The evening times., 1902-07-21
Interesting Gossip Cleaned Among Employees
of the Government Bureaus.
OLD DAYS OF AGRICULTURAL BUREAU"
An EmPoye When the Farmers Office Was Organized
Tells of Its Early History - The James Creek
Canal and It's Contributions to the Morgue.

AIttII ksDllLaU 1DllCe EDEGt- on 4GtN AZ
the I apartment Of Agriculture. has q
fine re cord as an officer extending over
period of thirty-eight years. This term
Of continuous service is rarely ezcelled
and I as been eQualed by only q few
Comm encing his watch in the early days
this f zthful officer has seen the depart
ment grow from humble to magnificent
proper tions and has witnessed the com
ing and going of thousands Of men
Mr. Cook was appointed a watchmau
IN FetVuary, 1884. anJ has been an Of
feer since. The bureau was then form
ing and was still part Of the Depart
ment III the Interior Isaac Newton, the
first Commissioner, q Lincoln appointee-
was epdeavoring to bring order out Of
chaos Mr. Cook IS one Of the few peo-
pie holding positions first given by Lin
coin. He vas the second waJchman a9-
pointe for the agricultural branch Of
the c overnment and for the first few
years he had a lonesome time Of it. He
was ppniuted under NARROW. president
OF the, police board, and editor Of .
paper in this city
Mr. Cook was an early volunteer in
the war and served almost four years
in th First Maryland. Cavalry Regi-
ment- he was in several fights but
was OF wounded He was captured at
the b. tttIe OF Cedar Mountain and was
in Libby prison TO seven months.
aIr. Cook saws that when he com
mence / watching about the Agricultural
grounds he had dismal time The
present beautiful grounds were not
known then and there was only a piece
Of but Chered woods. a tract Of swamp
land, tme or two houses and no order
or system 10 speak Of. The part Of the
ground now occupied bv the Iaain build
ing an the seed houses was feEeed IN
by a poden fence and the whole place
was IN q state Of disorder He would
often remain on duty ali night and sec
no hui IAN face, his daily comfort being
the great dog which was owned by the
deparu nent, and which was constantly
on hand for any sort OF sport or trouble
The SET sond Commissioner. General Cap
ron. lived IN the main building occupy
ing par { OF the second and third floors.
Often here would be fearful cries from
somewb ere around md the general
would call out 40 the watchman 10 find
out the trouble There were frequent
cries Of murder" and when the head
OF the ureau asked the watchman where
those sounds came from the reply would
be Rips Island" which was then the
headqua Eters Of sin in the district This
settlems mt was about where the fish
propa ga5cion grounds are now situated.
The old canal then ran between the Ag-
ricultur6 grounds and the city and it
was not at all rarely that dead body
was lou I'd in its Shiny waters Wash
ington y as not the well ordered city Of
today
Mr. Cook. from his position as one Of
the eide employees and his understand
ing Of the building and grounds. is often
called n for information as to the
location Of pipes and wires. He is well
versed ia the history Of the department
and take, pride in its great growth and
developu ent. There is only one man on
the force who has been there longer.
There k5 one particularly unique state
ment on file at the Pension Office An
GDp4-LE-AGA III pEAAo-SA- Be-oG4 Sa+
the stat ement that the applicant is
blind It 9m the kick OF mule. which
resulted in smallpox. The application
caused. reat merriment when received,
but it urned out 10 be substantially
true. The Government clerk knew the
attentions Of q mules war department
we're Hai lie &c cause disability and sud
den deaf h. bat that smallpox could re-
suit aas deemed impossible and the
pension was not issued. Il developed
from q further shown that the appli-
cant way a teamster Ia the army and
that eae Of the mules kicked him very
severely. causing him 70 be laid up for
repairs . me hospital 4 case OF small
pox developed in the part OF the hosYi-
tai in y hich the teamster was located
and he Il ook the disease. Smallpox put
his eyes out, and therefore his claim
was made-good. He got the pension.
Cant. Bohn Gfluand, OF the Interior
neUartrzs. alc watch Office, IS veteran q
The UnIo.a army and is one OF The most
interesting men in the department He
is an IN teIIigent and alert waJchmaa
and is DO ular with all employees He
has been near the front door on T Street
for the past few years. He was an Of
hcer in The Fifty-frst Pennsylvania
Regiment. better known as Hartranft's
command. one Of the fighting forces
The regiI rent was in many hoc fights
Captain C uIiIand. in command Of q com
paay. bore distinguished part in the
battle OF tatletam. His father was The
state Age.r Of Pennsy iTania and was
engaged during the war in looking after
The welfare Of the Pennsylvania troops
in reach OF Washington.
Mr. Alon y ". skunk, Of Pennsylvania.
is uue OF the War Department clerks
promoted " recent order. Mr.. Skunk
entered the, department as . minor clerk
a few years; ago and was promoted until
nc has attiE ned good place. Fie is a
valued AID paiHstaking clerk.
Various e opIe working for the Gov
eTument ha - been named as the great
est joiners. there being some in the