The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-21
NO FRILLS ON PERRY HEATH.
MEN WHO HAVE FILLED THE PO-
sITION OF SECRETARY TO THE
PRESIDENT.
THE SALARY AND REQUIREMENTS.
Correspondents Disap-
pointed That Heath Was Not
Chosen,

yOu ABOUT PGrrY Heath at
the end of the campaign, when he went
though Washington on his way 10 Mex
leo for a well earned rest. At that time
1t was understood in semi-official cir
cles that he could be private secretary
to the new president if he wanted the
place. But Mr.. Heath did not want to
be private secretary even to a presi-
dent. In fact, he was very doubtful
about taking any Office, preferring to
return to newspaper life. When he
saw the president-elect a few weeks
later he had in his mind 81 foreign ap-
pointment, but the president and Mr..
Hanna wanted him to stay in this
country. Maj. Mckinley offered him
the place of first assistant postmaster
general then, but the announcement
was not made until Mr.. Gary hod been
consulted.
Mr.. Heath is a native Of Indiana,
and he is proud Of being a IJoosier.
| When he was thirteen years old Mr.
Heath left school to enter printing Of
flee. During his apprenticeship he
studied at night and attended night
school occasionally. When he had
served his apprenticeship he stuck type
on number of Indiana newspapers.
One Of his contemporaries was James
Whitcomb Riley. From Indianapolis,
where he worked on the Journal for a
time, Mr.. Heath came to Washing ton
and handled copy in the Office Of the
Evening Critic, a paper which was
owned by Stilson Hutchins, now the
owner of the Washington Times. Mr..
Hutchins sold the Critic at auction
bought it and suppressed 1t.
Mr.. Heath graduated from the Critic
office into the United Press bureau
From that position he rose to be Wash
ingtOn correspondent of the Indian
apOlis Journal. Later he annexed the
Columbus Dispatch and the Omaha
| Bee, and for time he sent news to the
! Scripps league papers. He was the cor
| respondent Of the New York Press at
the beginning of the Harrison admin
lstration, but the editor used to send
him instructions to interview the pres
ldent and all the members of the cab
met at II o'clock at night, and, finding
his close relations with the administra-
ton a burden, Mr. Heath gave up the
Press. He sent news to Russell Harri-
sons paper in Helena for a time Later
he undertook the Washington work Of
the Cincinnati Ttmes-Star.
There never was a more faithful. con-
scientiOus, earnest worker. He was at
his office at 9 every morning. and ne
stayed until II or II at night He was
good-natured to the point of distrac-
| ton, and he did more kindnesseS to the
/ members from Indiana than they ever
! had chance to do for him. His office
| was always Indiana headquarters, and
, not only the members from his state,
but every Indiana OfficehOlder made a
habit Of dropping in on Perry Heath"
two or three times week
With all his good fellowship Mr.. Heath
| saved part of his earnings and invested in
| real estate in Dakota and in his old home.
Muncie, Ind, so that today he is worth
| about $l5oOOO,, modest fotune. but
Louisville. Three years later he a9d his
| brothers organized a syndicate which
| bought controlling interest in the CONNER
cal Gazette, Cincinnati, and Mr.. Heath be-
| came the manager of the paper. He found
| hard shedding in his new venture. Competi-
| ton was keen, advertising bad. He saw a
| chance to sell at profit year ago, and sold
| The buyers of his interest brought about
| combination of the Commercial Gazette with
the Tribune, and the present paper, the Com
| mercial-Tribune is the result.
When Mr. Heath left Cincinnati he told
me that he intended to work for Maj. Nc
| klnley,s election; Mckinley is going to
! be nominated" he said eff he is elected
| we will have prosperity, and my business
| Investments will benefit. He called on Mr.
| Hanna, made arrangements to undertake Ger
| tain missionary work and in st. Louis
| two weeks before the Republican convention
| met. After the convention he took charge
of the literary bureau of the Republican
| committee at Chicago and superintendent the
| expenditure of $750.009 in the distribution of
| campaign documents. When the election was
| over he went to Mexico and California on the
| first pleasure trip he had taken in FIVE
years.
| Mr. Heath Is tall. slender, with high
| cheek bones, a thin mustache which has a
| tendency to stand out straight, and a thin
| coat Of hair his scalp. He has a kindly
acquaintance among public men, They all
| call him Perry" and they are all his
| friends. There will be no sZnctity about
| the office of first assistant postmaster gen
| eral in this administration. If you want
| to see the first assistant. walk into his Of
| flee and take a chair. There are no frills
i on Perry Heath.
| The newspaper correspondents were disap-
| pointed when Heath not made private
| secretary. Few of them knew Secretary
| Porter and all Of them knew Heath. They
| felt assured that with Heath in the White
| house the doors would not be barred against
/ them. they have been for four years
| It is a curious fact that in selecting a pri-
| Vate secretary Che is called secretary to the
| president now almost all the presidents
| have gone outside the long list of men who
| have had a Washington experience and who
were otherwise eligible for the place. Col.
| Lamont, before he came here, had experience
| only & legislative correspondent at Albany
| and as private secretary to the governor of
| New York. Halford Englishman, who
| had been managing editor Of John c. News
] paper the indianapolis Journal, and who
| wanted to be minister to Denmark when Har-
rison was made president. John c. New
| asked for the fat position Of consul general
| at London, however. Halford had to aban-
| don his ambition TO go abroad, and Presi-
! dent-elect Harrison a way TO make him
useful in Washington he appointed pri-
| Yate secretary.
George Granthau Rain