The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-01
DEWEY is 4 BUREhU OFFICER
Interesting Admiral When He Led tumdrum
Washington
3 Forr Clerk Bureau of Equipment Navy Department.

Having served something like two years
a chief clerk Of the bureau Of equipment
while Admiral Dewey was its chief it
came in my way to find out some things
about his character and experience not
generally known. } supply these discon-
nected anecdotes as of interest at the
present moment.
F'nr number Of years ADMIRAL Dewey,
then 4 captain by rank. was the chief of
the bureau of equipment in the navy de-
partment. This is . purely civic office,
purely administrative and might sue
cassluly be filled by man possessing
training in the profession of war,
though it has been deemed wise by con-
eress 10 prescribe that i, shall be ad
ministered by 4 naval officer.
From the moment that President Harri-
SON sent to the senate the name of Capt.
Dewey to be chief a. tho bureau of equip
mrnt. with rank and pay of commo-
dore, the captain was in state of merry
otr; expectancy ANITA Informed of his
confirmation. lie afterwaid said that he
had been somewhat puzzled as to The jul
6icinpS course 50 Ellrs,te-Gn the oHs
hand, not to display undue anxiety in so
delicate Il matter. ana. on the other, not
L. sacrifice an Important personal inter
est by seeming Indifference. He said fur
ther that while he had Il number of cas-.
ual acGuanta7eee ;.Hi0mg the senator's,
when he really eanle To think of it there
y u but one-My. allison. of Towa-upon
whom he might reasonably look as an
active advocate ia his behalf.
There Is rea-aa 81 believe, however that
i'm This unccrtaia STATE of mind. which
Resulted from personal modesty subsist-
ing i'm lofty atmosphere. the commO-
lore never opened ms lips to suggest such
adNotacN. This unusual reluctance in so
lain matter az personal interest was
subject Of some q0ie, amusement among
BrWcy's frf nGs; bat without his know
iag ii Comm IL re john 6. Walker Sana-
TOR Allison foster brother who was ut
jhr bottom uf the appointment. had seen
10 ii that the confirmation was to come
tbolit i'll due season. The new eommo-
don" was delighted beyond measure when
thr 81 nate took favorable action, although
there could never havr been the shadow
al q doubt that ths advisory body would
take such action. He remarked soon
after taking charge that the period of
mild anxiety between his nomination and
ct'niiIma ton was not a pleasure he would
like ia experience very often.
THoI GHTFCLNE;ss FOR WOMEN.
quite a mass of cQrrespondence used
~ rCme 20 the bureau while it had charge
al enlistmeuts il the navy from women
throughout the country making inquiry
about this or that eaman, who might
have been a recTcaat son or d truant
I"Ner. indeed. so many sentimental let
t@rS Of this kind were received that Clark
Russell might have found material for
haf u dozen books like ~ Sailors Sweet
iiraft' in the course of three or six
months at The anxious desks in the
bureau Commodore EowcY ordered that
answers should be sent 10 this class Of
correspondence first. DO matter how i'm
i'Uftant might be other pending business
The cold official form Of address Mad
an was NOT used in cases of this kind.
Ia a married woman it would be Dear
Madam. and to a maiden it would be
''bear Miss so and So
I! often impossible to locate q sea-
man i'll the service by the muster rolls
nMng to Jacks habit Of eniisting under a
fictitious name, and letters of regret were
thus often sent to anxious maidens which
lalsht, but for this seaman's propensity
have been satisfying to the !nquir ers.
ffncmb2r the circumstance that in one
81 these searches the anxious letter
cifrh reported seven John Smiths on the
muster roll or one ships company. and
he probability was that all We're aliases.
w had as high as twenty-five letters a
day of thiS kind after any great peril In
the Havy-fcr instance. such as the hurri-
cane at Apia. which destroyed the war;
ships Trenton, Vandalia and Nfpsie.
Ia the fall of 1896 q government expedi-
ton was fitted out 80 go TO the west coast
"f Africa To observe an eclipse Of the
sun. The bureau OF equipment, being the
Office having charge of mathematical and
astronomical science IN the navy, ar
ranged the details OF this expedition.
which was IN charge of an astronomer
from Amherst college. The warship Pen
Sacoia was used to convey the party to
Africa, and there was a scramble among
aAventurous and enterprising men to get
taken along. IN fact, there was no end