Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-10
FROM A SMALL BEGINNING.
The Phenomenal Growth Of the Ma.
.tional Government.

.tionai Governments.
now OFFICIAL MATTERS WE'RE CONDUCTED NEARLY
CENTURY Aoo-TRASsFER OF OFFICIALS AND
ARCHIVES FROM PHrIAprIPB1A TO WASHING
ToS-wHERE THE FIRST BUILDINGS WERE
LocATrp-srREErs THROUGH TOBACCO FIELDS.
II write this letter in the building erected for
the use of the Treasury department. in the city
Of Washington, and this being day Of leisure
shall be able to give you some idea Of this
famous place, the permanent seat of American
government" These words were penned
eighty -nine years ago, on the 4th Of July, by
Mr.. Oliver Wolcott, then but recently Secretary
OF the Treasury, in q letter to his wife.
The removal Of the government from Phiia-
delphia had been effected in June. and
his description Of the city, so often quoted,
gives vivid picture of the meagerness OF
official life and surroundings at that day. The
building referred to was q two-story structure
OF brick and stone. with an attic and basement,
and contained thirty rooms. 1t was located
southeast Of the White House, on the site OF
the enormous building which now Is found In,
adequate to accommodate the entire clerical
force of the department. The roll OF employees
of the Treasury Office at that time contained
some seventy-fve names. The contrast with
the present afforded by this glimpse into the
past brings out, Win al tue tueCt VI suOuS
light and shadows. the wonderful growth OF
this government IL is a matter of regret that
no complete account Of the removal OF the gov
eminent from Philadelphia has been preserved
The slightest details would now be OF interest.
However efforts to supply this omission have
not been wanting. IL Is noticeable that the
tendency on the part Of nearly all in treating
of this event Is TO pack the government
effects into very small and very few
boxes, and to reduce the official house
IL h. IA llr11f 70
for the same reason, probably, that influences
individuals who have attained wealth and posi-
ton TO exaggerate the poverty and difficulties
that surrounded their early years. Perhaps
the account which Is most generally quoted is
that which appeared some years ago i'll an artl-
Gle in Harper's Magazine in the early history Of
Washington. The writer, in referring to the
removal of the government to Washington,
states that ii was not "a very formidable trans
fer" The oldest inhabitant assures me, he
continues, that a single packet sioop brought
all the Office furniture Of the departments, be-
sides the seven large boxes and four or i've
smaller ones which contained the archives OF
the government Fifty-four persons, compris-
ing the President, Secretaries and the clerical
force chose their own method Of conveyance.
This bill of lading ~ il might be termed, is
not complete. 1.-The Oldest Innabitant" was
evidently q patriot, and if the occasion de-
manded he would no doubt have as readily
asserted that all the archives of the govern
by the various cabinet officers. The govern
ment had then been in existence over ten years,
and had succeeded to that Of the confederacy.
The accumulation Of material and records must
therefore have been considerable. But, fortu-
nately, there was an eyewitness OF the arrival
at the new city Of the government property.
His brief account has come down to us. Chris
tian Hines, An old and respected citizen Of
Washington, published In 1866 a small volume
giving his recollections Of the early days Of the
Aonf&a al of% ufo Eaa nd Dna ~
enabled him TO recall events and scenes as far
back as the year 1877, when he was about If
teen years Of age. His account Of the removal
is az follows:
NOT QUITE SO INSIGNIFICANT.
"About this time-lSO0-the seat Of govern
ment was removed from Philadelphia TO Wash
ington city. The vessels in which was brought
the furniture, &C., landed and discharged their
cargoes at Lears wharf, and as the vessels were
unladen their contents were carted away to the
War and Treasury Offices, the only two that
were built at the time. Some OF the furniture
was stored away in the stone ware house and
afterward taken away in wagons, it being too
bulky to be removed In carts. Wagons Iwere
rather scarce in Washington then, and our cart
was engaged, with others, in removing the
boxes Of books, papers, &c. still remember
that many Of the boxes were marked Joseph
Eourse, register"
The accuracy of this description seems to be
confirmed by other evidence. For instance
an appropriation Of e46, 923 was expended in
the year 1900 to defray, in the language Of the
act, the necessary expense of such removal"
II all the government archives and the office
furniture was transported in single packet
sloop and there were only ffty-four employees
the cost Of the removal must be classed as one
of the most extravagant in the history Of the
government While the force Of employees was
small ridiculously so in comparison with the
army of Is, 600 men and women now In the ser
vice Of the government in the city OF Washing
ton alone, still the personnel of the government
and its effects were not 30 insignificant as has
been represented. From the records the num-
Der of officials at different periods can be ascer
tanned.
THE FIRST BLUE BOOK
was printed in the year 1792 1t appeared in
The form Of o congressional document and 1t
shows that the employees in the government de-
partments, then at Philadelphia, numbered 1874,
exclusive Of the heads OF the departments. The
Navy department was not then in existence
and the General Post Office, with Timothy Pick
ering as Postmaster General, is put down as
having made no returns. The next Blue Book
was sent to Congress by President Jefferson on
February IL, 1902, and the number Of depart
ment employees are given at lag. The civil list,
including as II did the custom, internal revenue
and other officials Of the government stationed
in various parts Of the country, covereda goodly
number Of pages Of the folio volumes in which
the record has Come down to Us.
THE SALARY ACCOUNT.
The total amount paid in salaries TO official
residing at the capital and connected with the
executive branch of the government was in
17sO-s4l, 1858. In 1875 the salary account had
increased 10 Ell, ss7. and when the transfer
was made to Washington the pay roll amounted
to Sl25,S Sl. The salary of the President, which
was then s25, 900, is not included in these
amounts. The Secretaries Of State and Of the
Treasury in the year 1900 received $4,000 o
year each and the Secretary of War and the
Navy "a 500 each, and their salaries form q
part of the salary account as given above. The
salaries OF the clerks reached the highest point
in an annual amount OF about FL $50, while
many we're not paid more than S700. In
1872 the average salary paid to clerks
was $500, but about the time of the removal
to Washington there was an increase in
the scale Of salaries, so that while the number
of the clerical employees at the seat Of govern
ment was about the same in the year 1900 az in
1872 the total amount paid for clerical service
had increased by some Sc, 900. At the earlier
period il was the custom to employ clerks for
a portion Of the year only, which partly ac-
counts for the large roll and the small expendi-
ture compared with that Of the year 1900
The employees for the first year in the new city
were apportioned among the departments as
follows: State department, 8 clerks. Treasury
department, as clerks, divided as follows: Sec
retary's Office, 6 clerks; controller, Is; auditor
IS; treasurer, 4; commissioner Of revenue g..