St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-02

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dungeon cell. doubt if any SIS week
| clerk in New York would exchange his
| bedroom for the governors without the
| Office thrown in. Yet the room is com
Portable and thoroughly in keeping with
the occupants simple tastes.
Simplicity at Breakfast.
| At reakfast the bill of fare never
changes. It consists of an orange, oat-
meal. one egg, cup Of coffee and some
| dry toast. Even when the governor is
| at the Hoffman house in New York, OF
| at the seaside, the meal is the same.
| While there is no excuse for the gov
| ernor to make so slight meal away
| from home, he probably feels compelled
to do SO here, because he digests the
Albany morning papers at breakfast.
| He Is always at the executive cham
Der by 8 o'clock. People on the route
| between the mansion and the capitol
set their watches by the governors
! coming and going to work, he leaves
| the mansion at S:45, and turns the
corner of Eagle and State streets at $40
| sharp. He always walks. AS a rule,
| Albany sidewalks are more slippery
| than any places ne mas struck i'll poll
| tics. He passes over them with the
same care that characteriZes his official
acts. The governor never strides, but
walks lightly and hurriedly, When ice
covers the pavement he has peculiar
habit of extending his arms from the
shoulders and balancing himself with
them.
Other governors have kept horses.
Hill says bluntly he can't afford TO. The
salary is $4,000 year. with nothing al
| lowed but the mansion and its lighting
and heating. 1t is true that Hill has no
expensive tastes, but he entertains as
much as any governor has before him,
and several big receptions, together
with numerous official and semi-official
| dinners, make big hole in his annual
| stipend.
He has also to pay the servants at the
| executive mansion, the state supplying
only gardener and q Waterman. The
wages of a steward. a housekeeper, cook,
! laundreSS and cham0ermaid are no
| small Item, and the governor pays llber-
| ally.
On arriving at the capitol the governor
reaches his sanctum through a private
| entrance. This is wooden shed, and
| an eyesore. 1t is temporary affair,
| built pending the completion of the
main entrance to the capitol.
Editorial Duties.
The shed has door opening on State
| street, to which the governor and his
secretary. Col. Williams, alone have
keys. Laying aside his coat and hat, Jhe
| governor becomes for an hour verita-
| BILE city editor. Before him are placed
! open all the New York dailies.
With practice born Of long expert
ence the governor runs down column
after column, passing lightly over unin-
teresting matter, but reading closely
everything bearing upon affairs of the
state, politics and himself. No particu-
| lar paper is ever selected to be read first.
He takes them as they lie, reading with
| equal care attacks and encomiumS. As
fast as he finishes a paper it is thrown
| OIL the floor, until the whole pile has
| been read.
BY this time another pile of papers
makes Its appearance-the rural papers
| of the state. There is not time to go
| through these in the same way the New
ork papers have been gone through,
and so the governor hit upon minute
saving eXpedient. Previous to his ar
rival these papers have been examined
by clerk. who has marked everything
that he thinks will interest the govern
or. By this methodical device Gov.
Hill. before he starts in on his days
work, has obtained the latest expression
of state sentiment and has acquainted
himself with public opinion throughout
| the nation.
Next comes his mail. 1t has been
sorted into two piles, personal and Off
cial. The governor reads the former,
Col. Williams the latter. Crank letters
and silly epistleS are thrown by the see
rotary into the waste basket. The
others, carefully sorted, are laid be-
fore the governor. To the most press
ing he gives his personal attention.
our Always Open Governor.
1t is now 10 O'clock. The outer door
! of the executive chamber is thrown
open and the public are at liberty to
come IN. Visitors, on entering the
main chamber, which is of magnificent
proportions, frequently see a panel door
In the rear of the room open and the
governor come in and quietly seat him
self at his desk. Unless they have bust
ness with him he paws no attention TO
their presence. But so thoroughly
democratic are he and his surroundings
that any one can have an interview with
| MN by stepping forward and speaking.
Inc usual practice, however, for those
who wish to speak with the governor is
| to reach him by card. The attendants
| IN the ante-rOom always ask whether
one wishes to see the governor or the
chamber Ii the latter, you are allowed
to enter at once; but if the former. Won
remain outside until the attendant pre-
SentS your name and returns with 1.-The
governor will see you"
There was never a more get-at-ahIe
governor. On busy days the preference
| Is given to senators, state officers and
aSsemblymen. On all week days there
| is constant stream of visitors from 10
| In the morning until in the evening.
Cleveland and Hill inaugurated a new
system for New York'S governors. 1t is
| system of inceSSant work. Both being
| bachelors. with no domestic or family
| cares to engross their attention, thew
have devoted their whole time to to the
state.
Various matters are brought to the
governors attention before l O'Clock.
his time for luncheon. He writes his
| private letters at home in the evening.
but during the morning he signs bills
examines applications for pardons and
! tranSactS a vast amount of business
which comes to the governor. Not a
moment is wasted. To prevent inter
ruptlon in this work appointments for
interviews are made for the afternoon.
His secretary, Col. Williams, news
paper man, says he never met a man
who can get at the point of a case
| quicker than Hill. In pardon cases the
Sympatnetlc Slde Is made most prOmi-
nent, but the governor, while not hard
hearted, Insists upon going to the
| merits.
There are always two sides to bill.
Hills great forte is to reconcile oppo-
nents and to send them away satisfied
with the compromise which he suggests.
Frequently the routine work is so
great that the governor cannot get away
To luncheon at l o'clock, and often he
does not leave at all, but has his lunch
con brought in, which is of the simplest
kind. Ordinarily, however, l O'Clock
finds the governor on the street, with
his face turned toward the executive
mansion. 1t is only a short distance
away, but in order to reach it one must
as going anywhere in Albany, 60 IN
and down hill several times.
Home Of the Executive.
The location of the mansion does not
suit the governor any more than IT does