Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-03

ASSOS g. N COOK ana In little While
Arson q. was captain of the second Ohio regi-
iment- As such he was at the first battle of
Bull Run He passed upward through the
grades OF major and lieutenant colonel to that
of colonel. holding the latter rank in both the
second and one hundred and ninety-fourth
Ohio regiments. He served with the Army of
the Cumberland and commanded brigade
under Sherman in the Atlanta campaign.
When there was no more fighting to be done he
was mustered out a brevet brigadier general.
Steubenville and New York city were his next
residences. and from the latter he was sent to
the House of Representatives from 1877 to
1888 Then he graduated to the Senate. and
has been there uninterrup:edly since. Gen.
McCook Ia part proprietor of a hOurishing
journal published in New York and devoted to
legal interests.
DUTIES OF THE OFFICE.
Gen. McCook's position is one of great re-
sponsibility, for in his keeping are the records
of the Senate-legislative and executive H e
signs every act of the Senate and. through his
financial clerk, disburses every cent of the vast
sum which Is annually spent by the Senate .'ac-
cOrdlng to the statutes made and provided IS
Occasionally the general relieves the monotonv
Of his personal duties bv reading the journal
or other necessary matter in the Senate-in
fact he reads good deal-and one of the pc
cullarlties of his reading is its clearness and
what Col Maurice Pinchover used to call '.un-
derstandibihty."
The SECRETARY QUARTERS.
There is nothing extremely ornate in the Sec
retlry's Office 1t is large room with most of
its exposure to the west. sandwiched between
the olice of the executive clerk and the safe
adorned apartment of the keeper of senatorial
finances When the secretary Is in his room he
can only be reached by going through one or
other of the Offices named. but he never avail
himself OF these defenses; he is always accessi-
BILE.
The EXECUTIVE CLERKS ROOM.
There is an air of secrecy, an indefnable feel
ing of mystery, in the executive clerks room;
or. to be more officially punctilious, the Office
OF the executive clerk of the Senate. Within
lite walls are immense number of communi-
cations which custom insists on calling state
secrets, In spite of the fact tina. the true in
wardness OF every document of importance was
laid before the public long ago BY the anti
secretive press of the United States. The en-
pioyes OF this department labor behind the bars
which have been erected for the purpose of
extending a somewhat curious public and
these bars-a profusiOn OF bronzed wire artis-
tlcalAy lnterwoven-glye the office a bank-like
appearance which is not borne out by the
amount of cash usually on the inside of the
counter In place of notes and drafts and bills
there are nominations and treaties and but
rarely IL it that the scratching of a pen is in
terrupted by the sound of rafting or rustling
dollars Three big file cases. transferred wears
mysterious and closely guarded documents
Two OF the cases are outside the fence; the
other one Is above the desk on which Col Nor
row puts his feet when he has nothing else to
do-whleh Is infrequently. In these file cases
can be found every presidential nomination
sent from the White House since the Fortieth
Congress- Each Is numbered and so plainly
Endorsed that the senatorial action is easily ap-
parent. During the last session President Har-
rlson sent To the Senate 3. 500 messages some of
IQem Including
Treaties. too, are stored away in this apart
ment, all lettered and alphabetically arranged.
ready for ready reference.
Over the marble mantel is an elaborate mir
ror, more than half century old. and a re-
markable specimen of reflective art OF it Col.
Morrow says: 1T knows not flies" although. as
Mr.. shankland sapiently remarked. Flies gem
orally have an affinity for mirrors"
JAMES R. YOUNG.
At the southern end of the counter is the desk
OF the chief executive clerk-James r. Young
and thereat may Mr.. Young be found, save