San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-06-19
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent

promisucous lot OF visitors. Such
motley crowd of callers would frighten
a foreign pOtentate, the cZar of all
Russia would tremble at the sight of
such citizens, with all the dynamite
possibilities. But without regard to
color or previous or present condition,
all who come can see the president
who ct there in time and have the
patience to await their turn. The
rush of great statesmen" and of
prominent politicians 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.
An hour spent watching one of the
receptions furnishes a curious enter
tainment. The scene is both pathetic
and humorous. 1t is more interest
ing now at this flag end of the crowd
than it was a month ago. There is
not such a throng, and the individ-
uals may be observed more closely.
The cabinet room is at the head of a
tolerably long flight of stairs, and
through it they pass to the presence
of the President. They must pass on
the way two door-keepers, one police
sergeant, and the head of the force of
guardians of the mansion, who is
supposed to have an eye that recOg-
nizes crank at thirty PAGES. But
unless the visitor be drunk or insane
no one will stop him in his upward.
way to the chambers of the Chief En-
ecutive if his visit is timed within the
proper hours.
Many attempts are made to fool the
presidents private door-keeper. The
most common thing is for old stagers
to pretend that they are making their
first call. This is very unsuccessful
ruse. DOOr-keeper Loeffler has been
too long in the service to be taken in
so easily. He remembers every face
that passes through his door. He has
been heard to say to callers who ques-
toned his recollection of them: t'Oh
yes, / recOllect, you called on Gar
field,n or perhaps it might be Hayes
or Grant they called on last, he would
remember it. So the men who want
to appear as strangers are sure to
meet with failure.
LOetfier is German. He was with
Stanton at the time OfLincoln's assas-
sinatiOn, and during the trials in $50
he was ordered to the White House
for duty he is now on and has been
there ever since. He has had an event.
full experience and is very familiar
with things in the personal history of
twenty-five years ago that are not
generally known. His recollection of
fIcJs is remarkable, and a man whom
never gets by his door the second
time.
Civil Service Commissioner Thomp-
son early in the week returned from
his visit with Commissioner Roosevelt
to Troy. Mr.. Thompson in speaking
to your correspondent, said that the
commissioners found singular state
of affairs in connection with the Troy
post office, growing out of the exist
ence of popular opinion there that
under the new republican postmaster
it was useless for any one nOta repub-
lican and a member of particular
faction to apply for examination for
appoin tment. Men were even desig-
mated by ward managers to take the
examination. Under the recent dem
ocratic administration a similar Opin-
ion prevailed, and no republicans
applied. The commissioners did
not consider the postmaster in fault.
The result of their visit was the an
nullment of the last examination held
under the democratic postmaster, and
the first and only one held under the
new postmaster. In addition, the
commissioners published a card as
surfing the people of Troy that the eX-
aminatiOns would be conducted and
appoin tments made without regard to
endorsements or party connections.
Commissi )ners Lyman and Roosevelt
will soon leave for Indianapolis.
Then Mr.. Roosevelt will return here
and Gov. Thompson will join Mr..
Lyman in an expedition to Chicago
and Grand Rapids The visits, Mr..
Lyman said, are not visits of investi
CATION, but of "inspection.n
Col. John M. Wilson, commissioner
Of public buildings and grounds,
pays further attention to the Ameri-
can vandal in his report of operations
for the month of May in the following
sentence.
The relic fiends have stolen a num-
Der of brass letters from the block in
the Washington monument, present
by the Swiss confederation, the re-
mainder of the letters were removed
and the legend cut in stone.
Continuing, he says that the eleva-
tor was carefully examined during
the month by an expert from the Otis
department, and everything reported
in good condition. Ten thousand
eight hundred and ten persons as.
cended to the top of the monument
during the month, making a total of
Ito, 1852, since Oct. 9th 1888, when the