The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-02-14
THE DEPARTMENT WORKERS
Interesting Gossip Cleaned Among Employees
of Government Bureaus.
SAW ADVANTAGES OF CARD SYSTEM YEARS AGO
Something of the Labor of Mr. Horace j. Gambr Keeper
of Records Middle Division, Pension Ofice-Rem-
iniscenses in Lie of Colonel John Rouser.

Mr.. Horace J. GambriH keeper of I
records in the MIDDLE division Of the Pen +
sion Office, was appointed from North /.
Carolina neatly twenty-five years ago. F.
He was one Of the first to see the adj f.
vantages of the card system If keeping
records as opposed 10 books AID IL is .
largely owing to the beautiful and accu-
rate maner in which the records Of the
middle division are kept that the system
is being adopted throughout the Bureau.
Mr. GambIil is a civil war veteran.
but looks as though he could render the
Government valuable service fer many
years 10 come
Col John r Rouzar. the Deputy Regis
ter OF Wills. has been prominent figure
in Maryland for many years lie was
born at MechanicaUgwu. Frederick county.
in 1859. At twenty-f0Ur years of age he
gave his allegiance 10 the UniCn. enlist
ing in the Sixth Maryland as q prIyat-. in
August. 1853. He was Immediately elected
and commissioned first lieutenant. and
was continuously in active service in the
Valley Of Virginia until the spring OF
1864 when he Was promoted 10 captain
His regiment then went into the Wilder
ness campaign. and participated in all the
important battles. particularly the Will
derness, Fredericksburg. Spottsyiyania.
Cold HarbOr, and Locust Grove Captain
Rouzer was twice brevetted as major and
as lieutenant colonel in this campaign for
gallantry in action He was severely
wounded at the battle OF the Wilderness.
He was captured at the battle Of Win
chester in the fall of 1864. and was a pris-
oner OF war In Libby. He was mustered
out with this regiment in June, 1850
After the war Colonel Rouzcr entered
TaIaf tod tn
the Legislature on the Union ticket in
1867. He was postmaster Of his home
town from 1863 to 1873 He was then
elected register OF wills of Frederick
county which Office he held for six years.
He was also appointed school trustee for
his home district in 1873, and has held
that Office TO the present time. nOwlth-
standing the changes in the political com
pIexion OF the school board, being also
during most OF the time town commits
sioner and president and director Of local
CORPORATIONS Colonel R0uzer was re
elected to the Legislature in 1890, 1892,
and 1894 He has been a well-known
character at county. state. and Congres-
sional conventions for years. presiding
over some OF the more important ones
He was appointed Deputy Register OF
Wills in July 1909.
Colonel Rouzer is known in his com
uuunity as a man OF sterling integrity. ge-
NAL character. and is noted for MS many
acts OF charity He is universally re-
spected and loved by those who have best
known him. He has made many friends
in his present office. Colonel ROuZer IS
prominent in Grand Army circles his
name. however. is not TO be found on
Uncle Sans pension rolls, as ne never
made an application for pension
Speaking Of the National Museum, Sec
rotary s. p Langley said. "Of the sew
eral bureaus Of the Smithsonian Tnstitu-
ton. the National Museum is OF most
general interest and the administration o.
its business demands the most care The
primary object Of the Museum is the ac-
QUESTION preservation. and classification
of the collections Of the institution and
the Government which relate to nearly
every branch Of human knowledge. The
placing Of these. when arranged by their
curators. on public exhibition in such
manner as best 20 afford to visitors an
opportunity 10 acquire accurate general
Information concerning them serves not
only as a means OF instruction but also
as a source OF entertainment 70 the pub
lie The foundation Of the Museum col
lections was the number Of chronological
and biological objects brought to ne
United States more than half a century
ago by the Wilkes exploring expedition.
and the collection made by explorers for
the Smithsonian Institution. to whose
care these materials and every other OBJ
1ect Of natural history were later trans
ferTed. The preservation and ciassihca-
tiOn Of these objects was the work Of
those who for a number OF years mad
charge OF the Government collections IN
the United States Pafe1t Office. and when
these were transferred to the custody OF
the Smithsonian Institution and we're
placed on exhibition and as other large
collections were added to the Museum,
there came gradually into existence a
store OF valuable objects. which we're,
however, uLconsecutiye and not only
often duplicated. but frequently unrelaU-
ed owing to the mode Of their acquisition.
At the close OF the Centennial Exhibition
OF 1876 al PHILADELPHIA. a great number
OF collections, chiefly Of industrial inter
est, became the property OF the Smith
sonian Museum. For the accommodate
Of these objects a Oue-story building was
begun IN 1879 and completed in 1881 con
talning an area OF about $4,000 square
feet. and built in the cheapest manner.
This structure was so entirely inadequate
to the object for which a building Of five
. OF six stories over the same area would
have barely sufticed. shat within two
years from its completion It Was found
10 be too limited for the display OF the
exhibits then actually on hand. While.
as has been observed. by far the greater
portion Of the treasures Of the Museum
have been acquired by Government eZ-
plOratiOns OF by gifts from the people Of
the United States and 70 -eign countries
and while the people may take just pride
IN what they feel is their own, collections
gathered in this Way are not only par
italy duplicated or Implicated. but are al
the same time fraREentary and lacking
in nat completeness that comes by sys-
temstic work ia bringing similar classes
OF objects together under one well-cOn-
sidered system
Mr. f. =. Seabey. a native OF Maine, is
the member % the watch who asks all
persons visiting the State, War and Navy
Department Building after o'clock in
the afternoon what their business is. and
informs all Eho have no important mis-
sion to perform that the building Is closed
TO callers. He was appointed &c the de-
partment seven years ago. since which
time he has become acquainted with an
fnuumerable number Of persOnages, most
Of whom are prominent men from vari-
Gus parts Of the United States. He is
a veteran Of the war Of the rebellion
having enlisted in the Sixteenth Maine
Infantry Regiment iu 1853, and carried
the muskef in the defence of .4Ofd CIory-'