Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-03-24
GOVERNMENT FURNITURE.
What 10 Done with Worn Out Dcpari.
mc"t Desk>-The Hospital and Re-
ceiyimg Vault.

What becomes Of old Department furniture
Has the Government garnet. like those in ancient
family mansions which the old-fa ,hioned novel;
lists loved 20 describe, where furnture ot antique
make and disabled for rests On dusty obscurftt
lt would he interesting 20 see the desks over
which the official foroIathers Of the present gen
Grafton Of clerks lahored. Perhaps they would
show the marks of heels and demonstrate that
the practice OF sitting with the feet p-rched upon
the desk WAS MOI AN invention of the present age.
However, the Goyernipent has no garnt used foe
such purpose. They make another disposition
OF wOrn-out furniture. After a generation or ~ u
clerks have managed 20 wriggle the chairs into
cecreDit old age and worn grooves into the dc.ks
with their heels the official furniture expert ~
called in. lie decides upon the d,gree of decrepl-
OF the case hangs the DESTINY OF me furniture Ir
may be ordered 70 the hospital or 10 may h. coi-
signed 70 The resting place of all department fur
nlLure that has terminated It's Ofiicial career.
THE FURNITURE HosrITN-
The hospital is the repair-shop. which Is located
In the basement OF all the great Department build
ings. Here are corps OF skillful surgeons They
mend broken limbs and they supply new ones.
1hey have paint aud varnlsh and perhaps pieoe
OF new uphOlsUering material When the arfirs
OF furniture leaves the hospital Il has the APPEAR
ance Of youth. But the rheumatism OF OLD age
permeates its FRAME and before long n gives way
10 the strain OF the arduous labor OF Department
life. Finally there comes a day wien the case 4
pronounced hopeless. Then the clerk comes 10
hi, ONCE some morning and nnds the familiar
desk or chair gone. In the usually Fearless wsv
OF the world he congrTulaues hiIaself on tho
change. and perhaps luxurates In the increased
comfort which lghtens his daily toll The Odd
furniture goes down to the grave 'unwepi. un-
honored and unsung"
THE CEMETERY.
Some where down In an out OF the way part &
the basement IS place where Department furni-
ture goes when 1t ofriclally dies It y, however,
kind OF receiving vault When the collection H.
comes sufficiently large it Is hauled into tho
courtyard or some other open space. The red nag
II put out, the auctlOneers bell IL rung aud a
thrOng OF buy ers assemblies. one by one the de-
crept ARTICLES come under the hammer. and they
pass from the Ow nershlp OF the government 10
private individuals. After all they arr only on
cialiy dead. There Il lite enough left Go make
them useful 10 citizens. for otherwise the bidding
would hot be 80 brisk and the prices given high
The Old desks are knocked down at rigures that
ssaem surprising ana as for the carpets the compe-
tition becomes actually exciting. Perhaps tho
same articles bran new In the stores might cost
a tribe more, but the unpreludiced spectator Is
apt To be doubtful.
AT any rate the sale goes with a rush--old
chairs desks, carpets. fle cases and the usual lot
OF cast-on things Tue sale T. no doubt In many
Instances species OF resurrection. and perhaps
the very clerk Tor whose Official presence some
article ~ furniture was banished will he greeted
by n when he enters his boarding house This
may be termed the irony OF furniture.