The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-18
MR.. GAGE AT HIS DESK
GLIMPSE OF THE SECRETARY OF
THE TREASURY AT WORK.
He Is EaunI to His Big Task and Has
Acquired a Remarkable GRASP on
All the Observation-Disclosures Bus
mess and Office-seekers Are
Handled with Admirable FaciI-
ity.

WASHINGTON April S.-Secretary Ly-
man j. Gage is one member OF PRESIDENT
Mekfnley's cabinet VINO had not oesh
known in political life as congressman
governor or political manager before ne
came to Washington, and there mas oeeh
more curiosity about how ne ouid difece
the treasury department and manage the
politicians than there mas oeeh aoout any
OF the other cabinet officials
The Washington Evening Star gives
a sketch OF Mr. Gage at his desk
and how he gets through the work before
him in the daily routine. In TINS shetcn
the writer says:
tine first month OF Mr.. Cages incun-
bency OF the treasury has been sumo
iently severe one in all truth, and yet the
peculiar smile under his white beard Is
rs warming as il was when he came here.
Seen at his treasury desk at any hour OF
the day. he looks like the least worried
man on earth in spite OF the fact that
since the fifth day of March last ne mas
been storrned besieged and amouscaded
by Office hunters in a fashion that has peen
endured by few cabinet ministers since the
foundation OF the government. he mas re-
ceived them all. No man has been turned
from the door of his office.
Has Learned Rapidly.
"And yet il is probable that Mr.. Gage
has learned more of the details OF the
operation OF the vast machinery or the
treasury department within the space or
the single month during which he has been
its head than any former secretary OF the
treasury ever acquired within the period
OF half a twelve-month. His MIND acts
with the directness of great proJectile.
He has odd methods OF getting at the heart
xr ha h2S excellent
general idea OF the workings OF every
branch of his department.
I'm getting hold of this information he
is something Of an undisguised Haroun-
Al-Raschid. In the intervals during which
the office seekers Withdrawing from his
wide open citadel for conference, grant
him temporary armistice. Mr.. Gage takes
seemingly directionless walks throughout
the treasury building. In the course OF
these tours, quite unattended. he casually
drops into the offices of a few of the d.
vision chiefs. He draws up a chair 10 the
desk of the division chief and engages the
official In a few minutes conversation.
The sharp directness of the questions he
asks on such occasions never fails 10 ex-
cite the wonder of the official thus sought
out. AS Chicago newspaper men know.
Mr.. Gage has facile cleverness in ask
ing questions almost equal TO that dis
played by the distinguished Ii Hung
Chang on the occasion of the Chinese
statesmans recent visit to this country.
When anything happened in any part OF
the world the Chicago reporter was always
sent to find out what Lyman Gage thought
about it, just as in New York the reporter
is always dispatched TO interview Chaun-
cey Depew on all conceivable subjects.
Cautiously and graciously as Mr.. Gage
always received the newspaper men on
| these occasions they would invariably
leave him with what is known as that
pumped feeling for while permitting him
self to be interviewed UP TO a certain
point, he would generally eontrive to dig
more out OF the reporter than he gave UP
himself.
His Methods n Novelty.
''The treasury officials are now discov-
ering the ability of the, new secretary as
a miner and an absorber of information.
In making his little treasury building tours
he will notice an official letter lying upon
the top of a heap of documents on the
desk OF division chief. He picks 1t up.
reads 1t carefully, and studies it.
What reply shall you make to thisr
he finally inquiries.
Thus he puts his head men on their
mettle and gathers necessary information
at the same time. In this fashion he has
visited nearly all of the important di-
visions in the treasury department.
Visits of a similar character on the part
of any former secretary are not recalled
by the oldest employees of the department;
but no official knows just when to expect
| a visit from Secretary Gage. and, as Mr..
Cages reputation as a man reader Of
piercing though kindly, ability is well
| known. the treasury department personnel
| has perhaps never before been so much
on the alert Ii Is today.
| ut is not the division chief alone who
comes within the secretary's ken on these
| visits. He notices and fixes In his memory
every man and woman at work In room
which he passes through in five minutes
| He Will walk up TO A stenographer en-
gagged In transcribing his notes on a type
| writer and watch the progress of the work
| for a moment
what system of shorthand do you
write?" ne asks the stenographer.
| HE approaches a bookkeeper bending
| over an enormous ledger.
| That Is a neat looking book he says
| to the accountant.
Retains the Walking Habit.
when the weather permitted. Mr.. Gage
| always walked from his Chicago residence
| TO his Chicago bank in the morning, and
| he has already formed the habit OF walk
| ing briskly from his Washington residence
| to the treasury department. He smokes
| cigar on his way down. He would
rather smoke a pipe. but this Is one OF the
| few matters in which he is willing TO con-
| form to conventionality. So he smokes
| his pipe at home. He arrives at the treas
| AIRY building al O'Clock. He used TO
| have TO get 10 his bank at $50 o'clock;
| and ne says that he rather appreciates
| the extra half hour he has here IN the
| morning.
Prompt as the secretary IS, he IS no