Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-02
THE DEPARTMENT MESSENGER.
How One at the Treasury Turned Away Presi
dAnt Arthur

How One at the Treasury Turned Away Presi-
| dent Arthur.
ssVoU CAN'T GO THROUGH HERE,
Il sirr' 1t was an elderly man, with only
one arm and wearing a nickel-plated badge
who said he was q Waterman in the Treasury
Department, who spoke.
"But merely want to 60 through the build
ing to get to the White House" said the gentle
man addressed.
"Can't help it. 1t is after q o'clock and
wouldn't let you through even il you were the
President of the United States.G
Inasmuch as the gentleman was the President
he turned about and walked around the build
ing in order to get to the White House.
This incident is said to have actually occurred
to President Arthur and he was good-natured
enough to refrain from causing the dismissal
Of the over-zealous Waterman.
Why are department messengers and watch
men so apt to be cross and irritable? Some of
them are it is true. likely to be constantly an
noyed by the silly questions Of visitors. Others,
again. are SO very busy fetching and carrying
mat they have no time to stop and bow and
scrape. But this is not true of all Of them.
THE NECESSARY CLERKs.
1t is hardly fair that while there are many
accounts of the higher officers Of the govern
ment written there should be carelessness on
the part of the public of the smaller employees
They quite as necessary in their cay to
the welfare of the country. A department pro-
crosses very well for quite period without
having any secretary, but how long could it get
along if it had no clerks? 1t would go to
pieces. Fancy the head of an executive Office
depending upon his own knowledge to guide
him in ordinary government business. The
details are so numerous and so intricate that
he must trust entirely to his subordinates and
the latter can often get along without a chief.
but chief is bound hand and foot unless he
has their help. Does anybody expect to find
the chief of bureau operating his own type
writer? II he should try it the result would be
In all probability that horrible tumble of Grant
letters that one frequently receives the
maiden effort of typewriter. Each man &C
cording to his own uses in the world. Cabinet
officers tremendous fellows and the world
likes TO look at them: government clerks are
smaller parts OF Uncle Sans machine and the
world passes them by.
Whatever we do We are apt to think is the
best thing in the world that a man can do.
Thus man who catalogues books may come to
believe himself as big a man as the one who
writes books, and an author may on the other
hand, regard the simple cataloguer as a
being small as not to have any feelings In
the government departments the clerks are
prone to sheer at the chiefs and underestimate
them, and the chiefs in their turn are frequently
needless of the feelings OF the clerks A man
may do work like m=chine, but he is not a
machine. The common workman has as much
feeling as the boss.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MESSENGER.
department messenger is also a very neces-
sary thing and he generally thinks himself
even more necessary than he is. Whereas some
OF them are very busy, others are not busy at
all. and they lead lives of such unvarying
monotony that they live to be DID, old men.
How gently time deals with some Of them
There an old messenger sits day after day, week
after week, month after month, year after year.
His newspaper lies idly in his lap. He is gently
DOING. or perhaps he sits in absolute serenity
| contemplating the wall opposite to him. The
wall has nothing on it and his mind has nothing
In 1t. How can it be expected that he should
ever die! What could he die OF? He may
shrivei up as he gets into the sere and yellow
leaf. but the leaf drops off gently and his dis
appearance from the department corridor is
gradual, SO to speak.