San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-05-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Nav, II

in that division, and they are brought
by the nature of their employment,
i'm to constant and direct intercourse
with the recorder. The Rev. James
Townsend, of Richmond, Ind, who
was appointed to that Office by the
president, is said to be an estimable
gentleman, is secretary of a national
missionary society, has been twice a
member of the Indiana legislature,
owns fine farm, and came very near
being elected bishop of his church re-
Gently.
But all these things are forgotten
by the ladies in that division. The
only thing that they think or care
about is that the Rev. James Town.
send is a colored man. Since his ap-
pointment was made nearly half of
the ladies in his division have APP
plieu for transfer to some other di-
vision. They all want to be kept Oh
the government pay roll, and for that
reason are averse to talking much
about the matter, but the applications
for transfer speak for themselves.
1--WE naturally have to pay GER
tain amount of courtesy and Difference
to our chief" said one OF the ladies,
land it will be very disagreeable for
me to treat a negro as my superior. l
shall get into some other division if l
can; if not, suppose l shall have 10
stand it, as nv bread and butter de-
pend upon it,"
Another one spoke of the necessity
for considerable intercourse with the
chief since they were compelled to ask
his permission every time they left
the building and to consult with him
about their work. She did not know
what kind of man Mr.. Townsend
was, but thought that did not make
any difference so long as he was
black.
There was a change in the Office of
the civil service commission this
week. 1t was simply change of
signs. The one which bore the name
of Edgerton and which has remained
over the door of the room which he
occupied until the action of President
Cleveland suddenly left it without
tenant, was removed. Then the sign
bearing Commissioner Lyman's name
was taken from the door of the room
occupied by Mr.. Lyman ever since
the city hall, and placed over the
door formerly graced by Mr.. Edger-
toms sign. This was the only out
ward indication of a reorganization of
the board. Mr.. Lyman has been
elected president of the board, and as
such takes possession of the room
where Mr.. Edgerton meditated on
civil service reform. This is the
larger of the suite of three rOams Oc-
cupied by the commissioners, and the
first at the lett as one enters the cor
ridor. Mr. Roosevelt has the next,
or middle room, the one vacated by
Mr. Lyman and Ex-Governor ThOmp-
son, the room at the end OF the cOrri-
dor. When the civil service commits
sion was first organized the commits
sioners in rotation presided at board
meetings. Under the last admins
tration Mr.. Edgerton was chosen
president.
Commodore Walker. chief of the
bureau of navigation, in speaking OF
the recent trial trip of the new cruiser,
Charleston, says that no apprehension
is felt at the department about the
vessel because of the slight mishap to
her engines. 1t is. he says, usually
expected that these ships must make
number of trial trips before the en-
gines work satisfactorily. The Eng
fish vessel after whose model the
Charleston is built had. Commodore
Walker says, no less tn tHenty-one
trials before she was accepted. The
Charleston will prove u be all that is
required of her. Incid 'Htally, it may
be added, however, that four of the
siX-inch guns she carries were never
intended for her, but are really the
armament of the gun boa etrel. The
ordnance bureau is so very much be-
hindhand in its share of arming the
new navy, which all the other bu-
reaus Of the navy are building, that
when the Samoan events caused an
order to hasten the completion of the
Charleston the ordnance officers, hav-
ing not yet completed the'guns for.the
Charleston, simply took the four guns
inten Led for the Petrol, and others in
tended for the Yorktown, and sent
them to the Charleston.
The card of gentleman from Indi-
ana, who called at the white house
yesterday, is quite an elaborate and
strictly business affair. Its face is
decorated with row of wooden grain
measures, the like of which are manu-
featured by him when he is not hunt
ing for office. The largest one repre-
sents 16-quart measure, and it was
far too small to hold his hopes cou-
pie of months ago. Now the little
quart measure down at the end of the
pictorial row would prObab bly,
contain all he expects to get. He in
formed your correspondent that his
reputation at home was that of a
l, l.. i Il