Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-08
THE PRESIDENTS VISITORS.
Something About the Crowds that Daily
Gather at the White House.

Something About the Crowds that Daily
Gather at the White House.
wHY IEarsLAToRs HAVE WITHDRAWN FROM rHr
FIELD-oFFIcE SEEKERS DISCOURAGED BUT
STILL on MISREPRESENTATION OF TYPICAL
| aATHERIya-MEN WHO APPEAR DAILY.
President Harrison has curious and promis-
cuous lot Of visitors Such a motley crowd of
callers would brighten foreign potentate, the
czar Of all Russia would tremble at the sight Of
such citizens, with all the dynamite possibili-
ties. But without regard to color or previous
or present condition, all who come can see the
President who get there in time and have the
patience to await their turn. The rush Of
''great statesmen" and Of prominent poll
ticians who have claims on their party" is over
Most Of them have given it up and gone their
way-if not rejoicing, at least they have gone
their way.
LOOKING OUT FOR THEMsELvEs.
The Presidents callers of late are chiefly
men who are looking for Offices for themselves
Many OF them come unindorsed, and sustained
by nothing but their trust in Providence a
clean collar and rosebud in the buttonhole.
The clean collar may be on credit and the flow
ers picked from public park. The Senators
are now few, very few. They are saving their
dignity and shoe leather by sending notes of
introduction instead of making personal pre-
sensations to the President
A SAMPLE RECEPTION.
An hour spent watching the reception fur
nishes q curious entertainment. The scene is
both pathetic and humorous. It il more inter-
esting now at this flag end Of the crowd than it
was month ago. There is not such throng,
ar,A h. id, l. L.
closely. The cabinet-room is at the head of a
tolersbly long flight Of stairs, and through it
they pass to the presence OF the President.
They must pass on the way two doorkeepers,
one police sergeant, and the head of the force
of guardians Of the mansion, who is supposed
to have an eye that recognizes a crank at thirty
PAGES. But unless the visitor be drunk or in
sane no one will stop him in his upward way to
the chambers Of the Chief Executive if his
visit is timed within the proper hours. The
President is supposed to receive the office-seek-
ing or business class of callers only between
IL CLOCK and 1890, but they usually appear at
10, and man arriving at that hour often finds
so many before him that his time may not come
before nearly noon.
Senators and Representatives and the better
appearing callers are permitted to sit in the
cabnet-rOom, while waiting, until that room
becomes crowded. The rest stand about the
lobby or sit in the front of the famous east
room.
1T 1B PICTURESQUE GROUP.
There is the fat and nervous man with the
red face, the wilted collar and scarcely any
breath at all. He cannot afford carriage and
his walking days passed away with his youth.
His last clean shirt and stiff collar was put on
in the morning. The wash bill lay on the
bureau before him he arranged his tie.
But since then he has been in the crowd before
MIR. Blaine's door, he has walked to Mr.. VIM
dom's department in the sun, and has fumed
nyah aro6% h-.n Al Al
White House. Now he stands near the window
at the top of the stairs, red, winded and wilted
coNsULsHIP WOULD SUIT HIM.
Walking about the lobby with the air of q
stranger who has never been there before is a
little man. He is dressed in black with white
vest and lawn tie; his well-oiled curls puff out
from under the brim of his beaver hat, tube
rose rests on the lapel of his coat, and he
purses his lips and swings a light cane as he
walks back and forth before the Presidents
door. He wants to enter the consular service
and is not easily discouraged in his ambi-
ton. He has been at the White House nearly
every day since the 4th of March, yet he smiles
as confidently as ever, and in voice of childish
sincerity tells the doorkeeper about once a
week that it is his first call. Meanwhile he is
making the acquaintance of public men who
call. He Introduces himself one day and the
next speaks to them like an old acquaintance
One can always tell when man is seeking
COMMISSION III the consular or QlpiOmatlc Serv-
ice. He buttons his coat close across his chest,
holds his head erect, and has flower on the
lapel of his coat.
Observation-Disclosures.
There is the man under the broad brimmed
black hat. There is a marshalship somewhere
down south he would like to have He looks
as if he might have history, but he hasn't
worth relating. He can't recollect any time
since the war that he has not wanted an Office.
He has no memory Of ever having wanted to
work. His hair is long and straight and black
His moustache curls out in long ends and hangs
over his mouth His black coat, frayed about
the binding. is buttoned tight across his chest;
his boots are patched, but they are small, with
high heels and pointed toes, and pair of
brown cotton gloves, with two or three of the
fingers out cover his hands He would not
think OF being without gloves.
AwOMAN WITH A CLAIM.
There is the old woman who looks as il she
were masquerading for corpse. Poor old
creaturei Twenty years ago she had claim Of
some sort. She has been wanting something
from the government ever since. She has for
gotten by this time what it is she wants. but
she haunts the capitol in the winter time like a
ghost, and now that there is no Congress she
Is seeking the assistance of the President.
She don't know for what Poor old woman!
She Is near seventy.
AwAR VETERAN.
There is the old white-haired veteran Of the
war. dressed in an old blue uniform with the
Mcclellan hat bound with furnished gilt cord
and full of holes. He has trouble with the
pension office, and he insists upon spreading
out his papers on the table and explaining the
situation to the patient and distracted door
keeper. He wants the President to do some
thing, either to grant his pension or give him
a job. He cannot understand why the Presi-
dent cannot fix him all right at once.
THE VIRGINIA DELEGATION
comes in with flourish. They are long-haired
and short black and white, Mahonite and anti
Mahonite. They all talk at once about the
glory of the country and the fate of the repub-
lican party. They are Away excited They 60
away and the country still lives.
THE CoLoRED oFFICE-sEEKERs
come in delegations They are very mysterious.
They stand about in groups and talk of the
future of the colored race and condition and
circumlocution Of the government.
EVERYDAY oFFIcE-sEEKERs.
Then there is the hollow-eyed and hopeless
throng, or ordinary everyday ofice-seekers
Each comes by himself, but those about him