The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-12-14
Every Day Stories Of the
Workings and Workers Of the Departments.

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Hon W C Witherbee. Collector of Gus
toms at the port of PIattsburg, y. Y,
spent Thursday in Washington. In addi-
ton to paying his respects to the customs
officials of the Treasury to discuss mat
ters pertaining to his district, he also
made a visit to the White House and saw
the President The port of PIattsburg
being a Canadian border station Mr.,
Witherbee has some very active times
dealing with would-be vioIators Of the
alien contract labor law immigrants at
tempting TO get across the line, as well
as Chinese who are ever on the lookout
for chance to sneak through his pert
into the United States and thus evade
the exclusion laws.
Miss Annie W. Herrdon returned from
her brothers ranch at San Marcos. Texas,
where she spent procraeted visit, just
in time to be gathered in by the Census
Office at the commencement of its opera
tions. She has contributed her good share
toward the general result in getting out
the Twelfth Census Miss Herndon is a
fine penw0man and her splendid education
fitted her for most Intelligent service in
the Census Office She is an artist OF
considerable merit and has executed some
very clever creations with her brush.
John / Schultz, Assistant Agriculturist
in the Office of Experimental Stations Of
the Agricultural Department is young
man who has made his mark in the sery-
ice, although he has only been On the
rolls of the department a few years He
came to Washington from the renowned
agricultural College of Ames, Iowa, where
he had graduated and il turn taught. with
a fine scientific and general education,
particularly along lines calculated to
make him man Of worth N the Agri-
cultural Department. He was sent to
Paris during the Paris Exposition as one
of the representatives of the Government
where he rendered excellent service, and,
incidentally. returned TO his native land
full of enthusiasm over all that he had
seen while abroad
Crosby G. Davis, before securing an ap-
pointment, by transfer. to the Treasury
a few months ago, was bonded superin-
tendent Of the Pierre, South Dakota, IN
dian School He is employed in the Ct
fee of the Auditor of the Interior lie
partmeut. where his duties consist ii the
auditing and final settlement Of Indian
School superintendent accounts 1t
seems peculiarly fitting that the Treasury
accounting Office charged with the settle
meGt OF this particular class OF accounts
should have the services of man whose
experience so aptly equips him for the
work As superintendent Of an Indian
school Mr. Davis personally transacted all
the usual business appearing IN such ac-
counts and saw them merged into the
various Abstracts for transmission TO
the Ind an Bureau and finally TO the
Treasury for settlement Now he sits at
the other end OF the line and audits not
only the quarterly financial statements OF
his erstwhile colleagues, but those OF his
own successor in office
Mr.. Lewis z. Thompson, who has been
in the Patent Office since November I3,
1877. is one of the reliable and thorough
" seasoned members OF the examining
corps. The classes of harness. hose and
betting are among his speeialties- These
are steadily active classes particularly
that Of harness some new twist in this
line being continually thought cut by
those Of an inventive turn or suggested
by practical experience II is not geneT-
ally known that tbs famous writer and
jurist Judge Albion ". Tourgee. found
time TO add invention TO his many &C
accomplishments and the prior art draw
ings and literature OF the class OF harness
show him as a successful patentee OF very
useful devices for he Improvement Of
harness years ago Mr. Thompson is not
only q clever man IN his line Of employ
ment but is also widely acquainted aud
thoroughly well liked member OF the
Patent Office force
!. c. Rohrbeek. veteran of the civil
war, veteran of the regular army, is like
wise veteran in the Government service,
and is almost double. in appearance, OF
that great veteran, the departed General
L 5. Grant. under whom he served and
knew we'll IL every division headquar-
tiers OF the army il the country the
handwriting OF a c R Is familiar. the
endorsing Of the action of the General
Commanding on the folds of papers hav-
ing been part OF his work as a clerk at
Army Headquarters for many years The
clerical methods in vogue at army sta
lions have not always been as up-tO-date
as at present and Mr. RohTbeck has filed
up a good many Letters Received books
with his compact penmanShip ere shorter
methods prevailed IN other days every
letter received at Headquarters was writ
in later years the t1ok typewriter and
other short cuts are escorted 10 for keep
ing the records. Mr.. ROhrbeck is one
Of the army-s old clerical standbys and
a faithful, competent official, with a
grown I'D family of sons. who are filling
positions Of honor and trust.
Away up in the attic OF the Treasury
Building. quite unfrequented by visitors,
is part Of the Treasury business Of
which very little is known by the general
public This is the assay branch OF the
Mint Bureau, OF which Dr. CabeI White
head is the head. The two rooms occu-
pied by this Office present a bewiIdering
array of machinery. bottles. retorts,
water filters. and the usual paraphernaIia
of a chemical laboratory, which it is.
Dr.. Whitehead and his assistant. Colonel
Brown, are coin chemiStS-that is, they
weigh each new coin produced by the
minis Of the country on scales CT the
minutest accuracy, then melt them with
a view to ultimately reporting whether OF
not they are up to weight and OF the
proper fneness OF gold or silver. as the
case may be- The process is a most
elaborate as well as very important
one The experience OF Dr.. whitehead
is that our coins rarely differ more than
q very few grains in weights, Invariably
an infnitesimal variation. Yet each one
must be tested and the question decided
not each coin, of course, but one of each
new issue. 1t follows that DR.. Whitehead
must be very skilled in the highly seien-
tiic branch of the public service with
which he is charged. The work of the
Government has necessitated his presence
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