St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1903-06-17
WASHINGTON LETTER
tsnecial Correspcndence.l

absolute dependence on ms suDoral-
notes of government official who
mist sign thousands of official papers
every day without stopping to examine
,nto their merits and in proof of this
nroposition tells this story:
mrhe other day." he says, II was
signing papers at rapid rate. Like
.ho man who steadily feeds the grain
,n+o the nav of thrashing machine,
INV messenger stood at his post Of duty
and shufied forward the mass of pa
nprs one by one, blotting them on the
rotnrn trip. Suddenly halted. l had
oonpht a glimpse of some words that
hold nv attention, and l adjusted my
classes for a closer inspection. The
messenger glanced at the clock and
mentally noted that the schedule al
lowed no stops at way stations.
whats this, anyway unconsciously
manfred The messenger did not I'M
derstand. He couldn't conceive why I
should stop to examine papers that
had been certified up to me in the usu-
al way. Besides, they were part and
marcel of a line Of documents that, like
the Door, are always with u.s. Don
Won understan', Mr.. Secretary? said
the messenger. 4 was wondering what
This document meant l replied.
mThe messenger hesitated, but only
for a moment. Out shot the index fin
ger of his right hand, and it struck a
Hank space in the paper, with the ad-
Joining thumb poised like an arm AKIN
no, Il dom know what der natur' and
der circumspecshuns Of der paper am
answered my dusky 'undersecretary'
IN a voice that brooked no interruption,
but yo puts yo' name right dar, suh.'
81 signed and paused no more"
would Sell All Claims For an Office.
Pension Commissioner Ware says he
originally had heart as soft as a
seminary girls, but that he is really
getting calloused to aspirants for Of
fee. 1.-THE average bump of ambition
TO fill a niche in the government serv-
ice, with a salary in inverse ratio to
the size Of the niche, is of large
sized Variety" says the commissioner.
1T is an old story that in the popular
mind the country editor is the only
man in the community who doesn't
know how to run the paper, and the
same sentiment prevails as to the pub
lie office. be it however small or large"
It seems Colonel Ware caught what he
calls "a feeting gem Of thought" in
the form Of an application the other
day. 1t was from a veteran, and the
chirography was as bad as the Or
biography. This is what the veteran
wrote:
"Now, | want you or the comesenir
of pensens to Civ me plais in your
offits then l wont ask for no moar
pensen jus now i can clurk o. k,
but cant laber, or cud boss the 9TH
er clurks maik them stan roun and
raze dewlie entitel pensens keape
them from loafeinge, whesperin in
offes ours also in fact akt as jeneter OF
supervisor seeinge all thing gone rite"
The Real Facts.
The story that the north grounds OF
the White House are to be closed to
the public has again appeared. On the
authority of Colonel Symons, the new
superintendent of public buildings and
grounds there is no foundation fol
this. Colonel Symons declares there is
no intention to shut out the public
from this portion of the White House
grounds The north entrance to the
mansion has been closed to the public
ever since the completion of the ter
races and the commodious eastern en-
trance. This regulation will continue
as the north entrance must be used by
the presidents family and will there
fore be kept private. The public, how
ever, can pass through the grounds
and new stairway will be built by
which they can descend to the eastern
terrace and the public entrance to the
mansion without going outside th'
grounds as is now necessary.
Home For Bureau of Republics.
All the governments represented II
the bureau Of American republics hav'
agreed to the plan Of erecting perma
nent home for that bureau in this city
This proposition has been under con
sideration for the past ten years, bu
definite action was not taken until re
Gently. At the last meeting OF the rep
resentatives of the American republics
over which Secretary Hay presided, /
was determined to approve the repor
of the committee which had been ap
pointed to consider the matter. I'M
report proposes that each of the gov
ernments represented in the bureau
shall contribute toward the erection 0
the home, and several designs wer
submitted. The report was adopte
without dissenting vote.
Will War on Smuggling.
Assistant Secretary Armstrong, VIII
has charge of the customs service, ha
served notice upon collectors, especia
ly those along the Canadian bounc
airy, that a perfunctory warfar
4 against smuggling will not be sun
4 Gent. Smuggling across the Canada
and Mexican borders has grown
such proportions that the departmer
n will insist upon extraordinary meas
ures to break it up. One source
N great ANNOYANCE ia the stores built III