The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-08-04

The bureau of equipment makes an
other considerable call on the Secre-
tary's working hours. This is the
bureau which furnishes all the equip
ments of the ship-the ropes, the
sails, the anchors, and especially the
coal. The coal buying for the navy
Is in itself an enormous business, and
the providing of coal stations and the
furnishing of dozen coal lighters, at
one point or another, to carry the coal
to our war vessels, is in itself large
task.
The bureau of accounts Is another
branch of the naval service which
gives Mr.. Long great deal of hard
work. This bureau has to do with
the purchase of supplies, which are all
bought under bids, except in cases of
emergency. Another new feature of
Mr.. Longs administration is the hos
pital ambulance ship, the Solace, a
magnificent vessel of 1000 tons, equip.
ped and fitted with all modern surgical
appliances. This ship will sail under
the rules of the Geneva Red Cross as
sociation, and will be free from at
tack. The women of the country have
shown great interest in this new de-
parture, the like of which was never
attempted in any previous naval war.
Yet another share of the Secretary's
time is called for by the bureau of
construction and repair, which has to
DO with the building and repair of our
ships. All the new ships that we
have been buying of late in other
countries have had to be put into con-
dition under the direction of this bu-
reau.
At half past 2 o'clock In the after
noon, Mr.. Long makes his escape from
the flood of visitors-the department
doors are closed to the general public
at 2 o'clock-and then he begins to
sign his mail. He is kept busy writ
Ing his signature for a full hour, dur
Ing which time he writes his name
about 300 times. Then the clerk of
the department makes his appearance,
| bringing with Linn large mass of pa
pers offers of service, requests for
the naming of ships, suggestions for
advice of all kinds. No letter ad-
dressed to the department on any Of
these subjects is left without a reply.
He lives in very modest style at the
capital His family consists of his
| wife, his oldest daughter, Miss Mar
garet Long, "a years of age, who is
| studying medicine at the Johns Hop
kins university; his younger daughter,
| Miss Helen Long, who is of great as
| sistance to him socially; and his lit
tie son. Pierce Long. a bright boy of
ten, who is busy with his schoolbooks
and his bicycle. Mr.. Long is de-
voted husband and father, and the
domestic side of his life has always
been very happy. He is jealous Of his
| evening leisure and callers at the fam
| lily hotel where he lives, who come on
business, are not cordially welcomed.
He believes that after a hard days
work at the department the serenity
of the lampllght hours should not be
lntruded upon, except for grave rea-
sons. He enjoys walking very much,
and is to be seen nearly every after
noon, after the cares of the Navy De-
partment have been dropped. tramp.
| Ing sturdily around the beautiful
squares and circles Of the capital. Mr..
Long Is, by the way, a teetotaler, and
almost non4smoker, his limit being
one cigar a day. He has always had
IL friendly side for woman suffrage
and for civil service reform.-James
! W. Clarke. In Chicago Inter- Ocean. /.