davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1905-06-24

Officers were elected for the ensuing year
as follows: c. H. Chisam, Council Bluffs,
president; George Gregory, Marshalltown,
Ia. vice president; w. j. White, Platts-
mouth, Neb.; James A. Smith, Usage, Ia,
and George Wickham, Council Bluffs, d-
rectors for one, two and three years re-
spectively. A. F. Burke, Lincoln, Neb.,
and E. NJ. Neely, Grinnell, Ia. are the
directors who hold over The secretary
will be appointed by the board of di-
rectors.
A short afternoon session was taken up
with addresses and routine business. D.
Hunter of Hamburg, Ia, talked on THE
BENEFITS of the Associate NJ Resolutions
were passed favoring the establishment of
bureau of information by the national
association. An early adjournment was
taken, so members could take the after
noon trains, and it was decided not to
go to Manawa, where the association had
been invited for the evening by the local
association at Council Bluffs. The date
and place for the next meeting will be set
by the board of directors.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-06-24
WRIGHT MAKES A BIG HIT
Senior Member of Wholesale Hardware
Firm 1mpresses Tax EqualiSers.
ASSESSOR REEDS HEART is AFFECTED
Members of the Board stand Aghnst
as MIR. Wright Delivers His
Speech on Adjusting
Assessment.

Gentlemen of the board, I appreciate the
difficulty of your position. If | were doing
this work myself l probably should not do
it as satisfactorily as you are. appear
here with nothing to say except this: Mr..
Reed appears to have distributed his favors
with an impartial hand and should have
felt offended indeed If we had been oyer
looked. We do not desire to be conspicuous
in any way, and let me say that If any of
the others are cut down we desire to go
down with them. If all are kept up where
they, now are we also are willing and anx-
ious to be kept up
The speaker was Mr.. Wright of the
Wright Wilhclmy company. He was smil-
ing in a way to win the heart of even a tax
equalizer. Before he was half through his
little talk the members of the County
Board of Equalization were catching their
breath. Assessor Reed placed one hand on
his heart and with the other reached for a
large chair.
Don't, Mr.. Wright" he gasped. You
should not do such a thing without warn
ing 1t is unheard of and has unnerved me
Wait a moment until l get control of my
Omaha daily bee., 1905-06-24
Attracts General Attention.

Mr. Wright paused with an anxious look
at the assessor. Even Chairman Mcdonald
and the county commissioners had dSopped
whatever they held in their hands and were
staring with open-mouthed astonishmeut at
this genial and strange visitor They had
heard of Millionaire Thomas Fitzsimmons
of Cleveland who had become famous by
Omaha daily bee., 1905-06-24

going into court to have his taxes raised.
but no man in Omaha had ever thus wooed
them in tnes past. Then many hands were
reached out to Mr.. Wright and the board
members beamed with him as his smile
came back.
A moment before a representative of an
other company had backed away from the
table after giving them a piece of his
mind that had made them rather sore at
the work in hano. Now they went back
to it with lighter hearts and renewed
faith in commercial princes or one at least.
Mr.. Wrights unlocked for angel visit
was the only thing that broke the monot-
ony at the board meeting Friday morning.
Small matters were being disposed Of ex-
cept in the case of the J. l.. Brandeis &
Sons assessment. After hearing by Hugo
Brandeis the firms assessment was laid
aside to be settled when all the other large
concerns are taken UP, today probably,
which is the last day for hearings.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-06-24

At the afternoon session the Lee-Glass-
Andreesen assessment was cut from S2l5,-
600 to S20O,OOO Western Paper company
from 1000 to $32, 800; Standard Oil COM
pany raised from 10000 to $4,000 and com
plant against the raise dismissed; Western
Newspaper union raised to $4,000 from $21,
300, and complaint against raise dismissed.
The Kirkendall Shoe company was allowed
a reduction from $l25OOO to $4,000 because
of the reduction of stock and business
caused by the fire few months ago. Marks
Saddlery company was allowed TO stand at
$45 900, a raise from the return of $780, 200.
Up to date the members of the board fig
ure in a rough way that the total as
sessment will exceed that of 1904 by 5000
| 600 or over. While in the published news
| from day to day many reductions have
been noted, they are reductions from raises
| put on returns by County Assessor Reed
and in most instances the remaining fig.
ures are larger than on the previous rolls
| of the county.
The Washington times., 1905-05-14
Catches Department Fever.

