Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-06-11
MRS HARR,soNs LETTERS.


Written BY That 'sJewel of Secrecy" Miss
Alice b. Sanger.
For some time after General Har-
rison's election to the Presidency Mrs.
Harrison tried the task of being her own
secretary. AS the mail increased to
forty and sixty letters per day, she
called in the Presidents stenographer,
Miss Alice b. Sanger, to write her. let
tiers, and she herself signed them. Ever
since her return to the White House in
October she has been obliged to dele
gate the whole duty to Miss Sanger, and
only personal friends receive letters in
the handwriting of the White House.
When the morning mail comes to the
executive mansion the letters are quick
ly separated by clerk, who puts all d.
rected to Mrs. Harrison on Miss Sanger's
desk. She runs her eve over them
quickly, throwing aside those that bear
the unmistakable script of the crank.
The others she carries to Mrs. Harrison's
room. The two sit down at the desk.
Miss Sanger selects those that bear the
writing Of any of Mrs. Harrison's init
mate friends, opens them with her silver
paperknife, throws away the envelope
and passes the letter to Mrs. Harrison.
If it is any thing she wishes to answer
herself she places it to one side Other
wise she returns the letter to Miss San
ger, who takes stenographic notes OF
the desired reply always on the letter,
so that there can be no mixing Of an
swers.
Then the grand bulk Of letters-the
begging variety-are taken up. The
secretary reads them at a glance, and
tells the gist to Mrs. Harrison. For in
stance, a woman in Wisconsin, or Ala
bama, or Texas writes for dollar to
buy q rheumatism plaster, and in lead
ing up to the request inadvertently
relates her whole history and the
laborious process by which she con-
tracted the disease. Miss Sanger says:
"Mrs. - of - wants 81 to buy cure
for her rheumatism"
According to the reply she puts Eyes"
or mo" at the head Of the letter, and in
few days Mrs. - of - is delighted
with a letter on White House paper
bearing the words:
Mrs. Harrison begs to state that she
is very sorry for your affection, but
there are so many calls on her charity,
etc"
Miss Sanger's signature is probably
known to-day better than any other
womans in the United States Usually
three quarters of an hour is taken up in
going through the mail. Miss Sanger
then gathers up all the letters, goes
back to the house and takes the odd
half hours between the Presidents or
Secretary Halford's calls upon her to
write the answers.
1t is said that Miss Sanger knows
H. %l<D FatI ~,
any one except Private Secretary Hal
ford, and for a matter of ten days be-
fore the opening of Congress she was
the only one, besides Mr.. Halford, who
knew the Presidents message.
She is jewel of secrecy, this young
woman, and both the President and Mrs.
Harrison trust her with every conf
dence. She is down East girl, and
was born in Connecticut twenty-four
years ago. Her parents moved to In
dianapolis when she was child, and il
was there she had her schooling. Al
fifteen she graduated from the high
school and expected to go to college the
following year. Her father, who was
traffic manager of an Indiana railroad,
met with reverses, lost his health, and
the young daughter was forced to study
typewriting and stenography. She wrote
in various offices, and was taking court
reports one day when Mr.. Miller, OF the
law firm of Harrison, Miller & Elan
rushed in and asked for a stenographer.
She went to his office and was there
| two years, when General Harrison was
nominated to the Presidency. She knew
him but slightly, as the other steno
| graphers in the Office did his work; but
| the day after the nominate Mr.. Miller
sent her to the Harrison homestead an6
she remained there until January, whe1
the President gave her two months
leave. She travelled abroad during tina
time; and, in addition to being one O.
the best stenographers at the capital
| she Is also cultivated and noble look
ing girl.-Washington Cor. Philadelphia