New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-27
GOSSIP AT THE CAPITAL.
EAGERNESS OF THE JAPANESE TO STUDY
AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS
PosTMAsTER-GENERAL WHO WAS SORRY FOR
HIS BARGAIN-MR. SIZE, OF THE CHINESE

| HIS BARGAlN-MR. SIZE, OF THE ChiNEsE
| LEGATIoN-THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
| Washington. June 26-Whaiever the popular
| opinion may be regarding the present attitude o!
! Japan toward the United States and the protest
filed through its Legation here against the an
Lcxetion of the Sandwich Islands by this Govern
nent, Is forced TO admire the ceve ness with
which this little country has in the last quarter OF
a century conducted domestic and foreign
affairs. and TO wonder at the position to which she
has raised herself among the nations Of the earth
| Her phenomenal progress dates from that period
| when she became impressed with her own limta-
tons As soon as she realized them she set about
| improving and strengthening herself and she owes
more to the fact that she has laid stress on the
education OF her people, and has aided and en-
Outraged them in their efforts, selecting her func
tionares from the cevercst Of her students than
| TO any other cause.
| The present Minister Washington. for instance.
| is a man thoroughly versed In his profession
| long residence In this country when the oppo-
| si,ion party in power and he practically an
exile, has given him an acquaintance with the IN
ternal affairs Of the United States which has been
| of incalculable value to him In MS diplomatic
| career and perhaps TO one OF his coiiedgues Is
| better equipped 10 manage the deHca'e mater "e
has at present in hand.
His predecessor. who will be remembered as nav
ing been successful in making for his Government
a treaty with the United States was d. one
time ii student at Harvard, and 1t Is sate TO as
sumo that all future Ministers from Japan 10 ti''s
country will be selected from those who have mad
an opportunity OF studying the institutions ana
people of the United States ~ close range
II is surely fatterng that Japan models so many
Of her Institutions after those OF TINS country
During the last yearfor many years past IN iac,-
Japanese delegations have crossed the racine lo'
the purpose OF studying various subjects IN inc
United States from stock breeding 10 electric ran
| ways and there is hardly time when some as
tinguished Japar are not staying at the odPi'i
| for the purpose Of investigating matters Oh es-
| pecial interest TO their country
| There Is at present in town T. Kochibe, pro-
fessor IN the Imperial University. and director oil
| the Geological Survey OF Japan. and y. Isuheto
an agricultural expert. holding high position IN
| that department. on the way 10 the Inter-
national Geological Congress, which Will meet IN
| ST. Petersburg this summer. MI kocn n"to ara
| Mr. Tsuneto have been the guests 1l bos ia
! much pleasure in making them acquainted with
! the workings OF his department ,., found
Japan boasts thriving Geological survey, ioun no
| ed In 1879 whose first director was German, ~
Edmund Naumann. It has grown constantly Sill Sill
gold a and sy yS m 1Ss or rrG @
Exposition it also received three medals, aWardnsd
for its exhibit rdGks Of ann maP Fss typical OF
"' There is also staying in town Nassau Mazda
former Minister of Agriculture in Japan and MI MI.
merciM companies who acts his secretary and
Interpreter Mr. Mazda is here in str S I1nase
is to further trade relations between Japan and
trade could be built up between these TWO natohs'
and is working enthusiastically for that end
Not long ago. IT may be weeks or It may be
years" said a one-time Assistant Postmaster-Gen-
eraI recently "a man appointed TO post
mastershp OF the fourth class in the state from
which the then Postmaster-General hailed Now
the fellow all right 80 far as political lal'h
went but he the friend and supporter OF
politician In his State who was antagonistic to the
beod of he Dena ri The POStma
feared his influence. and had pledged MS friends
that he would recognize the Objectionable poll
tician In any way He was. therefore much
chagrined 20 learn that the Endorsement OF this
gentleman had secured for one OF his followers a
berth in the Postofice Department.
1.-The appoint ment made by the First AS
sistant Postmaster-General after a long-estabshed
custom. which had never been questioned, but soon
after this especial appointment announced
the First Assistant was summoned to the ONCE OF
the Postma General.
/" Mr.. ". did you appoint Mr. H. postmaster at
-ville? asked that official.
Eyes sir replied the First Assistant
"'Wen what in the devil did you do it for?
Don't you know he belongs TO the - faction!
naming his political enemy.
"I don't know anything about the faction he
belongs TO-. answered the Assistant. His indorse-
ments were all right. and he seemed to me the
most desirable man for the place
Whose duty is it to make the fourthclass APP
after meditating for some time
Yours sir said the Assistant, but for years
back has been the custom for the First Assistant
to relieve his chief of what is really vast amount
of work.
".Wel.' said the Postmaster General, very red |
IN the face and much excited by this time. please
understand one thing: feel fully competent 10 per-
form all the work that belongs to my position and
in the future | snail not require your assistance
in this matter From this date you may refer all
fourth class 10 me-
livery good, sir replied the First Assistant, |
who felt much like d small boy who had been rep |
rimanded for fault Of his own, Tut he registered
a VOW that before got through with 1t his chief |
would be sick OF his bargain.
ION going to his office the FIRST Assistant sent |
for his chief clerk Mr.. Smith he asked how |
far are you behind with the fourth-class cases?
About three weeks. sir.
'IIow long will it take you to catch up by
working nights?
"'Ten days, sir
GOOD said the First Assistant with a sar-
donic CLEAN in his eye; have the men come back
at night and have the made up as soon as
possible
IN ten days the papers OF several thousand APP
plicants for fourthcass postoices were made up TO
date ami stored in dozen great hampers In the
First Assistant Postmastcr-Generars room. The
day they were completed this officer waited until
his chief had gone home then he caused these
dozen baskets to be carried TO the Postmaster
Generals office. whose desk ndu Deen neatly ar
ranged and covered according to the usual custom.
The messenger ordered TO take the covers
of and clear the desk Of everything. the blotting
pad ink bottle and other utensils being placed In
the chair Then the hundreds of documents were
ned upon the desk and they made goodly heap.
when all had been arranged according to his salts
faction The First Assistant covered the papers over
with the cover, peced out with more covers bor-
rowed from the neighboring desks. In the morn
ing the great mound OF papers was the first sigh,
Thar met the astonished gaze of the Postmaster
General when he entered his room
What have We here? he asked his secretary
wondcringly
Papers put there by order of the First AS
send the First Assistant here ordered the
Postmaster-tieneral Look here he said that
officer when he appeared, why have you piled my
desk fun OF this rubbish"
+" Won told me the other day. replied the First
Assistant that IN the future you would appoint all
fourth-cass postmasters. so had few papers
placed here for you to begin on. These win keep