The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-03-23

The secretary OF war II Tuuuy, uetTty, ou
ergetic. He walks with the stride Of a noun
teineer. ~ feel like a young man he said,
land I don't believe there is work enough
here to hurt me. You know we have pref
ty good air up in the Green mountains and
We go to bed early and got up early. hope
Washington won't spoil me-"
Walking through broad and beautiful
corridor, We come to the Office of the secre-
tary Of the navy. It is not yet noon, and we
find Secretary Tracy standing and receiving
visitors in the outer room--a trick he learned
of his predecessor. You can get through
with callers so much more rapidly in this
way The new secretary is not as tall as his
confrere of the war department, who Is
six footer, by at least three inches His full
beard is slvered by age, but the secretary is
not an old man. He Is OF the same age as
Blaine, whom he would resemble il he had
Blaine's full, expressive eye Gen. Tracy's
steel gray eyes are deep slnken, restless and
keen He fixes them on you while you talk.
In conversation he Is alert and modest. II
don't know anything about the navy" he
says, "but believe can learn. Mr.. Whit
ney made very good secretary Of the navy,
and he was simply a lawyer, like myself. I'll
take up this department and study 1t as
would law case"
Gen Tracy has happy way of greeting
people. If not too much hurried he tells them
little anecdote by way of incidental illus
tration He is a clever after dinner talker
and story teller The secretary says he had
never thought Of becoming member Of the
cabinet till he received telegram from Gen.
Harrison asking him to come on to Washing
ton. Next to the law, horse raising is his
hobby. On his farm in Tioga county, N. ",
he has some of the finest trotting stock in the
country.
Across Pennsylvania avenue from the treas
ury stands the old Freedmen's bank building.
Here, seated at table in the center of huge
room, which looks more like a parlor than an
office, we find the new attorney general,
whose parents named him William Henry
Harrison without once thinking he would be
called to high place by William Henry Har-
risons grandson. Attorney General Miller
is thin, bearded man, the youngest of the
cabinet ministers, very nervous, very plain
and very precise. He is good deal like the
president in his orderliness, directness. Call
ers he greets rather coldly, not at all in
clined to waste words or moments, but he
attends to business In a way that is purely
businesslike. When not at work he is an at
fable companionable man. He looks like
the student he is, and one can easily imagine
him working twenty hours day building up
the law practice Of the now famous attorney
firm of indianapolis, as he is said to have
done. Indeed, he broke down year or two
ago and early last summer returned from a
l., 90, haoIth nd 9TH Tn hn
law firm he was known as the searcher of
books the preparer of cases, the master of the
law precedents and philosophy.
Even now he bends over his desk like a stu
dent On his table there is not an envelope
nor a scrap of paper that is not needed there
His messenger is kept busy from early morn
till late at night Strengthening and arranging
things in apple pie order.
Gen. Harrison's handsomest minister we
find in a plainly furnished and decorated
room in one corner of the Patent Office build
ing. Gen. Noble would be noted in any
crowd as a handsome man. He is of medium
height, with well rounded but not stocky
frame, bright, ruddy face, laughing eyes,
hair and beard curly and gay though gray.
He looks like a sober George Francis Train.
Manners could not be prettier than the sec
rotary of the interior displays to visitors
When called thought he was really glad
to see me.
sit down, sit down." he said; II am so
tired of talking about patronage and petit
tions that | want to rest. This is a great de-
partment here and | know very little about
1t, but | can learn it. My impression is that
it is about the greatest department of the
government. We have the land, and that is
closer to the people than anything else. The
army and navy exist merely to protect us,
the state department to maintain peace with
our neighbors, the treasury to keep us going
and tho law department TO attend to our law
suits. We have the land, and the land is the
nation Seriously, this is a wonderful field
of labor, and it is going to get my best ener-
gies from first TO last"
In chatting Familiarity yet modestly about
his career, the while twirling pair of eye
glasses, the secretary said:
eyes, | am an Ohio man by birth. But
when wanted to start out in life for myself
went to St Louis. Had pretty hard times
there, too That was in the days when north
ern people were not as welcome in Missouri
as they are now Men to whom was intro
duced would say; Glad to see you, glad to
see you. Belong to the Noble family from
Virginia and Kentucky, l suppose? Then
when | replied, No, I'm from Ohio, they
would look at me coldly and bid me good day.
During my early struggles in ST. Louis
bunked in little Z by 8 room in the sixth
story of building on Olive street own
that building now, and | think | can say
with pardonable pride that it is a source Of
some satisfaction to me-"
Gen Mobiles smile is the prettiest smile in
the cabinet He is fond Of smiling, too. His
lips part over the whitest of teeth on the
slightest provocation. His smile is the smile
of man strong, healthy, happy, intellectual,
sunny and of good conscience.
Over the way, in the corner of another gov
eminent pile, we are greeted by Postmaster
General Wanamaker. There is row of peo-
pie before us, for the craze for postoffces still
RACES, and we await our turn. The head OF
the postoflice department goes from one to
another, wasting no words ON them, shaking
each by the hand and saying the right thing,
no doubt, in the right way. He is smooth
faced man, whose forehead slopes so rapidly
away from his face you think it anything but
q strong face. This illusion isquickly dispelled
when he talks to you. He is SO calm, self
possessed, clear spoken, confident, absolute
He appears master Of the situation. Not