New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-15
GOSSIP AT THE CAPITAL.
STRAY BITS OF INFORMATION GATHERED
HERE AND THERE.
ANECDOTES WITH AND WITHOUT MORAL
"NE AND TVARTsn


vssbincton. JuIy ID" Bishop Obcrly does not
wholly apnrcciate nv recent efforts TO do Justice TO
| the somewhat peculiar methods which characterize
| the Civil Service Commission. 81 which be IS such
distinguished ornament Tho Bishop IS limiting 10
some Of his fends that my Instances have been mere
! fragments OF tho imaglnaton.u Mrs. Darlington
might have put II and n | would not cause ubHecc'-
sary annoyance even 10 Cvll Service commissioner
It becomes omincnily proper TO cite specific cases
| whore the laws, administered by the appontceS OF
tbs present reform Administration lave been possibly
more honorod I'm the breach Than I'm the Observance
Mention was made in The Tribune some time ago
Of devious paths pursued I'm Civil Service compet-
| five examinations; and one held January 2, 1888
TO M vacancies for tho grade Of principal examiner In
the United States Pension Office, at s2OOo-was specl-
fed upon which occasion II was charged that " what
for the goose" was rot similarly held 10 nc
"saucc for tho gandcr,' a complaining Republican
ex-soldcr being sent the right about while DIS
| eruntlcd Democrats wore taken up tendery' ard
run In to unusually comfortable salaries In deh-
ancc Of the law.
Robert " Price, West Point graduate and eI-
commissioned officer, in the regular Army, at That
time thri-cass clerk in the Pension Office competed
upon that memorable occasion with some forty Fe OF
| fifty others. Mr.. Price, receiving rating which was
| below the minimum OF Go per centum, made complaint
! TO the Commission to several points relative 10
the examination in a respectful and dignihcd letter.
| to which he received reply practically teihs MN
| 10 mind his own business, and that his communication
! was an impcrncncc. Not so, however, with those OF
| the opposite political persuasion who were cAamihed'
| the Official wind was tempered for the shofn Demo
| cratic mutton and for tLcm like Mrs. Partlnsi0ns
| Probable SOM the fatcd calf was slaughtered ana
| served up with unusually appetizing trimmings"
| for division among several very hungry ana
| thirsty Democratic brethren whose markings were
also below tic average. To these, IN open defiance
1orr anime accorded
aferwayI upon precisely the same questions. oi
course they passcd and equally of cogIae' they
! received their appointments. From list OF uese
WORTHLESS ! select at random the name OF ElWain T.
Biskr appointed from the With District Oh INDIANA
ard as might have been expected this distinguished
lIooselr's spelling fcarfully and wonderfully made
and continues 10 aa "A thing of beauty aud Jog
forevcrs 10 his associates IN tho Pension once. III
WILL doubtless, DO humane to administer uleSo
facts I'm homeopathic doses, 10 the end that eood
Bishop Obcry may continue TO raise his Lhenezer
in the Amen corner Of the Official Tabernacle I'M
disturbed by too frequent anu 'ioien' ooI''o' VIII"
the rude world.7
Mr. Prices Official pilgrimage IN Blacks balhwick,
II must be confessed, was not always strewn with
flowers. That he cX-ArRy officer, n hcpuD-
lean Of ability culture and refinement ana morc
than all q gentleman sufficient causes 10 pro
yoke the hatred ard malignant persecution OF Inc
Physical Wreck and his band of toadying camp
followers and more particularly Of David W. wear
the chief Of the Southern Division. From one diVSoh
of the Office TO another this Republican emplcyo was
bounded and forced to submit to all manner OIL peS
prosecutions and lndgnes, being finally con.
demncd to almost mental duty on tho mes anu
al this doubtless, in the hope that the 'lc"'
might be driven 10 resign. Finally the frequent open
ing of his wlfes letters, and the continual receipt Oh
ANONYMOUS notes threatening that he would DO re-
ported 10 Black, angcfed this mnch-peHecuteu en-
ployc and he administered shaking not very
..f.ft hone him
Representative Frank LAWYERS and clerk in the same
room, whom he had good reason TO suspect
The Physical Wreck Immediately demanded an
exnlanatlon and Price wrote him detailed account
Of these various procecdngs-had, Doubtless uhuer
Cvi Service substantially suggested that the anony-
nous letters were monoonous and not customary
among ecnuemen while the violation of his private
mall had merely been sporadic, but frequent and
was without excuse, there was no other clerk OF his
name in the whole Office. In his letter to Commls-
sloner Black. and additional proof OF his allegations
regarding sickness Mr.. Price, it appears enclosed
marked as Exhibit IA number Of teeth, which had
been extracted and which he did not want lost or mis-
laid as they contained 500 worth Of gold filing
Price was however promptly and ANONYMOUSLY ellml-
mated from the Pension Bureau H. the iratc Black.
The sources OF Information al my command, I'M
fortunately. arc wanting in many particulars. The
precise number Of teeth, how many "a them were
nolars blcusuids and inclsors, unable TO state:
nor can l. with any degree Of precision. locate the
Filings or Approximate holr individual weight in gold
The ivorics7 were never, l understand, restored To
their rlgtul Whether it is the Intention OF
the latter to deliver the Physical Wreck over unto
the tor1nentors," and by Of cruel wris and
mandamuses obta n his own, / have far failed TO
learn but the 60. ladcn m0iars and bcusplds aiorc-
said are doubtless Sled away with care at this very
hour amid the sacred archives of tho Pension
Ofce-possibly III Blacks own fraudulent pension
papcrs-to convlnc a sinful and misguided world, If
nqFpT
sharper than scrl nt's tooth 1t IS TO have thank
less Black"
TIM Campbell a frequent visitor on the floor OF
the Senate. lie )tronlzcs the Senators and con- |
dcscends TO exch age views with them on the cur
rent topics OF the day. He makes APPOINT always
to pay his respects to the senior Senator from New
York whenever he makes the Senate visit. Now, !
Mr. Evarts IS the poitest Of men, everybody knows
but In the case Of TIM he is than ordinarily
polite. He IS absolutely captivating Tim always !
etircs from his interviews with Mr. Evarts with raal
ancc depicted in his eyes and hrmer stcp ana bear
ing lie tells his colleagues of the House on such
occasions that NE and Evars have been fixing this
thing up"
The other day Mr. Evarts entertaining group
Of Senator's in the rear of the Chamber with his Gus
tomaly sprlghily talk, when TIM Campbell walled
up
~Gcnrcmen,' said Mr.. Evarts, with great dignity
and stately bow, permit 10 make your acquaint-
ance With my uonored Towmman-JudSe Campbell, |
Of New York"
Judge remarked Of his colleagues to "Tim,'
a little while afteIward, do you think Evarts has
got any hum0rl'
mot bt'
understand that az a recent Cabinet meeting the
question Of closing all the Executive Departments at
3 ~ H. during tho heated term Of the GUNNER months
as was done during former AdmnistratoDs-Was |
considered It IS said that all tine members Of the |
Cabinet were in favor Of this plan except Secretary
EndcOit and he objected to Il only because Adjutan
General Dunn said that the work Of his oiicc-lrn |
clually the answering Of calls for the army service
OF claimants. sent from the United states Pension |
Bureal-was much behind. Those employees OF other |
Government Departments who swclter at their dcss
for an additional hour during tho iorrd heat OF the