Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-09-02
A SMALL BEGINNING.
The Phenomenal Growth of the Ma
tionaI Government.
How Official Matters We're Conducted a Cen
fury Ago-Transfer of Officials and Arch
ives from Philadelphia to Wash
ington-streets Through
Tobacco Fields.
Mashfngton Star.

s'I write this letter in the. building
partment in the city of Washington, and
this being day of leisure 1 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 July T.,
by Mr. Oliver Wolcott, then but recent
" secretary of the treasury, in letter TO
his wife. The removal of the govern
ment from Philadelphia had been effect
ed in June, and his description of the
city, so often quoted, gives q vivid pic
tuTe of the meageTness Of official life
and surroundings at that day. The
building referred to was a two-stOry
structure of brick and stone, with an at
tic and basement, aud contained thirty
rooms. it was located southeast of the
White House, on the site Of the enormous
building which is now found inadequate
to accommodate the entire clerical force
of the department. The roll of employees
OF the treasury Office at that time con-
tanned some seventy-five names. The
contrast with the present afforded by this
glimpse into the past brings out, with all
the effect OF strong lights and shadows,
the wonderful growth Of this govern
mentr 1t is matter of regret
that no complete account of the
removal Of the government from Phila-
delDhia has been preserved. The slightest
details would now be OF interest. How
ever, efforts to supply this emission have
not been wanting. 1t Is noticeable that
the tendency on the part OF nearly all
in treating Of this event is to pack the
very few boxes, and 10 reduce the OFF,
cial household to the lowest reasonable
limits, for the same reason, probably,
that influences individuals who have at
tanned wealth and position to eXaggerate
the poverty and difficulties that sur
rounded their early years. Perhaps the
account which is most generally quoted
is that which appeared some years ago in
an article in Harper's Magazine in the
early history of Washington. The
writer, in referring to the removal
Of the government to Washington,
states that il was not ga very formidable
transfer. - 1.-THE oldest inhabitant as
sures me, - he continues, ''that a single
packet slOop brought all the Office fuTni-
ture Of the departments, besides the
seven large boxes and four or five
smaller ones, which contained the
archives Of the government. Fifty-fOur
persons, comprising the president, secre-
taries and the clerical force chose their
own method OF conveyance. -
This bill of lading, as it might be
termed, is not complete. 1.-THE Oldest
Inhabitant' was evidently a patriot.
and Il the occasion demanded he would
no doubt have as readily asserted that
all the archives Of the government were
brought to the city in carpet bags
by the various cabinet officers. The
government had then been in existence
over ten years, and succeeded 70 That Of
the COnfederacy. The accumulation Of
material ana records must therefore
hive been considerable. But, fOrtu-
uatelv, there was an eyewitness Of the
arrival at the new city of the govern
mcut property. His brief account has
come down to us. Christian Hines, an
old ana respected citizen of Washington,
published in 1866 q small volume giving
his recolIections Of the early days OF the
capital city His keen and tenacious
memory enabled him to recall events and
scenes as far back as the year 1891, when
he was about fifteen years of age. HIS
account Of the removal is as follows:
NOT QUITE so INSIGNIFICANT.
''AbOut this time-lS00-the seat of
government was removed from Phifa-
delphia to Washington city. The vessels
i'm which was brought the furniture etc. ,
landed and discharged their cargoes at
Lear's wharf, and as the vessels were
Uul3den, their contents was CaTted 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 warehouse and afterwards taken
away in wagons, ii being too bulky to be
removed in carts. Wagons were rather
scarce in Washington then, and our cart
was engaged, with others, in removing
the boxes Of books, papers, etc. 1 still
remember that many of the boxes were
marked Joseph NOuTse, register. -
The accuracy of tins description seems
to be confirmed by other evidence For
instance, an appropriation Of SIC 1923
was expended in the year 1900 to defray,
in the language of the act, ''the neces- |
sary expense Of such removal. - If all
the government arChieves and the Office
furniture was transported in 4 single |
packet sIoop and there were only fifty
four employees the cost OF the removal
must be cIassed as one of the most eX-
tTavagaut in the history of the govern !
meuJ. While the force Of employees was |
small, ridiCulously so in comparison with |
the army Of Is 600 men and women now
III the service OF the government IN the |
city Of Washington alone, still the per-
souuel of the government and its effects !
We're not so insignificant as has been re- |
presented. From the records the num- |
Der Of officials at different periods can be |
ascertained.
THE FIRST BLUE BOOK
was printed in the year 1892. It ap- !
peared in the form of a congressional !
document and it shows that the employees /
in the government departments, then at |
Philadelphia, numbered 1874, exclusive I
OF the heads Of the departments. The |
navy department was not then in eX-
istence, and the general postofhce, with /
Timothy Pickering IS pOstmaster-gen- |
eral, is put down as having made no re-
turns. The next blue book was sent TO |
congress by President Jefferson on Feb
Tuarv u, 1902, and the number of de- |
partment employees are given at 1875.
The civil list, including as it did the cus-
tom, internal revenue and other officials
Of the government stationed IN various
parts of the country, covered a goodly
number of pages Of the folio volumes in
which the record has come down to US.
THE SALARY ACCOUNT.
The fatal aI1arrut maid fo Cf3ipiaTs !