Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-18
Tried and Trusted Employees of the
White House.
CAPT. PENDEL BEGAN THERE IN ga
Other Familiar Figures in the Faith
full Ten.
HAVE DONE GOOD WORK
Written for The Evening Star.

building dates from November 3, 1864, is
only one of a number Of men who has seen
years of duty at the Executive Mansion,
and who are the custodans of many secrets
and interesting incidents.
Col. Crook, the disbursing officer of the
White House. has a long record to his
credit. He went there In 1865 a police
man, but was promoted by degrees until
he reached the position he now holds. He
mas been on terms of intimacy with every
PRESIDENT from Johnson to Mckinley Capt.
Charies Loeffler, the Presidents door,
Keeper, has seen almost long service at
the White House. having gone there dur
ing the ffrst part Of the first Grant admin
lstrat1on Officer Lewis. a veteran police
man Of the District went TO the White
House in 1864. He has not been in con-
ttnuous service there since that time, hay
ing Tor several years been detailed else
where on other duty. He is still District
pohcen1an, but serves as doorkeeper to
one Of the executive offices. Put together
his years of service at the Executive Man
SION are nearly equal to those of Captain
Pendel. Mr.. Lewis was a personal body
guard OF Lincoln for months. and romped
! ana played with Lncolns children.
Diplomatic Door Opener.
Arthur Simmons, the doorkeeper to Sec
| rotary Porter and one Of the greatest ma
wv d'p-outHtS IL tuS African race, was
first appointed during the Johnson admin
istration. He served for a good while be-
fore his appointment as the butler TO Pres
ident Johnson. He knows more public men
IMAM any man of his color in the United
States. Simmons record has not been con-
unuous at the White House. however, al
though he has been away from there only
four years. When Captain Loeftier was
transferred from the War Department to
| the White House in 1867 Edwin ReckIey
who had been a faithful messenger of Sec
rotary Stanton, was also transferred TO the
Executive Mansion, and has bEen there
| ever since. He is known as the mounted
messenger, one of his duties being to take
the enormous mails for the White House
from the post office to the building. Beck
ley was in the War Department nine years
before being sent to the White House, and
consequently has been in the government
smiling ebony face Is known to every caller
1873.
Coaches Presidents.
Lieut.. Col. Montgomery, through whose
hands more sect ets have passed than any
other attache af the government service
went to the White House with President
Hayes in 1871 having been transferred
from the signal service, where his record
was a most t1aftering one. Just ahead of
him In point ofiservce, however is Major
Pruden, assistant secretary TO the Presi-
dent, in whose behalf it is said that no
other man could fill his place. Major Pru-
den was appointed to a position in the
White House during the second admins
tration of President Grant All newly
elected Presidents send for him to be
coached in the routine of public documents
messages, &c, and during their adr1ipis-
tration find his advice and suggestions of
the greatest usefulness
There are a number of men whose service
dates back to the short administration of
iat6
Dubois, the chief usher and Warren Young,
the oldest of the staff of White House
clerks.
Experience Appreciated.
The value of keeping these Old and ex-
perienced men in service has been appre-
c1ated by every administration. The casual
observer might come to the conclusion that
he could fill almost any of these positions
without trouble, but If he could remain
around long enough to watch the details
and delicacy of their work he would be
slow in wanting to step into the shoes of
any of them. even of Jerry Smith the Off
cial buster of the big white building Jerry
is the hardest-worked man on the White
House pay roll He has to do a little of
everything, but his chief work is in keeping
the dust and dirt out of sight. He works
on the former with a variety Of brushes
rollers and broons. He wears an immacu-
late linen suit over his street clothes Jerry
"ttaShS eiit tiit with tiobS, not water and
soap. He is particularly attentive to the
tiled floor of the vestibule Before each re-
ception or public affair, and regularly dur
ing the week, he works on this vestibule
with big mop and tub of hot water His
nature is joVial until he encounters a dis
carded chew of tobacco, end of a cigar or
cigarette in the neighborhood of his work.
linen he talks TO himself about the people
who will do such tricks.
A Latter-Day PHILOSOPHERS,
"Whatever pleases de President. bless
| God, pleases me- says Jerry who was
| raised among Maryland aristocrats and
whose manners are as deferential as those
of Chesterfield. There is nobody like the
President In the mind Of Jerry. He keeps
the Presidents office and the cabinet room
as clean as new pins, and at every oppor-
tunity let's in fresh air. When the Presi-
dent goes down to lunch each day Jerry
puts his carpet rollers, dust brushes etc
to work to set the room to rights before
the President again enters. in summer the
old man hoists the windows adjusts the
bouquet OF flowers on the Presidents table
rearranges the chairs and does hundred
things TO put the room in attractive condi-
ton for the chief executive. 1T is also in
summer when Jerry himself is the happlest
DE rheuinatics posters me in de winter"
he says. When the President and family
are away in the summer Jerry has the
whole house to himself, and then he sings
| as he goes about his work His variety of
songs is not as extensive as those of Dro-
fessional songsters and his voice was never
trained. His favorite song when he gets to
work in the basement is one about Henry
Clay. Where he got it he does not know.
except that hds he3rd it "befo' de war
| among the colored people. A favorte SEN
tence of the s0ig Is as follows:
.'OIe Henry Ciay Wis avery rice felIer
| But he would play ksif1s wild de nggers in de
cellar" 5L9Is
No Conisd enee in Water.
him on the trip around the world, but Jerry
| did not go farther than San Francisco.
Somebody told him that the Pacific ocean
was sometimes not as friendly with travel
ers as its name implies. After Eliminating
on the subject Of the big pond, Jerry asked
make the trip. I, All Presidents have been
| fond of the old d1all,, Jerry is familiar with
| Buzzard's Bay haying been taken there
| frequently by President Cleveland
| Arthur Simmons position was given to
| him by President Johnson. Simmons is
| from North Carolina and was raised a
slave In natural .shrewdness and diploma
| cy he has few superioTs. In handling the
| crowds of callers upon Secretary Porter
rare judgment and tact are needed. These