The Washington times., 1903-09-06
ONE OF THE BUSY DISTRICT OFFICIALS
A Sketch of DR.. TindaIl, Secretary to the
Board of CommissiOneTs---DeVoted TO
the Duties of the Office He Has Filled
for Many Years. :. :; :. :: :. :.

Il
Tindall feels that a load has been lifted
from his shoulders when the annual re-
port is finished.
A department of the secretary's Office
in charge of a special clerk is the filing
and indexing of all the Congressional
documents which come to the Office. The
bills, as they are introduced in each
house. in their amended forms, and a
they finally pass, are all kept, as are
the laws after they are printed. This
index is huge affair, and, in the nature
of things. is rapidly growing from year
to year. 1t is, however, frequently con-
suited and by means of il any bill or
law of Congress enacted or introduced
in either house relating to the District
can be found.
Secretary at His Desk.
DR.. TindaH is about sixty years old,
though he looks younger He is about
medium height, with sandy hair and
clear complexion. Being a vegetarian in
diet he looks the picture of health. He
is OF nervous temperament, and steps
briskly about, talking rapidly in a mill
voice. Possibly Or. Tindall knows more
people in the District of Columbia than
any other man. He comes in contact
with hundreds of citizens daily, and his
long residence and official connection
with the city have given him opportunity
to know everybody. To walk along the
street with him Is not wearysome, for
he stops every block to shake hands
with some one OF his many friends
DR.. Tindall has a good memory for
facts as well as faces, and when he is
asked for information on any subject
connected with Washington past or
present he is able to give it. generally
without reference TO any book or rec
ords. Such reference, if made, is to
make sure of what he thinks is the fact,
and he is usually right. His memory of
men and events in the time of the civil
war, and the troubled period subsequent
TO it is remarkable. II is TO be hoped
that the leisure may come 10 him some
day to write his "reminiscences of the
Capital City, book which would be of
immense interest and value TO those now
living and those to come after
First at Gar6eld's Side.
DR.. TindaH was the first man to go to
the aid of General Garfield when he was
shot at the Sixth Street Station. july ..
1881. Happening TO go to the station on
an errand he was in the waiting room as
the Presidents carriage drove up and
he and Secretary Blaine alighted He
stood with others near the doorway be-
| tween the two large rooms and was not
ton frC
spread CONSERVATION through the build
ing. DR.. Tindall knelt beside the pros
trate form OF the President, and ques-
toned him as to whether he suffered
pain. He stood over the physician who
probed the wound, and has always main
tanned that the forcing Of the probe into
the wound that morning rather than the
bullet itself led 10 the blood poisoning
that destroyed the Presidents life De-
lay in that act until the distinguished
man was in a better position for the
operation, DR.. TindaIl thinks would have
saved his life.
The Secretary TO the Board takes great
pride in its work. He has sworn in near
ly every man who has been Commits
sioner under the present form of gov
ernment. He has in his possession the
old copy of the Scriptures used for that
purpose since the founding of the com
mission. When Commissioner Macfar-
land was to be sworn in two years ago,
DR.. Tindali felt a little nervousness
about the shabby condition OF the old
book, and bought a new one. He, how
ever, keeps the old one tenderly tucked
away in one of the drawers OF his desk,
and brings II out now and then with a
loving, reminiscent look upon his face.
as though he had Unexpectedly met an
old friend.
Dr. Tindall is a firm believer in the
wisdom of the present form OF govern
ment Of the District. He we'll remem-
bers the exciting times when suffrage
prevailed. and does not want TO 90 back
10 it. He believes a government car
ried along on the conservative lines
which has characterized the administra-
tion of the Commissioners is best for
the Capital City. He breads confusion,
public scandal and the chickering's which
inevitably attend governments where
politics are rife.
Relations With the Press.
The Secretary to the Board is in con-
fdential relations with the representa-
tiyes OF the press who work at the Dis
trict Building. AS papers are passing
through his office they are, most of
them, subject 10 examination by the re-
porters. II any are not ready to be
made public. they are put in sealed en-
velOpes or are stamped, Not for Publi-
cation" This is the sign TO the re-
porters that the papers in question
are not to be used. The reporters prac-
tically have the run of the office. and
quite often know many things they do
not publish. They are generally men
OF experience. who are trusted by their
papers. and by the Commissioners as
well. The assignment is somewhat con-
fidential in nature, and the reporters
almost never go beyond the limit of
wise discretion in selecting their sub
jects for publication. One or two tor
nadoes," which arise in the secretary's
Office when he does 80, rs apt TO make
the reporter wary of repeating the of