The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-01-20

splendid apartments in the west end OF
the Sj.OOJO00 war, state and navy
building His desk. with a surface as
large as q billiard table, is kept as neat
as a good housewives pantry. smart
colOrel man has nothing else 10 do
The desk alone cost the government
something like $500. The thick, soft
carpet is worth at least - the yard,
while the frescoing overhead. a canopy
Of martial angels in flaming chariois,
must have cost $40 the square foot. Inc
velvet curtains are Of the finest, the
great mantle is mahogany, the screens
are gilt and g0ll. Tie gasOlier would
DO honor 10 a theatre, and the bathroom,
near by. is fairly sumptuOus IL its ap-
pointments. though not as grand costly
as the marble bath which lir. Lamar had
put in the interior department when he
was secretary there. Every gas fixture,
chair, carved decoration and utensn,
even 20 the pretty red and white door
mat, has the crossed cannon ana Amen
can eagle insignia of the department.
Hung ON the walls are q score or more OF
oil portraits of former secretaries OF war.
Probably no more mild and gentle man
than the present secretary, Dir. Endicott,
ever occupied the seat. He is really lamb
like in comparison with the fierce miens
Of some Of his martial predecessors, but
the fact that he never slnciied gunpOwder
EXCEPT on the Fourth Of July has not
prevented him making satisfactory
secretary Of war.
The duties Of the secretary of war are
mnltifariOus. comprising. in addition 70
general supervision OF the army, host
Of minor responsibilities. but The work Is
so admirably subdiyided into bureaus IN
charge of officers 81 the regular army
that the great machine works along like
an automat0n. These military bureaus
are tho Offices Of the adiutant general,
the inspector general, quartermaster gen
cYal, cOmmissary general, surgeon gen
cral, paymastcr generate CHIEF OF en-
gineers. chief OF ordnance, judge advo-
cate general and cl~. signal officer. 1t
is somewhat remai '-eble that 1000 clerks
are required 30 take care of the fiscal and
other routine affairs Of an army Of little
more than 10000 officers and men. The
war department Is really the easiest of
all the departments 90 manage. In times
Of peace it is practically able TO run itself.
Few changes are made in the staff on
account Of politics, and the organization
IS so essentially military and runs so
largely on precedent that but few mat
tiers Of great importance or perplexity
reach the desk of the secretary.
The desk Of the attorney general, next
in line according to the law Of 1856,
stands ia the middle of o very large room
which looks rather more ike parlor
than an Office. II is like an art gallery,
too, for on its walls are hung thirty-tive
or forty portraits Of former attorneys gen
eral. pictures which cost the govern
ment from 500 to 81 $50 each Con-
spicuous among them are Reverdy john
son, Caleb Cushing, l.. VI. Stanton, W.
II. Evarts and Roger B. fancy. The
attorney general is simply Uncle Sans
legal adviser and prosecuting attorney.
He has supervision of United States at
toIneys and marshals throughout the
country, and Is ex-oficio q member Of
the cabinet The local staff Of the attor-
ney general is not large one, consisting