Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-07

the new organization, Columbia Typograph-
| zeal Union, No. I01, succeeding the late William
r. Mclean, then foreman of TIE EVENING STAR.
/ Mr.. Plat also represented No. 101 at the 1872
meeting of the national organization in Balti-
/ more. In 1879 he resigned his place in the
| government printing Office 70 accept q position
| in the publication Office Of the war records,
and had charge Of the proof-reading division of
/ that otfice. There he remained until 1884,
/ when he resigned and became assistant enroll
| ing clerk of the Senate. Three years later, on
the death Of Mr.. c. c. SIMPSON, he became
chief enrolling clerk. a responsible position.
| there being duties to perform Of great i'm
portance to the legislation of the country.
THE ASSISTANT ENROLLING CLERK.
To the end that the important work Of en-
rolling be not delayed, Mr. Platt has an assist
ant-Mr. Charles Newell. Mr.. Newell was born
in Philadelphia and in 1853 removed with his
parents to California. His father edi-
torially connected with the San Francisco press
and in the big mushroom city Of those days
Young Newell lived until it time to follow
after his father. who had gone to Oregon. He
entered q newspaper Office when he was thirteen
years Of age. and for many years worked a
Washington hand press on which was printed
the only newspaper published in that vast ter
ritory now occupied by eastern Oregon:
| Idaho and Montana Mr.. Newell served
the leading Oregon newspapers. He was COM
missoned a captain in the Oregon state militia
and accompanied a portion Of the first United
States cavalry in the first expedition against
the savage Nez Perez Indian, Chief Joseph. Mr..
| Newell is graduate Of the law department Of
the Columbian University and a member of the
bar. He entered the service of the Senate in
1885 as index clerk, and on the death of Mr.. G..
| c. Simpson was made assistant enrolling clerk.
THE BILL CLERK.
Col Jere Williams is most industrious man;
he has to be. He always has been busy. For
more than twenty years he was an editor. He
served his state in the legislature, but pleads
extreme youth in extenuation of that offense.
He was a soldier for three years and COM
manded a regiment at Charlottesville and
| Gettysburg, and from each of these fields
brought away a mark, showing that he was
| present during the transaction of business.
| He rusticated for eight months in Libby prison.
The duties of the bill clerks desk are as
arduous and responsible as any in the Office.
| Col. Williams keeps a record Of every bill
| and joint resolution of the Senate and Of every
| one coming over from the House, from its first
reading to its approval or disapproval by the
President. The parliamentary history of each
bill is Endorsed on the bill itself and recorded
| In huge volumes prepared for the purpose.
The preparation of bills and reports for tho
| printer, with their proper headings and in
dorsements, requires much vigilance, but being
done in accordance with Col. Jere's favorite
motto-"The Jest way is as good as any"-errors
are almost unknown. At the end of each session
Col Williams prepares history of Senate bills
and joint resolutions for publication, collecting
troduced by him. thus showing the Senator at
q glance which OF his measures needs further
attention. As was before remarked, Col Will
liams is a busy man.
THE PRINTING CLERK.
Jos W. Bartlett is the printing clerk He
superintends the work Of printing and binding
and makes all the acquisitions on the public
printer: in addition to this he has charge of
executive documents and of communications
with the executive departments. Mr.. Bartlett
Is a native of Maine, citizen of Massachusetts,
and, like most of his associates valuable menu
Der of society. He is practical printer but
graduated from the case many years ago.
HIS hrst work as reporter was
done in Augusta. Me-, under the di-
of James G. Blaine. Promotion followed and
subsequently Mr.. Bartlett became editor of
the Bangor Wing. a place he filed for several
years. From 1870 to 1875 he was on the editorial
staff of the New York Erening Post. under Mr..
Bryant. and afterward became editorial writer
on and then managing editor of the Boston
TrdCelteT. Since then he has done occasional
correspondence for the New York Tribune
Boston IrdcetleT and other Journals. Mr..
Bartlett was tally clerk in the House of Rep
resentstives of the Forty-seventh Congress, and
came into his present place in January, 1884.
THE FILE CLERK.
J. Fl. C. Wilson has charge Of greater ag-
gregation of old paper than any other man at
the Capitol. Many of the documents are in
teresting; many have historical value; most of
them are worthless, but they all have to be
preserved. Mr.. Wilson served as q lieutenant
IN an Iowa regiment the last year of the war
and subsequently served on the staff of the
governor of Iowa, with the rank of lieutenant
colonel of cavalry. After the close of the war
he was appointed to a clerkship in the general
land office. which position he resigned in 1871
to engage In newspaper work, and for eight
years was one of the editors and proprietors of
the Iowa City Daily Republican. He was sew
eral times member of the republican state CEN
trail committee of Iowa. and in 1882 was assoc
ciated with Col Henderson on the republican
congressional committee.
He was appointed resolution and petition
clerk of the House of Representatives in the
Forty-seyenth Congress and in the Forty-
eighth Congress was appointed to the same po-
sition In the Senate, holding this position until
last summer. when he was transferred to the
position of file clerk. Mr.. Wilson still does
occasional newspaper work and for five or six
years was the regular Washington correspond
ent of Gen. Clarkson's paper, the Des Moines
Register.
THE RESOLUTION CLERK.
The resolution clerk-''good resolution
clerk" some people call him-is ]. G. Donald
son. He was born in Defiance county, Ohio.
and was raised, in company with several other
valuable crops, on a farm. When the war
broke out he was teaching school, but he
dropped the task Of instruction speedily and
enlisted. He was mustered into the service of
the United states September 10, 1861, as sec
ond lieutenant in company ID, thirty-eighth
Ohio volunteer infantry. He served as aide-de-
camp on the brigade staff and "a inspector of the
third brigade, third division, fourteenth army
corps. He was acting adjutant of his regiment
when he was severely wounded at the battle
of Jonesboro, Ga, September /, 1864, and. with
his regiment. mustered out in july 1865
After the war Mr.. Donaldson read law and was
admitted to practice. Ill health made it neces-
sary that he accept clerkship in the Office of
the secretary of state of Ohio. There he re-
manned six years, two of them as chief clerk
He was eight years secretary OF the republican
state executive committee. In 1884 he was ap-
pointed file clerk of the United States Senate
and recently transferred to his present
position. His duties require him to execute
the orders of the Senate in relation to all petit
tons and memorials, miscellaneous documents
and resolutions.
ANOTHER BUSY CLERK.
Col. John Il. Thompson. q gentleman Of
large local acquaintance, was born at Littleton.
\. Y, May 4, 1899, and there received n COM
mon school and academic education. While a
young man he removed TO st. Johnsbury. Vt,
where he was engaged in business until the
hV..a KIM NJ of he He