Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-05-12
HUNGRY WOLVES.
Hoard Of Office Seekers at
White House So Styled.
The Great Crowd Enforce the Need
ola New White House.
4 Sadly Overworked But PhenominaIIy
Patient President.

cf0WGS al SlSttDrS ab the Wnltc House tDat
u demand has sprung up for a new ezecu
two mansion. The old house has been
found inadequate to the demands made
upon its space. Tho president OF the Unit
cd States is Il very po sular man about thls
time. He has more than his share OF Wis
itors. Every day his anterooms are crowd
ed. The White House is so constructed
that there is really no proper place for the
accommodation OF the hOrdcS who cal
thorc on business. There is but one place
for them to wait, and that is snr: of cor
rldor running through the house from
west to east 1t really is not n room at all.
1t is i.npcrfectly lighted. In the gloom OF
this place, about Is feet by 80, one may
often see several hundred people huddled
together. There are chairs only for small
part of them. Hour after hour they stand
about, men and women, young and old,
awaiting an audience. Too often they
wait till they ar1 utterly worn out, and
then arc told that the hour for the presi
dents luncheon has arrived and that nc
moro visitors can be seen. 1t is not the
presidents fault, for be works from carly
morn till late at night with all his might.
There are too many people, ard there is
only one president.
Pathetic Scenes.
Some of the scenes in this antechambef
are pathetic enough. Every day you may
sec three men well advanced in years who
not long ago were ON the topmost crest of
prosperity. They We're senators or con
grcssinen or influential politicians. Then
they could get what thoy wanted by sim
ply asking for it. Now they are out at the
heels. They bravely try to hide age and
poverty and decrepitude and despair They
put OIL u bold front. Some Of them look
as if they were really hungry But they
wear tho air of grand gentlemen. They
salute you as if they had millions ut their
back. They laugh with forced laugh
and smile with smile that is painful
But they keep their eyes on the door, and
If you look carefully you can sec a wild,
despairng look in those eyes.
Here they are all mingled together. For
the most part they sit in silence. Every
one knows his neighbours errand. 1t needs
no power of prescience to discover that cy-
cry last one of them is after an Office. Not
ono perhaps in all this assemblage will sue
coed. All these hopes are to be dashed to
earth. 1t is really pitifrl to watch the
eager expressions upon their faces when
tho door of bis office. In an instant they
arc all up and at him. They pounce down
upon him like a pack of hungry wolves.
They extend cards to him by the score, and
beg that he will get them an audience with
the president. Tho patient secretary must
listen to dozen talking to him together.
In the end he generally raises his arms, az
IL toward them off, explains that the pres
,<,f
the cabinet and makes his escape back
through tho door into his office. Then
tho crowd moves slowly and sorrowfully
back to its nesting places, some to give up
and resolve Co come another day, others to
wait and wait and hope against hope.
In the Anteroom.
Now and then senator or representa-
tive appears. He may walk straight
through without hindrance. Tho door is
opened as he approaches and others are told
to step aside out of his way. Lucky the
senator or representative who is not way
laid by one or moro of the hungry denizens
of the anteroom. They beg to be taken in,
and some of them refuse to take no for an
answer. There are office seekers who come
here day after day and wait for the appear
ance of member of congress with whom
they are acquainted and from whom they
may beg the favor of an escort through the
doors and into the presence of the great
but sadly overworked and phcnomenally
patient president.
1t is apparent that this is not q fit place
for the reception of the people There are
no accommodations of character appro-
pirate to the house of tho president. All
these people are citizens of the United
States. They are here OH honorable bust
ness. They deserve respect and fair treat
ment even If they are Office seekers. The
least Uncle Sam could do for them would
be to give them u comfortable place in
which to wait and nurse their desperate
hopes. There should be room enough for
all and seats and drink of water and
plentitude of Gods free air in the ante
rooms of the president of the United States.
The Ubiquitous Reporter.
There should beenough room so that tho
crowd of waiting ones need not fall over
the tables at which sit the representatives
Of the press. Perhaps you do not know
that the reporters are always on hand at
the White House. From the time the Office
OF Secretary Porter is opened in the morn
ing till it Is closed at night the press men
all that occurs. They want to know who
sees the president and what about, and
right ingenious and faithful are they in
the discharge of their duties. There is no
other place for them to work than here in
the midst of all this hu-ly burly. When
the employees of the executive mansion,
the clerks and correspondents and tele-
graph operators and others-for it takes
pretty large forco to attend to the presi-
dents mail-wish to go to the office of
Secretary Porter or to the president S room,
they must push their way through the
crowd.
One improvement is promised at the
White House, and this is an elevator to
take people from the ground floor to the
apartments occupied by the president and
his staff. Old senators and other callers of
Importance find 1t quite difficult to climb
the long flight of stairs and they are put
ting their heads together in favor of an APP
preparation for n new elevator. So some
good may come out of the rush of the Office
seekers, after all. There is an elevator in
the White House now, but it is a little
affair in the family part of the house, and
Is not open to the public. 1t was nut IN
for the special use of the mother of presi