The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-07

that of the Quartermaster's Bureau. with
all its great transport fleet and supply
branches The last Blue Book embodied
a list of 10 225 names on the various rolls
at large Of the Engineer Bureau as Of
July !. 1888 since which date there has
probably been an Increase rather than
otherwise This did not include the eugi-
neer officers nor the War Department
clerical force. nor either the Mississippi
or Missouri River Commission. all OF which
would add some eight hundred OF nine
hundred more names to the roster
This army Of employees is under the di
rectiCE Of I25 engineer o.acers Of the reg
ular arny-One b-igaGIer general. a The
head Of the bureau proper here n Wash
iHgcou; : ColCneIs. i lieutenant c9ICl els,
e majors. > captains Is first IIeureu. uts,
and j second UeIteuarts- Several Ct
them are required 10 assist the chief IL
turn these engineer Officers are assisted
by upward Of $50 civilian engineers Tae
principal duty Of these military engineers
and their numerous assistants is to sU-
periaJel6 the river and harbor work Of
the country 4 few Of them are also en-
2aged upon Notifications. but q cOnsideTa-
bic proportion are employed upon mjscsI-
laleOus duties The great majority OF
their subcr5Iuates or course. come under
the general head of la5orers. but there
are hundreds OF clerks, steu0graPhers. and
otEer clerical assistants The variety OF
employees in the engineer department ar
large Is even more nOadescripr than that
Of the Quargermasrer' Department And.
not &c he outdone at any point. the En-
gineer Department q large" also owns is
fleets Of ships. a greater one indeed than
that o. the QuaTJermaster General r Is
composed OF 30 vessels Of al kinds be-
sides the fifteen owned by The Mississippi
River Commission and 10 others belonging
70 the Missouri River Commission h0-h
OF which enterprises are practically under
the control Of the Corps Of Engineers.
Two River Commissi0ns.
n view Of the industrious losrolliug
now going on TO secure the insertion in
the River and Harbor bill Of various
doubtful items for the Improvement" Of
numerous creeks and so-caIIed rivers. 10
the detrlment Of the crying wants Of The
great harbors and waterways. il may be
interesting TO note that there are 272
persons employed by the Mississippi River
Commission besides the members OF the
Commission. and n regular engineer on
Ger who acts as secretary and Disturbing
officer The Iist includes seven clerks.
Einc civilian engineers inspectors.
draUshIs1len. aECInen. carr enters = COM
Puter cooks deckhands, gauge Observers.
lauadreSses. printers. Pressmeu record
ers steam eD0ineerS. stewards sf0k-rs
surveyors. ana walters Quite a variety
for one small Commission. With a Hcet II
only fifteen vessels. Bat perhaps they
are required for the Mississippi is . great
stream on the bosom of which floats an
Increasing commerce.
The Missouri River Commission. how
ever. more considerable affair in some
Of its aspects. is different matter II
Is notorious that there IS little commerce
on that river. and a steamboat other than
the Government vessels is seldom So en
on its waters. Even the tramp steamer
ventures but rarely far up that uncertain
stream The secretary OF this COmmis-
sion is q regular engineer captain. he
sides which II has a chief clerk. There
ale twenty-five clerks 10 this Commissi IN
one at s. 400 TWO al 81 500, four at
81 800 three at El202. two al SI.0S0. six
At $500 and four at $1Z1. The civilian
Commissioners receive s.. 900 and their
expenses. There are nine civilian eng n
eeTs-thTee at s. eco a year three al ST.
sos one al 81 500 ana ITO al s. 20p BE
sides these engineers there are SIX
d.aughthsmen-One at g $50 one al s. 500.
three at 81 .200. and one al S1.oS0 year.
Aside from the four army officers con
necIed with the Commission The f0rego-
. ing are Elaiuly the hish-p-lecd officials.
though shipmasteTs and pilots. oveTseers
fof whom there are four, with ten sub
CyerseersJ. a surveyor. steam engineers.
etc. draw all the way from 81 250 10 81 100
q year Besides these classes. there are a
iauiloF teams and teaWstcrs. sixteen
Watchmen. but no printers and pressmen
appear on its payroIls. unless they come
under the head Of plain "laborers. IL is