Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-07
VERY CAUTIOUS NOW.
The President is in No Hurry About
a Pension Commissioner.
WAITING FOR THE RIGHT MAN.
The Experience of One of the New Dis
pensers of Patronage.
BICYCLE RIDING AT THE CAPITAL

| elaboration of the President In selecting
successor to Commissioner Tanner. The
necessity for filling the vacancy as rapidly
as possible was conceded by all. The day
that the Commissioner resignation was ac-
cepted Secretary Tracy wrote to Secretary
Noble little note urging the advisability
of making the appointment and the an
nouncement of it at an early day.
But the President went about the matter
with great deal of deliberation. 1t is
characteristic of his action in many cases.
He seems to move with more deliberation
than any of his predecessors allowed them
selves. Many cases are known where the
commission had been made out and still the
appointment was not announced for weeks.
President Cleveland inaugurated the sys-
tenn of personal inspection of applicants for
place. President Harrison is following in
some degree the system of Cleveland. and
then in greater degree system of espionage
I OF his own. 1t was only natural, of course,
that, having made one mistake in the Pen
sion Office, he should not take many chances
of making another. Another popularity of
the President which has been much conf
mented on, is his apparent desire to intro
duce into Office the younger element of the
Republican party.
TURN ABOUT FAIR PLAY.
He has shown on more than one occasion
disinclination to appoint men to offices
which they held under other Republican
| administrations, and from which they were
removed for partisan reasons. He is quoted
as saying to one of his friends who came to
him to recommend man for reinstatement:
sI would like to appoint this man. He has
done great deal tor the party from time to
time. But I am getting tired of seeing
certain class of people going around COM
munities with collars on their necks en-
titling them to hold Office by some divine or
hereditary right" These were not, per-
haps, the Presidents words, but I believe
they express his sentiments on the subject
of perpetual Office holding.s
ST have had Just three experiences with
ofice-seekers whom have assisted to places,
and think they will probably be my last,
said good Republican who is engaged in
business in this city. "The first case that
came within my experience" he continued,
Twas that of man from my own town whom
had known for many years, and with
whose wife had gone to school. He was in
rather hard luck, and promised his people
to get him place here in one of the Depart
meQLS, IL POSSIBLE. l. SuCC66U6u III ScLlluS
him place with a good salary attached.
He came on here and called at his house
once or twice. He has been here two or
three years now and have not heard him
say thank you yet. He was in my Office
one day to ask the location of another man,
but he did not stop. Ny
SECOND EXPERIENCE
was with man living at my home. He
kol ~, f1ar
as distributing clerk on one of the cars. 1 |
succeeded in obtaining for him instead |
place as transfer clerk at his home, where he |
would have less work to do and where his |
expenses would be less. 1t paid a little less |
than the place he wanted. I saw him shortly |
after the appointment was made and he told |
me he was notsatisfed with it and that he was |
going to ask to be given the other place. He |
wanted that or nothing. asked the General |
Superintendent to give him nothing, and |
that is what he got. My third experience |
was with a man who wanted to get an In
dian school. He was not entitled to that or
anything else, and he had no claim on me,
but for the sake of his family put in some |
work for him. was surprised the other
day to hear that he had received the appoint
ment. 1 have never heard from him
in regard to it. I think I am out of the
ofice-seeking business now
Female bicycle riders are becoming
numerous, I see, in other cities than this,
in which the woman's bicycle was first
used. New York and Brooklyn are furnish
ing their share of daring women who prefer
good, athletic exercise to sedentary useless
ness even at the risk of violating the con-
ventionalities of so-called society" Of
course 1 do not all ude to the professional
bicycle women who appear in tights and
trunks and ride the machines which were
originally devised for the use of men. am
speaking of the women who are riding the
safety bicycle in the principal streets of
some of our largest cities clad in modest
and becoming costumes, and who attract as
little attention here to-day as the Cinnamon
who parade the city arrayed in robes of
purple and violet and crimson silk.
FAMILY BICYCLE.
But Washington, which originated the
safety bicycle for women, has now brought
out something which is not known in other
cities where women ride the two wheels. I
will venture to say. 1t is the "family"
bicycle, q modification of the woman's
safety. saw one of them this morning. A
slender, athletic little woman, clad in green
with felt cap on her head, sat on the high
saddle of safety bicycle. To the steel rod
which connected the handle bar of the ma
chine with the front wheel was fastened a
light but strong seat. 1t was quite narrow
Just wide enough to hold little child of
perhaps three years of age who was occupy.
ing it.
The little ones feet hung down in front.
quite clear of the wheel and the running
gear of the machine, and he sat very still
so as not TO disturb the equilibrium of the
rider. There was little jolting over the
smooth asphalt of Pennsylvania avenue,
and the little passenger was safe enough on
the eminence he occupied, and apparently
quite happy. The additional weight added
but little to the task of the rider. It takes
but slight effort to propel bicycle over
the even pavements of Washington. And
the bicycle, which is spoken of as a selfish
vehicle, was, by this clever device, made to
do duty as family carriage.
have seen this device adopted heretofore
by men but this is, think, the first time
that woman has ventured to use it. There
are several men in the departments here
who take their children riding with them
on their bicycles. One of them puts mad
for the little one on the backbone of the
machine directly in front of the saddle.
This position is hardly so comfortable as the
other, but it is bit safer.
ROOM FOR THE BABY.
There is one man with tricycle. of stand.
ard make who has built an extension scat ,
on his machine for the accommodation of !
his baby. 1t is not at all uncommon to see
two boys riding on one bicycle. On the :
standard machine the passenger stands on
the little step behind; on the machine with :
q little wheel in front and big one behind !
the second rider stands on the little stem :
near the hub of the big wheel, or on the
on what is known as the "back-