Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-16
BEAVERS LAST DAYS.
Preparations for the Change of State
Executives Tuesday,
WHEN PATTIS0N TAKES HOLD.
The New Governor Will Have the Rev. 7. J.
Leak for Pastor.
AN OFFICIAL POSITION OF VALUE
WHEN PATTISON TAKES HOLD.
AN OFFICIAL POSITION OF VALUE
lrRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT


HARRISBURG, Jan. 15.-The desk at
which General james A. Beaver has pre-
sided for four years as Governor of the State
will go out of Office with him. 1t has been
the custom for a long time to permit retir-
ing Governors to retain possession OF their
desks, and, in accordance with this practice
Governor Beavers will be shipped next
week to his home in Bellefonte. His Ex-
cellency will always prize it as a memento
of his Official residence in Harrisburg.
just now everything is topsy-turvy in the
Executive Department The Governor and
his entire staff will be prepared to vacate
their offices promptly on the morning of
Tuesday, January 90 when Robert E. Pat
tison takes hold of the Commonwealth reins.
1t looked like an April moving day in the
offices yesterday. Chairs were upside down,
desks were turned inside out, and STEP
ladders were posed in picturesque manner
on all sides. At the Executive Mansion on
Front street there is not so much confusion.
Mrs. Beaver is there, personally supervising
the details of packing up. and it is all being
done in quiet way. Nearly all the furni-
ture and fittings at the mansion remain
from term to term, it being the property OF
the State.
Will Return to Law.
Governor Beaver will probably return to
the practice of law. He will, however, take
q good rest first 1t is not definitely settled
whether he will continue TO reside at Belle
fonte or remove to Philadelphia, where it
is said he has excellent opportunities
offered him for lucrative legal business.
There are still some rumors of General
Rsaver's political promotion at Washington
by the national administration, but these
are not well confirmed.
Governor Beaver and his wife have been
very popular in this city since 1886 with all
classes, but especially among the church
going people. 1t is In this line that His
Excellency will be missed quite as much as
Mrs. Beaver. They have been active mem
bers OF the leading Presbyterian Church
here, and the Governor himself has been
superintendent of the Olivet Mission Sab
bath School, an adjunct to the Pine Street
Church, maintained in one of the poorer
localities of Harrisburg. Governor Patti
sons coming will transfer the official
patronage to the Methodists When here
before be and his wife were members of
Grace NJ. E Church, the beautiful stone
sanctuary opposite the Capitol. He was
frequently speaker in experience meet
ings" there, and Mrs. Pattison was relied
upon us one of the chief aids in church or
ganization.
The Governors New Pastor.
After Sunday week Mr.. and Mrs. Patti
son will renew their membership there. In
March Rev. I. J. Leak, d. D., now pastor
of the North Avenue NJ. E. Church, ALLIE
gheny City, will take charge of Grace NJ. E.
Church here, thus becoming the Governors
pastor. DR.. Leaks transfer to this charge,
however, had been arranged before Mr.. Pat
tison's election, although it does not take
effect until March.
In the talk about the Governors new cab
met and the various appointments bv other
State officials, it is not generally known
that there are some plums in the distribu-
tlon OF the subordinate positions. One for
instance, is that of Corporation Clerk under
the Auditor General. 1t does not command
so much of salary as it gives the lncum-
bent an experience that is most valuable
and lucrative in after life. 1t has generally
been held by a lawyer, and when he retires
1t generally is with reputation of knowing
ali about corporation laws and corporation
tricks in the State. That corporations in
dealing with the State afterward seek law
yer having held this position is shown in
SAS SASS Va NJ LIZ O4u1sbSdu, I-Q., lQ6 emil
nent corporation lawyer of this city. He
was practically unknown when he secured
the appointment OF Corporation Clerk some
where about 1877.
He Discovered Leak.
In his constant supervision of the reports
Of corporations to tine State, of the business
they had been doing, he suddenly discovered
a loop-hole, by which a certain class of cor
porations had been yearly escaping the pay
ment of a tax. He looked up the law care
fully on the point, and as be was about
going out of the Office at the time, he in
formed the department that he had made an
important discovery of this nature, and that
for commission of 10 or 90 per cent, nv
informant could not remember which, he
would undertake, in connection with Judge
Simonton, of Harrisburg, to recover from
the delinquent corporations the large sum of
money due the State.
Mr.. Olmstead, however, told the depart
ment that they could first go over the books
themselves, take all the time they wanted.
and if they, too, discovered the loop-hole,
then be would surrender the case This the
Auditor General did. but he was unable.
with assistance, TO find the flaw, so Messrs.
Olmstead and Simonton were gwen the case
on percentage. 1t is said Mr. Olmstead's
fees amounted to $4,000. His reputation
spread, and to-day nearly every corporation
coming to the State Capitol for legal redress
seeks his aid. His business is devoted en-
lW~ 70 anfl