The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1888-02-11
A DAILY PARADE.
Government Employees Quitting
Work in Washington.
The Curious Spectacle Present.
ed at the Hour Of Four.


.Goverament departments daily when
the hour OF arrives and the lO,OOO OF
Upclc Sans servants turn out on dress
paradc, writes Washington correspon-
dent. You do not get 50 COOL vie"
of them in the morning as they go In,
for they are more scattered then. The
timid ones begin to come along nearly
half an hour before time to begin work
in the morning, and they straggle in
until after nine o'clock. But at nigh. |
there is no Struggling. They are
pronptlv on time and when the hanG |
points to they make a bee line for tho !
door. By half-past three to quarter
of four work is laid aside and prcpara-
tions are made for lightning disappear
anc, VIII the moment for disappear
ancc cones.
The s~aacs outside the buildings are
rs curiou, as those within. B: 3.45 you
see in froat of every building number
of vehicles of varied description wait
inc. Some are handsome, ,tyish IN
fact, driven by fine team, and llvcrlei
drivers. They are the carriages OF the
heads of the departments Or their assist
ants. They are, most of them government
turnouts. Then there IS another Class
of carriages; smaller, less expensive AMI
less stylish. Yet they arc more attrac-
tive to the average person, for they are
often driven by handsome Indy, the
wife or sister or daughter of the clerk
for whom each is waiting. Their, Is
another and more touching sight. 1t Is
another class of waiting peopie. They
are on foot: women AMI childrea who
have come to greet "fathcr' AMI escort
him home.
They are curious study as they poul
out b. the thousands and scatter
through the streets. That stately look
inc individual who walks to the carria re
in dignified way, as though he were
afraid of breaking, is either a head of
department orassistant. Sec how defer
entially the clerks bear themselves tow
ard him. If they are as fortunate as to
catch his eye they dof their hats with
vigor quite surprising in its comparison
with ,hc energy exhibited at the desk
bv ,hi, sane individual. That indivil-
ual wh) p.ec,des the secretary, open
ing doors all bowling o5scquiouiiy as
he enters the carriage and the door l:
closed behind him, is the messenger
a: his Office. IL blacks his m2stcr's
Boots, brushes his Clothes, brings HIM liz
lunch from the restaurant in the build
inr, and jumps to help him on with hi;
overcoat when he sees him ready to start
out.
That other dignifoI person, who
carries a bouquet in his hald, Is lot the
head OF the department. lie i
q division chief or head of a bureau. lie
feels Just as good OVERT, however, as tn
head OF the department feels in hi
place lie is the recipient of as muci
attention in his way from his own sub
ordInatcs rs the secretary gets, and en-
Joys it more. That bouquet which he /
carving home to his wife-or somebody
elsc--was placed on hi; desk by some o
his subordinatcs who hoped to maxi
their 800 month job more secure by
it. And that elegant "shine" Wa
placed on his boot by n gentleman Will
similar ambitions regarding his $50
month Job. The giver of the bouquet
probably following along in easy dis
lance hugging himself with secret de
light at having made a new point in hi
efforts to make himself solid with tn
old man.
The procession as it comes out is
curious mixture. Pretty young girl
with rosy cheeks and shining eyes
plump and pleasing widows, whose eye
are as active as those of their youngc
sisters; lean Old maids who are hurryin
home to their cats and parrots; youa
dappcr men with dude collars and canc
who make eyes at the pretty girls {
they go by; Sinking old widowers WI
are trying to catch the eye of SON
plump widow; rummy and seedy oil
sinners, whose rum-blossomed noses an
unsteady steps tell very well what is Il
matter with them.
There are some touching sights, to
The smile on the face of the man