The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-26

Union. All communications are considered
and answered. however humble the writer
may be- without regard to his station in
life. When letter is received in the Of
flee the information required to answer
the same may be scattered through the vel
luminous records in several rooms but upon
request all these detached data are dill
gently searched out connected and concern
trated on the correspondence clerks desk
When a case is referred to a correspond
ence clerk he obtains any information af-
forded by the records touching the subject
of inquiry. and sends for a stenographer
to whom he dictates a communication that
will frequently reanimate the fainting hopes
OF some wretched dependent upon a re-
publics muniticence, or will engender dc
Spair in the breast of some hapless ex-
soldier who deserted his comrades in the
field and whose present statement of facts
does not comport with the immutabie Off
cial records, and cannot be preferred to the
precision of those records. Here may be
seen clerk preparing reply TO a letter
received from ireland or Canada. Seated
at an adjoining desk is a clerk who is die
tating letter to a correspondent in Texas
or Oregon. Leaving the room is a stenog-
rapher his notebook containing a dictated
letter to the commissioner of pensions,
in which are embodied some requested
details of decisive Importance in the mill
tary history OF an applicant Tor pension.
Notice the clerk over by the window, at
tentlyely considering d mass of papers be-
fore him. lie is abstracting therefrom GER
tain information desired by a senator re-
Specting the army life of constituent.
Adjoining him is a clerk debating matter
relative to an application for a medal OF
honor, and still another clerk debating a
communication that will supply patriotic
correspondent with the military record of
an ancestor in the revolutionary war.
Observe the messenger just entering the
room with a bundle. of papers, which he
deposits on the desk of another corre-
Spondence clerk Opening the papers and
glancing at the data supplied him from
the record rooms he calls for a stenogra-
pher, and proceeds to dictate letter that
will contain al the information a con-
gresham has requested. Other clerks are
the military committees of both houses OF
Congress; answering calls from the varl-
Gus departments, etc. Such Is the general
character of the correspondence.
Members of the stenographic corps ara
supplied with fountain pens and notebooks
AS typewriter operators and stenographers
they are in various stages of efficiency,
never, however, mediocre.
Colonel Ainsworth himself dictates fluent
ly, and frequently engrosses the tirrs and
attention of four successive stenographers.
Pressing button at his elbow, an electric
bell on the floor above announces to the
stenograph ear that shorthand aid Is re-
CURED in the colonels office. Selling pen
and notebook, the stenographer repairs with
some precipitation TO the colonePs room
and is III position ere the sound of the
bell has died away. The dictation at once
begins, and proceeds apace. After rapidly
receiving several letters, the stenographer
hastens to his room, frequently meeting on
the stairs another scribe who Is responding
to the colonefs cecond summons. In this
way a member of Congress may, at his
home in this city, in the morning, request
information from the Office and find tho
same upon his desk when he reaches tina
Capitol.
What a. highly commendabIe transition
contrasted with the habitually tardy method
of the system (of which no vestige is lefU
of number of years ago An ex-soidier
would request a certificate to replace his
lost discharge, and years afterwards the re-
ply would be received by his heirs Infor-
nation would be transmitted to some uls-
fortunate ex-soldier that would be received
by his descendants and be the object OF
their mingled grief and Indignation, while
the despairing applicant having long sinca
laid down his load OF Affections and paid his
final tribute to nature, reposes in the
bivouac of the dead