The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-04-12

five years, 90 far as legislative business
was concerned. They probably found
It dull work talking without an audi.
ence.
Up to 1925 all executive documents
were dated simply Omitted States. -
but the first message signed by John
Quincy Adams was dated "Washing-
ton" and the precedent has been fol-
lowed since then.
The signature "W. H. Harrison" is
small and shaky as If the tremor of
death were already on the hand tn at
wrote it. But it is affixed to a docu-
ment that contained some mighty
names-Daniel Webster. Thomas Ew-
ing, John Bell, John J. Crittenden.
The entire message of James X.
Polk, nominating his cabinet, lie writ
ten i'm his own delicate, running hand.
This document furnishes another land
mark for we notice in it that J. Knox
Walker, of Tennessee, is nominated to
be secretary for signing land patents. I"
A very modest beginning for the pres
ent great interior department.
The signature of President Pierce is
large and irregular and one notes with
some surprise that the first name is
written Frank" or "Franklin" indif-
ferently.
The first message of President Lin.
coin is as follows: II nominate Will
liam H. Seward, of New York, to be
secretary of state of the United States.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN" In all bis
messages the fret name is spelled out
in full and not abbreviated to the ini-
tial as 1t is commonly shown. Mr..
Lincoln's messages were the first to be
dated Executive Mansion"
The popularity of Grants first mes
sage, nominating his cabinet, is that
the formal part of it was written by a
clerk while the blanks left f1r the
names were filled in by the general
himself. He was evidently determin.
ed that those names should not leak
cut until he was ready.
singularly enough the first printed
letter head in all this long series, is
used by Chester A. Arthur, the print
ed portion reading as follows: "Office
of the President of the United States,
Washington. To the Senate of the
United States That "oflice of
sounds startlingly business like.
Cleveland's printed letter heads read
simply Executive Mansion. WASH
ington." His signature. with its light
and delicate chirography, is surprise
to one who has in mind the great bulk
of the man himself. Perhaps it is an
inheritance from some gentle ancestry,
as must have been his small feet and
slender aud shapely hands.
The book ends with these messages
from Mr.. Cleveland-representing a
full century of presidents. The second
volume ia already prepared and the
record will be kept in a similar man.
uer during the second century, the
name Of Benjamin Harrison being the
fret to appear. Whose names will
close the record, and between these
two what tales will be told, and how
many books will there be in this Ii
brary-accumulating at the rate of
one volume century-when the last
entry shall have been made?
"By-the-way, Mr.. Ryan," queried
some one the other day as the minis
ter to Mexico made his appearance at
headquarters, what is your proper
title? How must We address you now?"
"Why, just-just-'Tom'" was the
reilly that kept him shaking hands
fer the next five minutes. So every
body here is glad that "Tom" Ryan
has got what he wants and he has
been deluged with congratulations
from every quarter. OF all the mes
sages that have thus come to him Mr.
Ryan probably values the most high.
ly the following note, written out in
Mr.. Randall's delicate chirography:
HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES, WASH
INaToN, D. c. March %. How. THos.
RyAN.-MY DEAR SIR: I rejoice be-
cause your desire is gratified. We
shall all miss you in the next house.
The committee on appropriations will
lose one of its most Industrious, intel
ligent and painstaking members. Your
absence from its membership will
prove a serious loss and q misfortune
to the people of the country. Truly,
SAM. J. RANDALL.
Coming from a political opponent,
from one with whom he has been al
most daily associated for twelve years
and from a man who never gushes,
this little note must be peculiarly
gratifying to its recipient. Mr.. Ryan
expects to be ready to start to Mexico
about the first of May. The interven-
ing time will be spent in getting the
affairs of his constituents in the best
possible shape and in familiarizing
himself with his new duties 80 far as
they may be learned from the stat
department.
Judge Peters happened to be the
first to remember that there was no
postoffice at either Guthrie or King
fisher, the points where the two Okla.
homa land offices are to be located, so
he went to the department and while