Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-11
His Retirement Regretted.

regretted by the judges of the District Su-
preme Court and the entire legal fraternity
when the fact that he has resigned has
become generally known
1t is well known that the entire local iu-
dietary and the Bar Association earnestly
wished that he would remain in office until
the recommendation for its abolition, which
they nope and expect to be adopted when
the code Is ratified, was carried out Ry
Judges and lawyers alike he is warmly re-
earded, not only personally, but for his
high attributes as an official The registers
office has been absolutely reformed and
transformed Cr"der Mr.. McGilFs admins
ration, and th' improvements have been
as radical as Trey were numerous. He
succeeded in obtaining three separate ap-
preparations from Congress whereby he has
been enabled to carry out his plans for the
betterment of the office. the fees being only
sufnclent TO meet running expenses. He
provided hreproof safe, in which the
original wills and other valuable papers
are stored The records are now kept in
hTeproof roller cases located In the court
room All recorded wills covering the en-
tlre existence of the office have been COM
pared with the records and every error or
discrepancy noted on the margins as a
guide TO title s2archers and others examin-
ING the records. He has also reproduced
several of the old will books on book-type-
writers.
Louis a. Dent VIII Be Register
While the announcement of Mr.. McGiIrs
resignation will create surprise on the part
of the general public, ii was not unexpect-
ed in usually weIl-informed circles The
President had been made aware of Mr..
McGllfs intention, and has already selected
a successor to the register, who will as
sumo the position when Mr. McCil goes
out September 80. The next register of
Wills Will be Mr.. Louis a. Dent, at present
United States consul at Kingston, Jamaica.
Mr.. Dent was born in Maryland but he
was brought here by his parents when a
small boy and was reared and educated in
W ashlnSton- lie has been in the govern
ment service since May H. lSSt with the
exception OF an interval Of four years when
Ne was appointed a clerk of class / in the
War Department under civil service rules.
III october. lsSS. he was transferred to
the treasury Department, and March 30
lSS9 was transferred 10 the Department of
btate as clerk Of class three, and the next
gay was appointed stenographer to the Sec
sttaTy OF state A few weeks later on May
- he was appointed a clerk OF class
Tour, with duties as acting secretary to the
Secretary of State (Mr. Blaine). and july
II, 1880. was appointed clerk TO the Secre-
Tar! Tar! OF stale at salary of $1,000 per an
mum In February, 1891. Mr. Dent was
detailed to inspect the Cuban consuIates
aEd In lS52 Gld the same service with re-
gard TO the West Indian and Mexican con-
hulateS- lie was continued as private Sec
<etary TO Secretary of State Foster i'm lime
fs@2 and IN September of that year was an
pointed consul at Kingston. He retired in
April. 1893. but was reappointed July
1Sg1. -
Ar. Dents Characteristfcs.
Mr. Dent has been always a man OF ac.
tvity and energy. He was a valuable aid
to the late James G. Blaine in the prepara-
tion of the work, Twenty Years in Com
gress,' and has ever been noted for the
assiduous attention he has paid to the du-
ties intrusted to him.
During the Spanish-American war Mr..
Dent supplied the government at Washing
ton upon various occasions with most i'm
portant Information, and while he was Bit
terry crltlcised at one time for keeping
american newspaper men at Jamaica away
from communication for brief period, he
Is defended by his friends as having acted
according to his honest view of what was
best TO do under the critical circumstances.
MT Dent was recently in Washington hay-
Ing accompanied the Jamaican commission
to this city to complete the recent treaty.
he sailed for Kingston last Saturday to
put the affairs at the consulate in shane
for his successor The latter has not vet
been finally determined upon The con-
sulate was offered, 1t is understood. to a
prominent man by President Mckinley