The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-12

An incident has occurred this week
which illustrates in peculiar manner
the power of the press. Thursday even
ing an item appeared in the Evening
Times stating that the ofTice of Measurer
Of Wood in the Anacostia district was va
cant, and that efforts thus far to find
an applicant therefor had failed 1t was
stated that in this age of oficeseeking
and only few months after Presiden-
tial campaign in which it had been widely
promised that the hungry oficeseekers
should be fed. here was an office, worth
$50 month, going a begging
The publicity thus given TO the fact
that political place was vacant had an
instantaneous, not to say an electrical
effect The mail of the Commissioners
Friday morning was the bulkiest of the
winter 1t contained applications by the
score for the office of Measurer of Wood
at Anaeostia- The man who was willing
to sacrifice himself for the public good
had suddenly become numerous
When 8 o'clock came Friday morning
the rain was pouring outside, but that
dld not deter the seekers after that pre-
cious plum in Anacostia. It was notice
abb that among the applicants which
throngeo the corridors of the District
building that day there were almost none
from AnacOstia. But the woods were f,.il
of them from elsewhere From all parts
OF the District, and even from nearly
places in Maryland and Virginia tney
came for the one Httle job of measuring
wood for the fees which it brings TO the
measurer.
The news even reached the Capitol, and
Senators and Representatives turned
aside from the seriC1s duties OF the day
TO indict letters to the Commissioners to
inform them that they had Just the man
wanted He might be out in Colorado,
Missouri, Ohio, or Maine but he surely
could measure wood. One gentleman at
the Capitol even went so far as to say
that whenever the Commissioners were al
a loss for man to fill any position he
was IN position 10 furnish the man on very
short notice. The fact was this national
legislator had on hand a very choice Sc
lection OF candidates for office from which
to choose, and the Commissioners would
never make any mistake by consulting him
when they wanted men in the District
service
Another Congressman hastened to saw
to the Commissioners that he was in no
sition TO furnish men for any position in
the gift Of the Board from wood measur-
ers 10 the Commissioners themselves
Another said that the condition described
In The Times ought not to exist, and
would not have existed If be had had any
lntimatjon Of the facts two days before.
The Commissioners have informed f. NJ
Finton. of 250S Nineteenth Street. that
trees on sidewalks and parkings cannot
be removed except upon order of the Com
missioners- They also inform him that
there is no present intention OF cutting
down the tree al the corner Of Baltimore
and Nineteenth Streets,
Third-cIass engineers licenses have
been issued to Frank l. Green and Thomas
Ackeown by order Of the Commissioners.
The Commissioners have ordered that
the tine for the completion of the con
tract with the Fire Extinguisher Manu-
featuring Company TO furnish water tower
is hereby extended for the period of thirty
days.
It was ordered today by the Commits
sioners that the proposal of Pavarini &
Greer to do extra work in the truck house
on Whitney Avenue for the sum of S72 be
accepted