The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-18

with the accompanying recommendations,
o. al the applicants. fer instance. Tor the
position OF collector OF internal revenue
for the first district OF New York are IN
scrieed IN a right cierkfy hand IN sep
arate papsr-bound volume set aside soicAy
for that one position. When Mr. Gage oe-
cices 70 appoint collector OF internal
revenue for the first district OF New YORK
he win caIl for his book. look II over, and
pick out his man Il is a system which
completely neutralizes the oiliest efforts
OF the PERSONAL interview applicants. Yet
they come-ssngiy. in pairs and tr'es, ana
in delegations. each man inoued Win
hope. The secretary, leaning back IN ms
revolving chair gives them ear and per-
nlits them TO do most OF the talking. The
interview is concluded when Mr. Nanderhp
brings up another applicant, or pair, trio.
quartet or delegation of applicants snort
as has been his period OF service. Mr. Van
deriip has become a nice gauger OF time
in this respect
The Embodiment of Patience.
"And through ii all Secretary Gage sits.
composed judicial the embodiment OF
patience. He appears rather TO enjoy 1t,
and certainly finds certain philosophical
pleasure in the study OF the constantly
shifting Kaleidoscope crowd. For in
stance. Gen. Longstreet. the famous Con-
federate leader. appeared in Secretary
Cages Office the other day at the head
OF delegation OF colored men. As me
Confederate general departed, followed by
the delegation. Mr.. Gage remarked;
There's reconstruction for you
During the noon hour. when man born
Of woman is supposed TO eat. there is no
indication OF the slightest abatement in
the tide OF visitors. But Mr.. Cages office
is closed for matter Of about fifteen min
utes, while the secretary OF the treasury
and his private secretary partake OF
crackers and milk for luncheon. Mr.. Gage
is an enthusiast on the subject of crackers
and milk for luncheon. and so is his Sec
rotary. Thus there is a quarter OF an hour
breathing spell. Then the door is again
thrown open, and again the broken chain
of applicants flows in, BY the secretary
order il is all over promptly at
o'clock. He will receive no one after that
hour. for at that time of day his signing
time begins.
Letters for the mails that reach the
desk OF the secretary OF the treasury for
signature are generally sufficiently market
with the initials of the various officials
through whose hands they have passed 10
make ii fairly certain that they are all
right, and most of Mr.. Cages predeces-
sors have signed them with as great a de-
gree of rapidity as they could run their
pens over the paper.
He Reads Every Letter.
mot so with the new secretary. de ex-
hibits no more business in carefully read
ing, as he does. every letter land there are
hundreds OF them every day. to which he
appends his signature. 1t is simply one of
his methods of mastering the routine of
the department. Nor does he sign all of
the letters. Many of them he puts to one
side as he goes along, and when he is
through with the large stack of letters. he
81 DIS separately for the chiefs of the di-
visions whence emanated the letters which
have stuck in passing his desk and
makes inquiries. Such inquiries frequently
result in the letters being written over
again.
AT about o'clock a messenger enters
the secretary's Office and announces that
his carriage is awaiting him at the main
door OF the trea sury building on Fifteenth
street. Then, after nine hours of pretty
solid work Mr. Gage goes home, an hour
after the practically complete desertion
of the building, except for the watch
force