The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-01-01
Everyday Stories of the Workings
and Workers of the Departments

The half holiday given 20 the Govern
ment employees yesterday vas taken as
an opportunity by many 20 visit their
friends Today being New Year Day and
a national holiday, all the departments
are closed and the working forces have
given II over 70 the cultivation Of the
ameni les Of social life.
Edward NJ Douglas. geographer. con
nected with the United States Geological
Survey. must be able TO draw and define
almost any portion OF the earth's surface.
construct maps Of newly surveyed coun-
tries, designate the course Of rivers. show
by drawings the different veins i'm land
containing minerals. make charts OF
bodies Of water. and do all the Incidental
work which is necessarily attached to
these duties Mr. Douglas is also a very
hne penman and his work requires that he
give TO IT. the benefit Of his best efforts.
The Bureau Of Education employs
among its numerous clerks Miss Anna
Tolman, who is probably as popular
among her cO-workers as any employe Of
Uncle Sam Miss TOlman IS a trans
lator- During the cOuT Sc OF a year hun
dreds OF letters, documents. reports. and
messages Of various kinds are received
here from foreign countries. written ia
the language Of the particular countries
from which they come. These various pa
peTs must. Of course. be translated into
English, and great care must be taken
that they be translated correctly. as a
great deal may depend upon the exact
sense or meaning Of one word. II also
comes under the duties Of this Office 10
translate is own reports into foreign
tongues. Miss Smith is not required TO
know every language; the bureau has sew
eTal translatOrs. and each has a certain
province TO cover Miss Smith was born
IN Massachusetts,, but was appointed
from the District Of Columbia
Richard C. Gill. a native Of the Old Do
minion State, is a machinist employed at
the Patent ONCE. He has occupied his
position for a number or years. and has
hlied it with credit He Is one OF the men
who must be able to understand the most
intricate parts Of almost any machine or
mechanical device that may be presented
there to be patented. The revolution in
machinery has made so many changes in
mechanism that Mr.. ellis time is fairly
well taken up all the day in keeping
track OF the numerous alterations and i'm
proVements IN machinery. Mr. Gill is
also an expert on electricity and electric
y
hard study, his aim being to perfect
himself I'm all the branches Of his pro
fession- He has quite a library. given I'D
mostly 20 books that touch on his work
Miss Emily S. Cook. the chief stenoera-
pher in the Once OF Indian Affairs, Is no
doubt the finest expert in her line in the
Government service in Washington. She
is native Of the Nutmeg state. but was
appOinte rom the Sixth Congressional
district Of Wisconsin Miss Cook declares
that she Inds more solid pleasure and
recreation In reading than she could find
in any other kind OF enjoyment The
position which she fills al her Office can
only BE- held by a competent person. Miss
Cook refused TO state just how rapidly she
could write, maintaining that occasion
has a great influence on the number Of
words one could write in a minute
william H Shir-CIin has Just returned
to his desk in the Auditors Once Tor the
War Department after a trip south. where
he spent about ten days Oh Government
business
Captain A. F. Mcmillan. the Assistant
Of the Treasury Depart
ment, is q veteran OF the civil war He
e
public school trimming and afterWard an
academic education He then entered the
iron business in Portsmouth. Ohio. but
at the outbreak Of the eiyiI war he gave
up his lucrative business and enlisted as
a private on the first call for troops IN
the First Ohio Infantry and served with
this regiment until the expiration OF his
three months term when he returned
home and assisted in organizing a three
year regiment, receiving a commission
first as lieutenant and afterWard as cap
tain In 1866 he accepted a position as
clerk IN the Office or the First Auditor
and gradually rose TO be deputy first
auditor, serving in that capacity until the
incoming Of President Cleveland. when
his resignation was accepted Upon the
advent Of McKinley's Administration he
was appointed chief Of a division in the
Office OF the Auditor for the Treasury
Department ami was shortly afterward
promoted &C the position vhic1 be now
holds