Evening star., 1897-03-01
Three Of It's Members Are Now in
the City.
/ PLEASANT TALK WITH Mr.. GAGE
He is a Firm Believer in Civil Serv-
ice Reform.
WHAT MIR. WILSON SAYS

family, four OF the members including
Senator John Sherman are now in the
city. Gen. Alger, the new Secretary of
War, quartered at the Arlington; Mr.
James Wilson, who is to preside over the
Department of Agriculture, registered at
the Ebbitt House, and Mr.. Lyman J. Gage,
VINO Is to assume the treasury portfolio,
stepping temporarily at the home of an
Old Chicago friend, are the three members
or the new cabinet who are now in Wash
ington, besides Mr.. Sherman. the new Sec
retary of State. in waiting for their official
exaltation.
Mr. Gage, with his wife, arrived over the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad from Hot
Springs, Va, at I:l5 this morning, the
train which brought them here having
been an hour late. Mr. Thomas B. Bryan,
whose home is at No. 162s Rhode Island
avenue, was at the depot to receive them
and the party was Immediately driven to
MIR. Bryan'S residence where breakfast
was In waiting. Even before breakfast
was over number of visitors in Washing
ton. chiefly from Illinois, called to pay
their respects TO the new Secretary of the
Treasury Al, of the callers We're received
and given short audiences. Mr.. Gage not
having been in the city yesterday after
noon, when Secretary Herbert extended his
invitation to the members of the new cab-
flying torredo boat Farragut, was not a
member of that distinguished party and
he expressed his regret that he had not
gotten here in time to make the trip.
A Talk With MIR. Gage.
Mr. Gage is a fine-looking, broad-shoul-
dered man, easy of speech and suave of
manner. If. as the wicked Chicago news
paper men allege, the fine suit of curling
white hair which crowns his head is not a
htrsute adornment of the genuine sort, the
wig Is certainly admirable match for
Mr. Cages white. well-trimmed beard.
During the past two weeks said Mr..
Gage, to a Star reporter who called upon
him at the Bryan residence shortly after
his arrival, Il have had the finest rest
that I have known for thirty years, and
feel perfectly able to get into harness at a
moments notice. Before | accepted the
secretaryship of the treasury. good many
OF my Illinois friends told me, with unc-
tuous cheerfLlness of the laborious, nerve
warDng period of four years that con-
fronted me if / took the portfolio ard
pointed out to me the number of previous
heads of the Treasury Department who
have been shattered in health and spirits
the conclusion of their terms of office
! told them that / had been practically as
hard Il worker as any ovcr-ridden book
keeper for the greater part of my life. and
that ! thought I could stand the pace
As he talked ana smoked a big black
enormous mass of o1licia-lookng papers
OIL his desk.
Il anticipate mere tro uble in dealing with
documents such as these said he, than
with any matters connected with the treas
Try policy. They are all applications for Of
fee some of which have been in my hands
for several weeks, and several OF which re-
ccived no later than this morning. l con-
fesS, they present some embarrassing prob
lens to me. l am an uncompromising adj
herent to the principles of civil service re
form, and during my incumbency in The
Treasury Department l shall support the
civil service law to the very best of my
ability. The majo: number of the applica-
tons for office which have been presented
to me are for positions covered by the civil
service law-which makes me devoutly
thankful. 1t really seems extraordinary to
me that men throughout the United States.
whose ability Is such that they consider
themselves fitted for the holding of re-
spenstble government positions. seen to be
entirely unaware that the operations of the
civil service law, as recently broadened.
make 1t absolutely impossible for them TO
be given the positions to which they aspire
l don't know or any American government
al doctrine that is less understood In gen.
eral throughout the entire country than the
civil service law-but / fancy there may be
a general awakening on the subject during
tie next four years. In so far as the de-
partment which l am to assume is con-
cerned, there certainly will be.
Il expec: to have a.conference with See
retary Carlisle-a valued friend of mine of
many years standing-cither this after
noon or tomorrow morning with regard to
the personnel of the Treasury Department
and to some of the more important prac
teal working details of the department.
For the past week l have been devoting
good deal of careful study to the official
organization of the department.. In so far
as l could gain information on the subject
from the blue book: but that rather TN
satisfactory method and l. of course rely
dat tn tha
capabilities of present heads of treasury
divisions, and on
Mrs. Gage, who, as stated above, accom-
panied the Treasury Secretary, Is an ex-
ccedinSly handsome woman, tall and of
Impressive figure, a grande dame of hos
pitable and charming manners. She is an
entertainer of distinction, and the grandeur
of the social functions over which she pre-
sided during the worlds fair at Chicago
rivaled those of Mrs Potter Palmer's SUI
perb affairs.
Gen. AIser.
Gen Russell A. Alger, the next Secretary
of War. left his Arlington House apart
ments for the hotel breakfast room at an
unusually early hour this morning, In order
to prepare for the trip down the river on
the Farragut. When he strolled into the
hotel lobby after breakfast he found it a
matter of no minor difficulty to make his
way through the throngs of visitors of
more or less QlStlnctlOn VINO gathered about
him. He was compelled to make his way
to the elevator a good deal after the fash
ion of the youth at the apex of flying W
wedge In a college foot ball game
Good morning-when did you get in?-
looks cloudy-why. how are you?-well, I've
got to hurry'-these were about the only
remarks Gen. Alger had time to make in
forcing his passage through the jostling
crowd. He left the hotel about 8 o'clock. to
keep his appointment with Secretary Her.
bert for the torpedo boat excursion
Those among Gen. Alger's callers whose
eyes are sharp, whose habits of close OBJ
servation are trained and who have known
the new Secretary of War for many wears.
comment with considerabl BILE unanimity unon
the rapidity with which he has aged during
the past year. Gen. Alger lacks Something
like q decade of being as old a man as Sen
ator Sherman and yet he has not TODAY the
erectness, the elasticity of step and tho
general appearance of wiry sturdiness tba
characterize the new Secretary of State
who has livd for three-quarters of cen,
tury.
General Alger." said one of the latter,s
close friends this morning. tells his con-
fdants that he is In good health and dare
say that he Is, but. nevertheless he looks
| a good ten years older to me than he did
twelve months ago. He Is q man Of no
culiarly high-strung nature, and OF late
years, fancy. he has fallen into the some
! what Improbable and energy -sappins habit