Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-28
Familiar Names That Graced Gov
eminent Pay Rolls Years Ago.
MEN Who ROSE TO HIGH POSITION
Bankers, Merchants, Editors and
Others Who Gained Fame Later.
AN INTERESTING REVIEW

| A glance at the roster Of the bust
| ness and professio nal men who have
| made Washington great and are max
| ing it greater will discover the names
Of scores of affiuent and prominent citizens
| who at one time or another were in the
| departmental service. And to go back
| further and find the names that were car
ried on the pay rolls of Uncle Sam is to
| discover those of the fathers of families
| whose members are among the most sub
stantial and respected in the community.
| Take, for instance, a reminiscent trip
| through the workshops of the nation about
the time QS4O President Lincoln was a
raw-boned, angular and unknown new
| member of Congress.
| The men themselves, as well as the loca-
ton of their dwellings, hotels or
| boarding houses at which they roomed,
are with some interest recalled. Mr..
| Folks Secretary of State was James
| Buchanan, who was Mr.. Lincoln's- imme-
| date predecessor in the presidential chair.
| The State Department was then where
| the north wing of the treasury is now,
| the Secretary's office being on the sec
| ond floor. The personnel of his office In
cluded, among others, VIM. Hunter, who
was afterward chief clerk and assistant
secretary, we'll remembered as a citizen of
Georgetown. Mich. p Tr.st was The. chief
clerk, but was then the commissioner to
| arrange a treaty with Mexico, and w. S.
Derrick was acting in lis place in the de-
partment. The Secretary and Mr.. Trist
were near neighbors, residing on the north
side of F between 18th and 14th streets
northwest. Like MIR. Polk, Mr. Buchanan
was a PRESBYTERIAN.
Librarian John Z. Norris.
Mr.. John E. Norris. that old war horse
Of local democracy, the father of Mr.. Jas.
l.. Norris, was the librarian of the depart
10 do of 7
between 9th and 10th streets. r. S. Chew
was the head of the consular bureau. Geo.
Bartle, who is still in the department as
custodian of the SEAL was then mes
senger. Fernando Wood a dispatch
agent. The force employed, including he
home bureau now Interior Department.
and the patent office, did not exceed sixty.
The treasury was presided over by the
well-khown Robert ]. Walker of Missis-
sippi, the father of Gen. Duncan S. Walker,
and he then lived on Pennsylvania avenue
between 18th and 10th streets Zone of the
Seven Buildings. The chief clerk was Nc
Clintock Young. who resided on f between
18th and 18th streets. who was one of the
leading. citizens, and for many years an
active member of the old Franklin fire
company. In the Secretary's office were
George Harrington, who subsequently was
minister to Switzerland and assistant sec
rotary; Chas. Albert, who for many years
was a member Of the Washington bar
The Father of the LOvcjOys.
John F. Hartley, for many years active
in local school matters. resided on New
York avenue near 9th street. and for some
time was chief clerk and assistant secre-
tary. John N. Lovejoy, the father of DIR.
]. w. N. and the late Benz. Lovejoy, who
when he died at nearly ninety years of age
was probably the oldest native-born resi-
dent of the District. He built one of the
first dwellings in the square in which
he lived northwest corner of 18th and
l streets; and Charles w. Pettett, who is
living on Massachusetts avenue between
9Th and 10th streets. There were thirteen
bureaus including the coast survey and
general land office. Among other clerks
called to mind are n. b. Van Iandt and
Michael Nourse, who came here with the
government; Charles Tschefelly, who had
just built cottage residence on NJ
between 18th and 14th streets, and
who had no need to go far to hunt,
for it was common then to shoot
night hawks even south of his house.
Mr.. Van Zandt lived at the northeast cor
ner of Massachusetts, avenue and 12ih
street, and was one of the justices of the
peace. w. H. English of Indiana, who was
a candidate for Vice President on the tick
ct with Gen. Hancock, was in the second
auditors office. and roomed on Pennsylva-
MIA avenue near 18th street, and others
who We're in the employ of the government
were ! Madison Cults. father of Mrs. Sen
ator Douglas: VIM Finn and G. c. Jack
son, well-known typos in the old days, the
former navy agent under the Buchanan
administration; D. w. Mahon and c. s.
Wallach, brother to Mayor Wallach: VIM.
S. Morgan, who had served as a men,
Der of Congress from Virginia, who then
lived on the west side of 18th between
G and H streets: Ex-Mayor j. G. Berret;
A. l.. HaZeton, for mary years afterward
now a real estate agent: S. York At Lee
recently deceased; Perry E. Brocchus, for
many years a United States judge in THE
territories.
Bank President Blake a Clerk.
Then there were DR.. John B. Blake, for
long time after president of the National
Metropolitan Bank; Jas L. Cathcart who
commanded for a time the Union Guards
and conducted an agricultural implement
factory near the Washington Circle subse-
quently; Robert Cochran. who resided on
18th between E and f streets, and after
wards was a well-known attorney for the
Cherokee Indians; Robert w. Latham, who
was subsequently well-known banker on
It'll near d street: w. ]. Sibley who was
in the stove and house furnishing business
as the head of the firm of Sibey 4 Guy,
now retired, and known for his benefac-
tons to the Sibley Hospital, which he
established; John Scott Cunningham,
afterward paymaster and pay dIrec-
York year ago; Moses Kelly, cash
Ter of the National Metropolitan Bank,
the father of Rev Mr.. Kelly of the Fourth
presbyterian SnuTCu, IeOTSe y. " HlllES,
subsequently chief clerk of the Interior De-
partment and grand master of Masons for
some years; A. S. H. White, also a we'll
known Mason, and who is yet living; Sam
uel Norment. who died a few years ego,
after serving for years as president of the
Mutual Insurance Company and the Cen
trail National Bank leaving probably The
largest estate ever left by a single individ-
ual in the District; A. G. Seaman, who
afterward was public printer; Parker
H. Sweet, who was grand secretary
Of Odd Fellows for many years and
a local minister of the Methodist Prot
estant Church; John 7. Haw, who was also
a prominent Odd Fellow; John Wilson, who
was then principal clerk of the surveys Of
the land office, and afterward chief clerk
and commissioner. Mr.. Wilson resided at the
corner of 18th and l streets, and was for
years prominent in municipal affairs. serv-
ing for a series an alderman of the sec
ond ward. John G. Hedgman. who was
living few years ago above Georgetown,
was librarian Of Congress.
The Lipscombs and DuncansOns.
There was too, Giles Dyer, who built and
resided at the northwest corner of 18th and
NJ streets, and owned what is now Reno,
above Georgetown; William B. Ran
dolph, chief clerk Of the treasurer's
office, who resided on Maryland ave-