The Washington times., 1901-12-02
NEW BLUE BOOK
NEARLY COMPLETED.
HALF MILLION In PUBLIC SERVICE
A Comparison. With the OfHciaI Reg
lister of 1SI7-Aboat Six Thou
sand Persons Then in Gov
ernment Employ.

The forty-third official Blue Book, or reg
lister of officers and agents. civil. military
and naval of the United States is about
completed, and, will be handed to Con-
gress in a few weeks. Dr. j. G. Amos
Chief of the Interior Department Docu-
ment Room, under whose direction the
work is complied, said some days ago:
THE work of compilation every two
years of the official register is quite
task now, compared to the work in 1917.
then little volume of a few thousand
names all told, now two quarto volumes
of 1.6Oe pages. each containing almost
225, 900 names, including our insular pos
sessions"
The First Blue Book.
The little book exhibited by Dr. Ames.
faded in the lapse of time compared with
the quarto volumes to be issued this year.
illustrates the matchless growth of our
public service, and is. in short, minia-
ture history of a great nation.
President Jefferson suggested the COM
pilation of a roll OF persons in the public
service in 1902. Then, as now, provisions
were made for biennial register of all
Officers and agents. civil. military and
naval in the service of the United States.
The word agent was dropped just after
the civil war and the word ''employe'
substituted.
From 1916 to 1861 the register was pre-
pared at the state Department and print
ed al various printing offices in Washing
ton. as the volumes show, until 1861, when
the imprint of the Government Printing
Office appears. That year. by the act OF
Congress providing for the keeping AMI
distribution of all public documents, its
compilation passed TO the supervision of
the Interior Department. Then for the
first time 1t is referred to as the Blue
Book. which was probably suggested by
the English volume of official names pre-
pared for the British Parliament in blue
paper covers.
Six Thousand Names on the Roster.
The first dirlinutive octave contains the
names and compensations Of many Illus
trious men who made early civil military.
and naval history Of the nation.
The first Register shows 927 persons in
the civil branch OF the Government, the
army list 9l5; the navy, 9S2; mail coz
tractors, iS5; Indian agents. 49, and 5000
deputy pcstmasters. In all about 5000
names, including also the Senate and
House employees and the Librarian Of
Congress.
The Senate embraced then a secretary,
one clerk, two engrossiDg clerks. q
sergeant-at-arms, doorkeeper. an assist
ant and one messenger.
Personnel of the Departments.
Mr. Monroe occupied the position OF
Chief Executive Mr.. John Quincy Adams
held the portfolio of State and Patent Of
fee. With a chief clerk, eight clerks, and
four messengers he managed those
branches Of the Government then without
disbursing clerk.
w. II. Crawford was Secretary of the
Treasury in 1876 with chief clerk, six
clerks one messenger and assistant. This
was exclusive of the eomptrollers, audi
tors, registers,i and treasurers, Offices
which embraced then something over 100
clerks. The Revenue Department of the
Treasury was under the supervision of 5.
H. Smith, with seven clerks and mes
senger ,.t
Two watchmen and a laborer were the
provisions for the general security of the
Treasury in 1917.
The first official roll of the War De-
partment consisted of fourteen clerks and
two messengers.
The Navy in 1917.
Our ships were in charge of Benjamin
W Crowninshieid, Secretary. and Benja-
min Homans, chief clerk. with four
clerks and a messenger. A board of navy
commissioners was then in existence, and
consisted of such illustrious men as
T.l..
vid Porter.
Return j. sIeigs occupied the position
OF Postmaster General. and with two as
sistants. one principal clerk, two book
keepers, eighteen clerks, and two mes
sengers. managed the postal affairs OF the
country seventy eight years ago.
The General Land Office, which was
about all that was then extant of the In
terror Department. consisted of Commits
sioner Josiah Meigs. one craftsman, ten
clerks, and one messenger.
Included in the Judiciary.
The office of Attorney General was then
embraced in the judiciary without sep
arate head. The name of William Writ
appears on the list of Supreme Court
judges just ahead of the clerks name.
The Judiciary of the United States in the
first Register consisted of Chief Justice
Marshall and six assistants with an At
torney General and a chief clerk.
There were then twenty-One United
States courts. one for each State. with
two for New York. and four for Terrific
ries. Missouri, Illinois. Michigan, and
Alabama.
The Circuit Court of the United States
in the District OF Columbia consisted of a
chief judge. two associates an attorney, a
marshal. and two clerks.
The local judiciary of ths District of
Columbia consisted of sole judge"
William Cranch. and George Deneal,
clerk, with no compensation but fees.
The diplomatic and consular service of
the country embraced the names of eighty
persons all told in the first Register.
ANKLE sPRAINED BY FALL.