The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-06-12
dinner he goes at it again and works till


bedtime.
His Offices are plainly but solidly fur
nished, we'll carpeted, gorgeously fres-
coed and adorned with oil portraits of
Sherman, Folger>and others of his prede-
cessors. Everybody leaves Window with
regret, for he is very agreeable host.
'sHe always was so pleasant, might with
truth be written on his tombstone. He
stands this strain so we'll, though he gets
so little exercise, that it is hard to con-
meet him in this world with tombstone.
Next in the line of promotion comes
the Secretary of War, the veteran Cover
nor, Redfeld Proctor, of Vermont, the
richest man in the Cabinet. To see him
we must go back to the Stanawar, where
his office is splendid room on the west
side of the same floor as Blaine's. Proc
tor, gray with years and bent with work,
looks quiescent and even phlematic. But
he is the most nervous man in the Cabi-
net. He always walks as he talks. He
does not mean to shake you off; he is un-
affectedly courteous to you, but he must
walk. He walks up and down when he
is debating to his stenographer; he walks
UP and down when he eats his luncheon.
BE walks over to the Department from
the Arlington and back again when the
weather will let him. Like most million
aires who have made their millions, if not
themselves, he is an early riser, and usu-
ally anticipates his clerks at the Office.
He has very few oficeseeking callers, and
has been able to learn more about bis Of
fee than any of his colleagues, except the
Secretary of the Navy.
The Secretary Of the Navy, Benjamin
F. Tracy, of Brooklyn, comes next. His
Office is that of his predecessor on the
eastern side of the same floor and directly
in line with Secretary Proctors. Tracy
uses the little inner room more constantly
than Whitney did, giving up the long
show Office with its costly woods and
rugs and frescoes and the oil portraits of
his predecessors to Lieutenant T. B. M.
Mason, his naval secretary; Henry W.
Raymond, his private secretary, and
their clerks. He is gray-haired, gray
whiskered man, with a benevolent express
sion, clever tongue and q pleasant
laugh. Heis very apt to have his callers
brought in one at time into his inner
Office, where, on the famous Monitor
desk, he does most of his work. He gets
over to his Office from the Arno little
after 9, goes back for luncheon at 2and
gets away finally at o'clock, working
often, however, in the evening at the
rooms. For, like all the rest, he has too
many callers just now to permit him to do
all his days stint at his Office, and, like
all the others, he disikes to let it goover
from day to day.
The Postmaster General comes next.
To see him we must ride all across the
business part of town to the crowded
small-roomed postofice department on
Seventh street. There is not good
sized room in this department, nor one
which is handsomely furnished, and the
Postmaster Generals is no exception. In
contrast with the magnificent Offices we
have just left, the newest and finest in
Washington, his rooms seems shabby.
But they seem to be the most attractive
rooms in Washington. From the time
the doors are opened in the morning
until the time they are closed in the even
ing his callers are coming and going.
There is little ante-room wherehis type
writer works off behind screen the let
tiers he has taken in shorthand from the
Postmaster Generals dictation. It is
small, and usually full of waiting visitors.
Then there is his formal Office, which is
not much larger, and is pretty well filled
by his big desk, two leather-covered sofas,
several leather-covered chairs and cabi
net. What space is left is also usually
filled. The Postmaster-General may be
found here, sitting in fitting chair be-
hind his desk or standing leaning on the
mantel- piece where Benjamin Franklin sits
solemnly surveying his successor. Or he
may be in his inner Office, about the same
size, and just beyond, where his faithful
private secretary, Mr.. Jones, writes neat
notes all day long. As likely as not that
inner Office is filled, too, although usu-
ally it is not, since he reserves it for con-
fidential conferences. Portraits of his
predecessors look down from every wall.
The Postmaster General gets down to
his Office in the official rattle-trap, called
by courtesty coupe, any time between
1880 and $50, having already, after
breakfast and prayers, accomplished some
work. He does good deal before 8
o'clock, when the visitor first gets in, un-
less he has a special engagement with
the Postmaster General, and then MIR.
Wanamaker gets in his work in the in
terstices of interviews until o'clock,
when the outer doors are closed and no
office-seekers are admitted. By 5 most of
them are gone, and between that and z
he can get in two solid hours of work.
After dinner he goes at it again. If he
is not careful he will break down. A
temperate, methodical man can do won
ders of work, but there is a limit to
every mans powers. Still, do not think
he wastes work, and perhaps the post
office department and a great business
cannot be successfully run in any other
way. The Postmaster General is very
agreeable, even if he does look at you
rather peremptorily through his eye
glasses now and them. He is rapidly
learning Washington ways as we'll as
Washington men, and will be more pro-
fcient every day. He did a very wise
thing when he bought the Frelinghuysen-
Whitney house. In fact, and by ira
dition, it is one of the most attractive