Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-03-26
GRESHAM'S CALLERS.
THE SECRETARY BESIEGED By AN OFFICE
SEEKING PARTY.
Receptions at the Stats Department - General
Grants Advice to Hayes-Soms Trying
Scsnss-Running h. Gauntlet
Official Psrpls1ihss.
speeial corrs.ponanee 70 tAs Regis.r.

Special Correspondence 10 tbs Rs0issr.
WASHINGTON, March 23.-There Is
something very ludicrous about this Of
fee seeking business. For two or three
weeks the Capital has been the theater
of many little comedies, and / fear not
few tragedies, among the men who
are ambitious 10 serve their country In
one capacity or another. Day after day
the act is played over and over until at
last II becomes decidedly tiresome TO
all concerned. Let US visit the office OF
one of the members OF the Cabinet this
morning and see what we shall see.
The Office of the Secretary OF State will
do as well as any other.
1t is o'clock. and the throngs or gov
eminent employees scurrying through
thestreets to their work seem unusually
large, and so they are, for among them
are the Office seekers on their way TO
various departments, each to the great
public Office which contains his hopes,
his fears. The office seeker gets up
early in the morning. Hope, you know.
springs eternal, and no matter what the
disbursement of the day before a
nights sleep aud good breakfast-as
yet the ambitious ones are Quartered at
the best hotelr-tend TO restore self con-
fidence.
Fifty or seventy-fve enter the treas
ury department; several hundred wend
their way to the general postoffice aud
the great interior department; many go
to see Daniel Lamont In the war office;
others set out for the department OF
justice or agriculture. When we enter
the anteroom OF the secretary of state
at half-past nine, we find Wa are very
late. Two score or more OK
GENTLEMEN ARE AHEAD OF Us.
I wish / could wildly describe the
scene to you. Men are sitting about on
sofas, chairs, even tables. Many are
compelled 10 stand. An usher informs
them that seats may be had In another
ante-room, and he beckons the way,
but none follow. Their eye is on the
big door at the other end Of the opart-
ment, behind which Secretary Gresham
is known TO be. With surprising unan-
unity they silently agree 10 stay near
this door, seat or no seat. So they sit
and stand about, watching that door
and looking askance at each other.
There is very little conversation. For
some reason men who know each other
well are not inclined to talk. They are
too serious. Every man Of them appears
to be turning over In his mind what he
will say TO the Secretary when they
stand face to face-if they ever do.
These candidates for the minor APP
pointments, as ministers abroad and
consuls, are a well appearing lot OF men.
They have good manners, good clothes,
good faces. Many of them are known
TO be prosperous in their business or
profession, and IL is not dire distress
but fell ambition which has driven them
TO this extremity. 1t is plainly evident
that each OF them has carefully made
his toilet this morning. He has arisen
early enough not only 10 breakfast, but
to shave. But be hasn't had time to en-
Joy his after breakfast cigar, and he
and all his fellows, who dare not
be seen calling on the Secretary Of
State with cigars 10 their mouths, cast
envious glances at the only man In the
room who is smoking-a newspaper cor
respondent who
SEEKS NEWS AND NOT OFFICE.
There is something ludicrously pathet-
ic about this great and general effort 10
appear at ones best-this sprucing up,
this petty self denial, this careful study
OF words and depOrtmeDtas II they were
juveniles awaiting catechiZation aud in
spection by the merchant who is about
TO hire an office boy. Not all are really
we'll dressed. One has INDUCED the
luxury OF a very shiny hat in order TO
offset the glisten OF well worn coat.
Another covers his frayed and greasy
undercoat by keeping his overcoat tight
ly buttoned down before. And third
a tall, gaunt, coIored man, with face
so serious that it would make his for
tune In the undertaking business-hides
his ragged shoes as well as he can with
pair OF new, gray and unusually large
spats!
An incident which is almost tragic
now occurs, and this colored man is n
central figure In 1t. He chances TO sit
at the end OF a desk. and his hat IS not
in view. Somewhat naturally, there
fore, Georgia man mistakes him for a
servant and then commands, as a white
man in Georgia unthlnklngly COM
mands almost any negro:
sam, put my overcoat on the win
dow over there ia the corner"
The colored man, who, 1 happen 10
know. is a college graduate. success
full teacher and one who would make q
creditable representative OF this gov
eminent In the consulshlp to which he
aspires. replies with nice dignity and
bearing and without any show OF anger.
81 beg your pardon; you have evil
IDENTIFY made a mistake. am strang-
or in this office and not an employee"
The Georgian, too, proved himself a