.
All the Cabinet officers can be seen at their
desks occasionally these hot days, except Secre-
tary Manning and Attorney general Garland.
Their attitudes and personal appearance while at
work give clearer insight into their tempera-
ments than all the words they could utter Sec
rotary Bayard is in his Office about six hours
daily The room in which he works Is large,
well'ventilated and lighted, but 10 perhaps the
most uncomfortably furnished in any Of the de-
partments All the chairs are straightforward
and uncushoned, the sofa is as hard as
the tiled floor and the walls are unadorned, save
for few architectural drawings The Sscre-
tary sits as erect the gaunt chair at his desk.
His clothes give no indication that summer has
come on. They are brown--the color he usually
wears--and apparently of winter material His
coat is buttoned up, his collar shining, his tic
perfectly arranged and his whole appearance
that of man who has just dressed and takes
seat on the cool piazza after a refreshing bath.
The heat does not seem TO affect him at all.
Through long hours he sits there erect, without
even hopping nis brow No one ever heard or the
Secretary of State being guilty of such descentA
from dignity as leaning back or throwing feet
over desk or plying fan.
Secretary Whitney, on the rare occasions he
appears at the Navy Department., has altogethes
summer surroundings. He cares little tor the
dignity which is precious to the head of the
State Department. With So striped Office
coat. almost transparent trousers velvet slippers
and huge palm-leaf fan he gets through his
work In manner suggestive of no great discom.
fort. Occasional slipping from littls peach
blow bowl close at hand adds to his comfort.
just what the bowl contains nobody has been
able to discover, for the simple reason that
nobody dares to approach 1t in the presence
of the august Secretary and IL Is care
fully locked mp in his absence. There are
stories afoat In the department that a clerk who
went too near the precious bowl was threatened
xwsk - = e - -
offense. The liquid contents appear to be chame-
leon-like in hue. Some clerks are willing 10
swear that the liquid is red; others are equally
sure it Is pure crystal, and others declare that
it is dark brown. No one has yet had the temerL
ity to give an opinion as to the substance. The
curiosity among the Navy Department people
has grown positively intense and unless Mr.
Whitney gratifies it soon some bold and curious
subordinate is likely to investigate himself, even
with the chances of dismissal
Further down the corridor Secretary Endicott
can be seen at his desk perhaps once in q week.
He forms perfect contrast to Bayard. While
not actually putting all the time, his breath 10
so labored as to suggest some internal derangeg
ment His usual position is Of comfort
rather than elegance. 1t is reclining one, and
so very much SO that, as he leans back with his
feet resting on his desk, his body is perfectly
horizontal While writing he raises his head
sufficiently to lay the paper across large fat
book on his lap Or course, he occupies more
dgni6ed position when official callers come in,
but when alone or with his subordinates, he
shows marked affection for the horizontal A
large red silk handkerchief laid OH chair to his
right serves as mop. and very frequent one,
too Mr. Endicott finds work in summer more
unbearable than any of his Cabinet brethreny
and comes to Washington only when the mosN
urgent necessity compels him TO do so.
Until three days ago Secretary Lamar was
closely engaged in the duties of his Office. Heat
seems to agree with him, for he looks better
bent over his desk these swelterng days than he
mas looked since he entered the Cabinet He
wears a long Prince Albert coat, buttoned as inl
winter, and no provocation of temperature can
induce him to lay aside his cuffs. His favorita
position, when his pen is idle is leaning bach
slightly, with arms folded Then he does his
dreaming That far away look in his eyes shows
THAT his mind is far off from Office drudgery--
wandering, perhaps, in the world OF thought
with one of his favorite Greek authors. He
does not find Washington warm enough for 81
fan. Indeed, were it not for the slight moisture
on his brow, one would think he was as cold
bodily as Secretary Bayard.
Postmaster general Villas bears the heat butt
poorly. Accustomed to the zephyrs of thel
Northwest, he appears to be IN a suffocating con-
dition, working in hot, asphalr-paved Washing
ton. He is usually invested In silk duster,
and alternates between working and tanning Ii
is believed that no has gona away to stay tho
rest OF the summer since he declared in his last
visit to the Office that his Office was as hot al
Helen Blazes, whoever she may be-