The unusual period Of six weeks fol-
lowed without any action. [ was SO
karried with worry over the appoints
ment that l could hardly sleep. I had
caught the departmental fever ma
lignantly. No ore in the appointment
division could understand the delay,
and. finally, at Air Macpherson's sug-
gestion. 1 just ssH5 up waiting.
But the action. sglen it came, seemed
well worth waiting for. Mr.. O'Mara
tcId me OF it-"MT. Smith of Moo Yark
and yourself Of Indiana I was not SO
grateful. however. for what followed
Immediately. Dim sorry to lose YOU
O'Mara went on with a forced smile.
But, OF course, there is no 81, 200 va
.cancy in moi division. 1 guess you
would have had to go anyway
I was in the corridor In an instant
and hurrying to my old friend to ask
what O Mara meant.
why, surely you know you are trans
ferred to the Record Division
II did not even suspect it, I replied
What will a lawyer have to do there?"
The Washington times., 1905-05-14

In response to this, General Nogi ex-
pressed his high opinion of the rnatch-
less power of resistance displayed By
the Russians and their elaborate defeIi-
sive measures.
Here General StoesseI, in a serious
voice, addressed General Nogi thus: 4
hear that you have lost your two sons
during the engagements in this direc-
ton / sincerely synpathize with you
in your bereavement
In reply the Japanese commander said:
7 am glad that their death was one
worthy of the warrior Ny elder son
was killed al Nanshan. and the younger
at ao3-Metre Height. Born OF a military
family. they must have been content
with the glorious fate that befen them
on the battlefield"
General Stoessel rejoined thus: You
are really great man. You think moth
ing OF the loss of the greatest happiness
IN life. but are satisfied at the worthy
fate that has oyertaken your two sons.
We can hardly hope TO initiate you
Asked by General Nogi whether he
had children or not. General StoesseI
said: Il have a son who is an officer
of the Imperial Guards. He is now az
St. Petersburg, and will not take part
in the present campaign
The Washington times., 1905-05-14
Noqi and Stoesse1a at Surrenderof Port Arthur

tual cordial greetings the following con-
versation took place:
General Nogi: We have both MAIN
tanned hostilities for the sake of our re-
spective countries But the fighting has
now come to an end, and / am extreme
iy delighted to meet your exceliency.'
General Stoessel: II have defended
the fortress on behalf of my fatherland.
But now that the capitulation has been
effected. deem ii a great honor 10 be
thus afforded an opportunity of holding
an interview with your excellency.'
General Nogi: His majesty, the EN-
peror of japan. has been pleased to APP
precjate the invaluable services rendered
by your eXcellency to your fatherland. 1
am in receipt of an order from his ma
jesty that your eXcellency shall be ac-
cor>led all military honors.''
General Stoessei: II deem it the great
est honor to receive such consideration
from his majesty, the Emperor of your
country. ! desire your exceilency TO
tender by profound gratitude to his ma
jesty."
General Stoessel then introduced his
staff officers to General Nogi, and the
latter his to General Stoessel n free
mandeF highly praised the Japanese ar
tilleTy for their excellent gunnery dur
ing the bombardment of the Erhlung-
shan and SunSshushan forts toward the
close of the siege, and asked the name
of their commander.
The Washington times., 1905-05-14

they have pulled at me Ike harness on
q horse climbing a hill.
Here was a rarer variety. O'Mara' s
dislike for me came to light. SO gradually
that while at first I had reason to doubt
its existence, the disadvantage of it,
and the vicious injustice of 1t, bore on
me heavier and heavier every day. AT
the time. l traced II back to my ex-
plosion. when we learned of his APP
pointment as chief but now L know it
originated long before.
Mr.. Macpherson was never in any
doubt, however, On the second day Of
O'Mara's service he led me into the cor
ridor to tell me. as we walked slowly
up and down, that he did not see how
single day had been enough to disclose
&c him his future under the new regime
doing all the work; bearing all the re-
sponsipiiity; enduring countless huIniIt-
atoms, and, for all that, obtaining at
O'Mara's hands the lowest possible
rating for efficiency
With the assistant chiefs permission
[ told the substance of our talk to Mrs
Enrol. and she told the Dragonffy
and Mr.. Hutterly. There was a sense
OF relief and sympathy for him. there
fore, when we heard next day of his
transfer to the appointment division, a
sense that lasted half an hour before
ic was choked by the chief himself
do amy OF you think Mr.. Macphair-
The Washington times., 1905-05-14

