The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-06-19
WASHINGTON LETTER.
PRESIDENT Mckinley Feels,His Burdens.
Civil Service Examination.
Fun In the Senate.
ESPECIAL Correspondence.l

l0PGCtdk SOiItSpOhueilCS.l-
President Mckinley s pace has begun
to tell. can see it ia his face and in
his manner. Not that he has lost more
than modicum of patience and cour
tesy or that he has not still left the pa
tience of job Not even that his is :. tho
pace that kills. IL is simply one that
he cannot keep up for four years. The
office seekers are little too much for
any mortal man to bear, and the pressure
is unprecedented in official history.
Apropos of the vexations that the
question Of patronage brings to every
occupant of the White House, / am re-
minded of story that has been told by
Colonel Robert @. Ingersoll. He visited
Garfield during the progress of the pres
idential campaign in 1880 and POUNDS
the candidate somewhat depressed at the
outlook, for he feared that he was to be
defeated.
Colonel Ingersoll told him he was mis-
taken. ''But even if it be SO" said he,
"you ought to be glad"
s'Bnt you don't mean to say" said
General Garfield. THAT the office of
president Of the United States is not one
that should attract the reasonable and
honorable ambition of man?''
II mean to say" said the plain spoken
colonel. THAT would rather sell ice in
hell andf do credit business at that
than be president. -
But of course Garfield did not agree
with him.
After Garfield became president
Colonel Ingersoll again called OH him
Mt tho White House. He found him
worn with the pressure of Office seekers
and especially disheartened and per-
picked by the Roscoe Conkling feud
which eliminated so tragically.
We'll, Mr.. President" said Colonel
Ingersoll, ''how are things going?''
"Ah, said Garfield, 81 think, after
all, would rather be selling leo in the
place you spoke about when I last saw
you.
The Chief OF the Division of Soils.
On July % the United States civil
service commission will hold special
examination for establishing register
from which appointment may be made
TO the position of chief clerk in the di-
vision of soils in the agricultural de-
partment. 1t is expected that there will
BIO lively competition for this post.
Theimale sex only is eligible, and to
judge from the plans and specifications
sent out by the department. tho winner
of tho prize is going to be a very special
sort of male as we'll. He is required to
DO person possessing good executive
ability and q thorough knowledge of
the subjects of the examination. I'm
This SOnnAs 0ncy b,,t corpdu oro 10
ceptive. For instance, what sized hat
would a man require whose brain could
evolve exact information concerning
environment as affecting the yield,
quality and time Of ripening cropsr''
This is the subject of one of the papers
each candidate will be expected to sub
nit
Touching this particular thesis, the
department further suggests that this
paper should fully cover the relation of
climate, soil and other conditions to
the functions of plants, with special ref
erence to the commercial aspect of tho
subject. Citations should be given of
authors or works referred to, together
with brief photography of the moro
important works pertaining to the sub
ject There should also be indicated an
outline of Investigations along these
lines which might be profitably pur-
sued. - 1t becomes apparent that the
forthcoming assistant chief of the di-
vision of soils is to earn large part of
his first 81 800 during the merry month
of July.
Where Shafroth Learned to Play Chess.
Congressman Shafroth of Colorado,
who was the hero of the recent interna-
tional chess match between England
and America, has been literally feted
since he achieved the victory which
saved the day for US. The fact that he
tied the score and made the match a
draw is all the more remarkable because
of the other fact that, until few weeks
ago, Mr.. Shafroth had not played Il
game of chess for II years. While at
college ut Ann Arbor he was one of the
cracks and could play two games at n
time blindfolded, generally winning
both. This early proficiency was known
to Mr.. Bodine, who defeated Strauss,
and it was through him that the Colo.
RADIO expert was induced to become one
of the American team.
Fun In the Senate.
The solemn dignity Of the senate is
now and then broken into by gentle
ripple of jocularity Perhaps it is the
relaxing warmth of the weather that is
responsible for it, or maybe it is the ex-
ceeding dryncss of the tariff discussion
that calls for an occasional recreative
indulgence Of mild righteousness. One