Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-07
CLERKs HALF A CENTURY AGO.
aew re 0svssnnsnt Woek VS. Dose In
the Rortios.

the Fortiss.
MEN WHO DROVE QUILL PRNs AND MADE THEIR
OWN RxvHLoPEs-rHR DEPARTMENT BUILD
rNos-woop FIRES, LARD-on LANPs AND CAM
DLEs-rHR crTY At THAT rrxR.
A CLERK OF THE oLDEN TINE WHO
"A did valiant service for Uncle Sam in the
fortiss, using goose quill or steel pens had not
come into common use them. engaged the at
tention Of SrAn reporter few evenings ago.
In overhauling book case he had found copy
Of ''The Guide TO the Capitol and National
Executive onices," by Robert Mills (printed by
VIM. Greer. ls4s), and he remarked: "A book
like this brings up like recollections Of the past
When read the names Of the worthless of those
days strange emotions ali my breast In the
four drab-colored brick buildings tina. once
stood near the White House some Of the grand
est men once did Uncle Sans service. Some
who commenced manhood in showing the gov
eminent Quill subsequently became much more
prominent a. members Of Congress. Others
then doing government work were men who
had taken such liking to the city when filing
the position Of Legislators that they remained
here when their terms had expired.
THE OLD ORNAMENT BUILDINGS.
S~Ay ~ VIZ PAo9Shs S0uoAesAOu, CoutAauOu
the old man, "who saw the old navy building
before il was demolished few years ago have
some idea Of the executive buildings Of the
olden time. There were originally but two, one
located on 18th and the other on 18th street,
but two others were added about 1920. These
buildings were occupied by the State, Treasury.
War and Navy departments, and in comparison
with the buildings Of today were mere pigmies.
They were drab painted brick buildings 100
feet long, IS feet wide, Of two stories height
with vaults in the basement for fuel, &c. In
those days hickory wood was the principal fuel
some years they were known as the northeast
for the State Department., southeast Trsas-
ury). northwest CWar) and southwest CNavy)
buildings. They were severely plain. How
ever. when the old Foundry Church and DR..
Lauries' Presbyterian Church, only a square
distant, looked like barns, and President JEFF
Persons stable, at 14th and g streets. had been
converted into Q school house, the old buildings
seemed to be in keeping with al their surround
ings, but not with the then imposing White
occupant.
HOW THE CITY LOOKED THEN.
Then the principal hotels were Colsman's
(now the Nationally, Browns Indian Queen
(Metropolitan), Fullsr's City Hotel (Willard's %,
Gadsby's sd street), and there we're quite a
number Of boarding houses. Pennsylvania
avenue had been paved with cobblestone, as
also square or two OF + street; many OF
the streets had not even been graded and
graveled and number had only meandering
wagon roads skirted by gravelsd footways.
The markets were simply long Sheds the
churches were all plain structures, so you see
the Capitol, the Presidents House, Treasury
and Patent Office, which had been occu-
pied but few months, did not appear to be in
place so much ~ the State, War and Navy
buildingI.
THE CLERKS.
"Now," said the old gentleman, book in
hand, Gin less than 100 pages made up princi-
pally by description Of the Capitol and histori-
cal sketches, each department and bureau in
PRODUCED with q statement as to official duties,
here are the names of the government clerks.
clerks and 100 messengers, watchmen and
laborsrs. These transacted the business of the
government then and were not tied down by
any such tight rules as they have today. II the
work OF desk was kept up it was all right and
not neglect his work. The salaries then for
clerks ranged from $500 to 81, 700 per annum.
the latter sum being paid to bureau chief
clerks. Department chief clerks received
$4,000 per annum. The messengers received as
most Of the messengers run up to e700 and
$500.
ITO return to the book" said the old man,
scanning the list for the State Department,
here are the names Of W. 8. Derrick, A. Der
rick, Lund Washington, W. G. Reddall, W. G.
Zantzinger, R 8. Chew, 8. L. Goveneur. R.
Greenough, Edward Stubs, G. Hill, W. P.
Faherty, s. sohl, clerks. with George Bartle
lieve, excepting Mr.. Bartls. who lives on 10th
street. Mr.. Hutter returned to Pennsylvanis
and believe had charge of . German Reformed
church there some years. Messrs. Hill and
Sohl left the city, but the others all died here
or near by. You know what a valuable officer
Mr.. Hunter made; how he filed the position Of
chief clerk for years and afterward the office
OF assistant secretary. Maj. Stubs, who lived
in the neighborhood Of 9th and streets, was
agent. OF the eleven clerks Of the second con,
troller's Office, located at the west end of the
first floor, headed by the late Dr. John NJ.
Broadhead-Messrs. g. D. Abbot, 7. ]. Cath
cart Moses Campbsll, A. T. Clark. ]. Madi-
Joseph Mammalian, Tobias Purrington and
Alfred Shucking-but two survive, Messrs.
Flynn and Shocking, with the messenger, Mr..
George 9. Jackson. This Office was formerly
in the Navy Department building and some
years after was in the north end Of the treas
ury. The fifth auditor Of the treasury also had
his Office here, located at the east end Of the
first floor. Thomas Msston, chief clerk; A.
Campbell, G. G. Cox, ]. Develin, J. H. Huston,
J; d. King; r. Ricketts,, A. Spear, A. Steele,
sAAa Auwoku hoAnuus hcsetuScI, udFo
all gone, excepting, perhaps, Mr.. Cox, who was
living In Frederick few years ago.
But FEW coNvENIENcHs.
"Look at the conveniences the clerks now
have" said the veteran. I'VE had none Of
your revolving chairs then, steel pens were
just coming in vogue and ready-made envelopes
were q novelty. How did We manage? Don't
you know that good goose quill makes fine
pen? II is safe to say that in ~ more than
half the clerks had never written with a steel
pen. The messengers were then the PEN
makers. When not otherwise employed they
would cut the quilts with a good sharp knife,
make the points and knowing the favorite style
Of the different clerks would place on their
tables sssortments to suit.
MAKING THEIR OWN ENVELOPES.
"In some instances the writer's preferred to
prepare their own pens. Machine-made en-
velopes were, as have stated, novelties. GEN.
orally the less important letters, notices, re-
ceipts Of communications, &C., on single and
sometimes half sheet Of paper were 90 folded
a. TO make the envelope unnecessary, and
they were stuck with waters. On the more
important documents sealing wax was used.
Although envelopes had been patented about
| eight years before they were comparatively
unknown in the departments. When they
were needed for use they were made by hand
from common paper, generally a yellow or
bun. This was cut and put together with
common binders paste. Subsequently paste
made OF gum arabic was used. The outside
Tampa were for whale or lard oil and n ne