Sunday morning globe., 1901-11-03
HABITS OF clerks.
Their Observation BY The Globes
Blue S Ocking.
SHE HEARS Mr.. SAMMY SMALL
And COmm0nds and ReproVes His UtteranOes-
The Descent Of Man and a DaWlnlan PhIIOsO-
pher Who Lived Few Thousand Years Ago
A Beautiful Thought on tho Days Of Childhood
InnOnenoe.
lnnO0anoa

little about how the many clerks spend
their time during Office hours in the
various departments of Uncle Sans
great workshops. On several occa-
sions, when gathering news items from
the departments haunted by the hungry
correspondents which infest Washing
ton, / have noticed peculiarities which
it seemed to be worthy of recording
Almost any time one might read no.
tices Of lost articles, articles found,
or rooms to rent, dainty articles for
sale and what not, pinned upon the
side of the elevators, or on the walls
Of some conspicuous and generally
used room, which notices are consulted
from time to time by the clerks, and
are the means Of lost articles being
found, and found articles being lost
and a general re-adjustment Of things.
But there is one mannerism Of a
certain watchman in the Printing Of
fee which is especially noticeable
lie sits right by the elevator on the top
floor. OF course ! am not at liberty
to state i'm Just what branch of the
Printing Office he sits As the various
employees file past he notes the time
Of their arrival and this record faces
them on pay day in all too bold char
acters. Not having this to do all
day, however and as time doubtless
hangs heavily on his hands, this
watchman has fallen to the habit Of
beating a tattoo on the table with his
pencil notice he always seems to
have a bran new pencil for this pur-
pose. or perhaps he has trained this
special one and keeps it always at
hand. He is so conscientious and
punctual i'm this table beating that one
can almost tell the time Of day by 1t.
About 10 A. NJ. YOU can hear gentle
rat-a-tat-tats at II A. NJ. it grows more
regular in rhythm and louder in tone;
at 11.3O it ceases for a moment or so,
then at 11.45 it begins in strong.
nervous jerkv rat-a-tats. until the vel
come noon hour arrives Again at
about 1882 IL resumes its warning rat
tie as II to hurry forward the tagging
stems of the clerk who has fingered
too long at the lunch counter, or has
had too much to say to his fair COM
panion at luncheon or became deeply
engaged in reading the football, base
ball. race course or other bulletin an
nouncements. and. i'm consequence, has
to grin and bear il while he casts
furitve glance at this self-same watch
man and this fatal pencil as he hurries
to has task. once he leaves the elevator
And so it. goes. Again. about 3, and
again at 3.45. the pencil may be heard
1a
stick. 1t occurred to me once tnat
this faithful watchman was once
drummer boy, and by the same token
that childish habits return to MS in idle
moments. quite involuntarily. so be has
fallen into reveries in his quiet watch
at the elevator door, and repeats the
stirring drum-call to duty just as he
did. perhaps many, many, many years
ago when he helped to keep up the
courage in the hearts of those who
were marching to slay their brothers
in gray
AS Josiah Aliens wife says; "Sich
is life, and its gittin' sicher an sicher."
Last SUNDAY night 1t was my pleas
ure to again listen to the manly, it not
eloquent address Of the Rev. Sam
Small. He is undoubtedly an earnest
speaker and is immensely popular with
almost any kind of an audience, The
service was under the auspices Of the
Peoples Mission, and everything that
mind could suggest was brought into
play to make the occasion memorable
and attractive to those who were pres
ent. Mr.. Small has learned, from ex-
perence he says how to make his
wOrus tell with the people, and many
were the bright witty remarks that
seemed to hit home. and it is hoped
they were not passing remarks, for
the earnestness with which thew were
delivered was a sermon in itself.
One remark, however, seemed to be
less liberal minded than is usually the
case whit the utteranCes Of this gentle
man. He took issue with DR.. Darwin
whose theory of the origin OF man is
too well known to need argument. In
this connection I will quote something
which Impressed me very much during
the past week especially indica-
tive of the fact that nothing under
the sun is new. celebrated English
clergyman. I think Il was Bentley, once
wrote that the most witty conceit Of
! Anaximander was to the effect that the
| first man and all animals were bred in
some warm moisture. inclosed in crus-
| taceous skins as If they were crab
| fish and Holsters.
| Now AnaXimander lived at Miletus
/ about six hundred years B. c., and was
noted for his remarkable theory and
| belief that the principal OF things is
a substance OF indeterminate quality
| and Hmitless quantity immortal and
! imperishable," out Of which all things
arise and to which all return. This
substance according 10 some accounts,
he regarded as of a form and nature
| between water and air
Think Of a philosopher way back in
/ the early centuries beng 50 learned
and broad minded as to declare sub
stance" immortal and imperishable.' ~
| IL seems the Christian Scientists Of
our day are teaching this same great
truth and believing they were the first
TO discover and PROFOUND it to the
world. But what / began TO remark
was that when Mr.. Small pretended
TO find it so very, very funny that a
wise scientist and philosopher should