Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-19

female employment in public Office gained
no small sway. 1t takes time for any new
system to adjust itself and reach some
neighborhood of perfection.
So the women loved the old treasurer In
platonic sort of style. Nor did they hest
tate to show 1t. His Office room was daily
servatory. General Spinner loved flowers
and music and poetry, and, in fact, every
thing worthy of being loved-rare fruits
and dainty dishes were not strangers to his
MONDAY luncheon. The women never Tor
got and never will forget what. he did for
the entire sex. When be was ili-and once
he did linger under a serious illness that
many feared would be fatal-he had beside
his couch in the little room in the treasury,
which he used for sleeping apartments, al
ways a careful and tender nurse. The wo-
men ministered to him throughout his long
illness and convalescence and brought him
back to life again When he returned to
his work from Europe, whittier he went for
the benefit of his health, he met with
glorious welcome from his employees, men
and women alike His office was verita-
BILE bower and everybody in the entire de-
partment came to greet him. If 1T had
been in the days Of the Caesars garlands
of roses would have graced his chariot
wheels and fair maidens in their gladness
would have made a juggernaut of his car
and joyously sacrificed themselves beneath
1t.
General Spinners autograph had no little
to do with augmenting his fame At least
1t added to his notoriety. The treasurer,
it is said, had not always signed his name
in that peculiar fashion, but did so after
his appointment in order to prevent for
geries This 1t could not do, and did not
do. because it has been forged many and
many time. Almost every caller on him
at the Treasury Department, and he had
thousands, for he was very approachable
man, wanted his autograph, and they were
there for them already written upon ordi-
nary visiting cards. Treasurer Spinner had
a peculiar mode of signing his name. His
letter copy was written in the usual way,
with the lines horizontally before him, but
when 1t came to signing his name, the sheet
was turned half way around and the sig
nature applied perpendicularly, after the
fashion of a Chinaman writing out laundry
ticket numbers.
He loved that famous autograph crea-
ton. He had deep and baiding affection
Tor it. AS an illustration of the love Cen
eral Spinner felt for his autograph, he left
instructions in his last will and testament
that it should be carved upon his tomb.
Once a Candy Maker.
Though the old general had legitimate
right to his military title, 1t was not be-
cause of any service in the war. In the
days of the rebellion he never set d
squadron in the field He was a major
general of militia in the Mohawk valley,
but he did the state good service and served
the country also by the patriotic inspira
district when the broke out His career
until he came to Congress was only one
that might fall to the lot of thousands of
men. Although his father, who at one time
had been Catholic priest in Germany,
but who departed from that faith and mar
ried. saw fit to make him at first manu-
facturer of candy, and then a maker of
saddles. He also took pains to see that his
son was literally educated. In his youth
his early days of manhood, the former
treasurer of the United States a demo-
crat He was despite that fact a relentless
alter of slavery. 1t is regarded as wonder
full that he did not become member of the |
abolition party, for he was never weary of
singing peans in honor of the giants OF
that little political army. AS it was he
changed his democratic faith and became |
a republican, when that party first organ !
lied. and threw down its iron glove of chal- |
lenge to all other parties in the country. |
General Spinner was born financier. He |
was skilled in every point of honest finan- |
ciering. 1t wounded his heart when any one |
in whom he had placed confidence betrayed |
it, and if he had besetting sin it was in |
his unwillingness to ever forgive the Of !
Tense Of dishonesty. Twice during his ad- |
ministration of the treasury entertainments |
occurred The amounts of the thefts were |
comparatively trifiing but the fact that |
men he had trusted had gone wrong in the
way they did actually wounded his feelings
and his heart with its soreness yet became |
hard and unforgiving.
During two session of Congress Gen.
Spinner served his New York district in the
House of Representatives. He was a |
members of the famous and turbulent
Thirty sixth Congress In which so many
weeks were consumed before a speaker |
was elected Spinner in all of that contest
voted straight through for John Sherman
to whom he was "as true as the needle
to the pole" and after the thirty-ninth bal
lot, when the Ohioan retired from the long
contest, he changed his vote to Penning-
ton of New Jersey, who was elected on
the forty-fourth ballot. 1t was in this Con-
gress that Gen. Spinner was appointed
chairman of the committee on accounts
He also served on the committee to inyes-
tigate the assault of Preston Brooks upon
Charles Sumner.
A Statue Awaiting Location.
Standing In the basement of Corcoran
Art Gallery is the bronze statue of |
Francis Elias Spinner, former treasurer of |
the United States, and the man who first |
opened the doors of the government de-
partments to femal clerks.
This statue was secured through the wo- |
men of the treasury, who labored long and |
patiently to raise sum sufficient to have
it made, and with the belief and hope |
that it would be given a suitable place
near the treasury, but it now seems that |
the excellent representation of the man in |
life and thoroughly creditable work of |
art is not to receive the recognition which |
his grateful countrywomen so earnestly |
and honestly tried to secure for him The
originators of the Spinner Memorial As
ISOLATION have come to the conclusion
that the statue will never be given a con- |
spicuous place in the city of Washington. |
although they have by no means ceased !