son lift of his own accard2" he asked
apropos Of nothing.
Mrs. Enrol answered tersely, II do
will. you can troll ag'in. He didn't
lave. He was virtually foired. Oh didn't
want amy mon round that Oh m silf
couldn't tache."
Then the chief laughed with a great
roar of outlaws. The rest of US bent
over our desks and worked.
After that We all suffered excepting
the Dragenfiy. OMara teok d new
tone when lie spoke to Mrs. Enrol.
What he said, # written down, would
have seemed only businessitke and
formal. In the life, so 10 speak, 1t was
almost unbearably insolent. All use of
my brain was forbidden. If u question
of law arose ] was To refer the whole
case to clerks nearer the big chief. If
It was a question of practice, ! was to
refer it to O'Mara. And with those
limitations on my activity, everything
did was wrong. But the Dragonfly
did not mind. She sailed along as
serenely as though she had never heard
of her new superior He crossed her
only once. and then, in the middle of
his instructions. she arose and calmly
pct on her hat.
.eWhere are you goin'? 2" o'Mara asked
weakly.
The answer came between teeth
closed over hatpin. THAT, sir, is
rome of your business.
Nothing would be gained by recountins
the happenings of that wearisonle,
heavy, depressing month. There are
divisions all through the departments
which have undergone the same expe-
rienee within the past two years or are
doing so today. We alI worked hard
we all failed to satisfy. and we all
settled deep into mood OF desperation
that killed every good thought and
darkened every moment that might have
been bright.
The Washington times., 1905-05-14
Pride VS.. Judgment.

struggled with myself ali one
night. My Judgment told me TO go back
home. My pride urged me to stay. In
the morning, with my head aching and
my spirit worn out, I set off to the
station to meet Mr. Macpherson-I could
not decide alone.
He understood, as he was sure to do.
It was clear / could not stay where
was. He was not convinced. though.
that I had TO leave the department to
find relief. Why not get a transfer?
Or, better still, why not get a trans
fer and a promotion at the same time?
And with that question he told me Of
two vacant clerlships at 1920
All thought of obtaining such an adj
vance by merit had vanished before the
lessons Of the recent office changes So
set of, first, to see my Representa-
tive in Congress. This functfonary was
in no great favor at home and his
friendship for Seneca Armstrong did
rot recommend him TO me in Washing
ton; but I had learned that his fnCiorse-
n1ent was essential, whatever he was
His secretary met me and eorkscrewed
my business out me. The Congress
man gave me just two minutes He
could not make specific promises but
he would do everything in his power
Next I got a letter f1.e4n Mr. Macptler-
son which he said We aid do me more
harm than good. And then came the
tug. / had to ask o.8fara for his sup
port or give up all hope. It was neces-
sary, as he said oftel. 70 scamper
and tag the Iah tv'ry tlce "a whole :,
For reasons Of his own, O'Mara gave
me the Endorsement L wanted and was
positively gracious atoltt it. He talked
to me so eneouraginsly about my APP
plication that I altogether forgot his
assurances to Mr. Macpherson at the
very time when he was himself fighting
for the same office.
The Washington times., 1905-05-14

= T must remain forever a poignant
regret not only that few Johnsons
have had their Boswells, but also
that stenography was SO long in be
coming known and used, While histor-
ians, especially eyewitnesses, are some
times free to tell us how the sky look
de on the morning of a great event and
how the lines We're formed when the
battle began, they usually forget to tell
lis the striking and important things
that were said. OF few great battles
of history do we have this record We
do not know what Washington said to
CORVALLIS, and no fully accredited ac-
count is extant of the conversation be
tween Lee and Grant at Appomattox.
But with the advent of the ubiquitous
reporter and the omnipotent pothooks,
we shall hereafter have all the his
toric sayings put down exactly as they
were said To these weapons of civil
lization are we indebted for a record of
the conversation between Nogi and
Stoessel when they met after the capt.
tulation of Port Arthur. The Japanese
papers print this talk n full, and out
Of it the Tokyo correspondent of the
London Express has sent to his paper
an excellent account. which supplements
and cOrCects the reports contained in the
dispatches. Says he;
Gen ,aI Nogi first of all sent mes
SAGE to his fallen foe, arranging for the
interview at Substituting, and sending
fowl, case of champagne and some
wine.
The Washington times., 1905-05-14
sYNopsIs oE pREcEpING cHApTERs.

SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS
In the "hrst days of the civil service :
away back in the sighties-tne autnof Oh
The Life Story of a Department Clerk'
young Indiana lawyer, came 10 Nashlils toii
TO accept 9 clerkship in the ONCE OF tne
Assistant Attorney General having ths
dreaniest sort of a dream that he nad
planned his way into the office OF the Az
torney General
He describes his entry into the service
of the Government and the shocks TO ms
dignity, administered not only by the loraiy
watchr1an," but by future associates
He tells how he plunged irso the routine
work OF applying The little law In printed
pamphlets 10 letters of inquiry.
The reader is made acquainted with ms
rooInmates, the chief, "a man OF httS OF
ffty-five years. short, and half rat. over
hearty in manner. with puny eEeii1s, uil-
kempt. profane; hard drink@r, gample..
kind 10 everyone; lawyer ~ courtesy
only', and one who owes his position 10 4
campaign speech: the second in authority
Mr. Macpherson. q tall. extremely tacitafL'
thtn-Iipped, acknowledgements Individual.
"a lawyer by virtue of q general regal
knowledge as extended and accurate says
the writer. ''as any | have ever eh 4,esr.
tered" an freshman, o. Mara. about thirty
Years old ..suave fluent. even tempered
and fine advertising agent OF his owl
talents" VINO knew little law. spent much
time in --gassing the gerls. anu VINO ia,
fied the Dirrrayerats'' to put him ont
widow Mrs Enrol, who was appoihteo
through the influence OF her hnSoaho
friends aud an unmarried woman, the
ORA gonf4y'' who seemed to rely for her once
standing upon the intimate friendship VII"
q member of the National Senate
The Washington times., 1905-05-14

code IN volumes worn Ike old spelling
books.
Joe Willoughby would have been
time. 1 led my class. 1t was not neces-
sary to study the law as to real prop
erty, commercial papers. or evidence at
all. and, while practice and pleading
were new TO me, they were SO nearly
what | had expected that 1 had no diff
fieulty with them. either.
My fello7y-students made me out a
great lawyer. One of them happened
tte know U'Mara, and sang my praises
iii SO high u key 10 the freshman that
the next day our room was startled
with:
And did ye know we hod a fucher
4Attorn-ney Gineral in our midst2"
My head dropped. on the instant.
Some one had guessed my purpose in
coming TO Washington, and somehow,
here in the midst of departmental life,
felt ashamed of 1t. But O'Mara quiet
ed my fears by going on:
'Or. mebbe it is a Soprano Coort
joostice. 1 was told lost neight by one
of his assosheats thot he was the leader
OF the band in his lah-school.
Everybody laughed and looked round,
OF course. The chief called out, "Oh,
for intellect. he is the original Cornish
giant" Mrs. Enrol helped me out She
turned the joke on O Mara by singing
What Are the Wild Waves Saying?"
and making up an answer that the
waves named the Irish as the chief
critics OF other mems work.
The Washington times., 1905-05-14
nv IFFz yTOEI OfAeDEFAR5TklEzNeE GLzfSfl6

Mr.. Macpherson waited full minute
before he answered:
You're no lawyer any more, boy.
You're Government clerk. You VIII
do nothing in the record division but
transfer names to big book. 1t Is
work O'Afara could do well.
That was the expIal . ion OF the new
chiefs indersement-tha and the SUBJ
sequent transfer to my old position Of
q member of OMafa's athletic assoc
efation marveIed AT the time, but
do not marvel now, at the means such
men as O'Mara in the departments are
willing to employ. Having resoEted TO
political apostasy, vice, lying, and In
justice to others, he now put the same
tactics to use to bring him into public
notice. One of the newspapers printed
the chiefs picture. with a glowing ac-
count of his rapid rise" Another out
lined the same account and devoted
more space to his reorganization Of
the division, showing that the new fig
ures, O'Mara and Mr.. Hutterly, were
all the reliance of the division. and the
old ones, Mr. Macpherson, Mrs Enrol.
and myself. were the dead weod
All that remained for me to do was 70
find the record division as pleasant AZ
could. There was nothing for me to
do there. Any good copyist at SSp
could have done the work quits 81 well
Yet sat beside another drRgonfly,
whose salary was 81 400, and she beside
a middle-aged clerk. s. veteran OF the
civil war, whose salary was DnIy
5, 600
OF course, it was no use 20 NOPE The
right kind OF American youth never
does. I had made nay bed In Gaming TO
Washington; I had refused "a seaYa &c
when / sought this promotion. and nov
I had to lie upon it. II this was cold
comfort, 1t was the only comfort Ihad.
The Washington times., 1905-05-14
at Is Mr. opdara and No One se And Ohm Sorry if You're Dsappo

had laughed so happily that we all
asked what had happened, and were
told in reply that little Charley Fergu-
son. who lived next door, had passed
the crisis in his siege of typhoid fever.
had had a letter from home-from
Annie BelI-filled with the gossip the
office folk loved to hear. and we had
all enjoyed 1t together.
In the neidst of this the big chief S
private secretary-he who wanted to
succeed the chief-came in. He leaned
over the assistant chiefs head and
spoke to him significantly. Mr.. Mac
pherson nodded Then the secretary
said TO the rest of US, ratronizingly;
Il suppose you know the new chief
has been selected.
Who is it?'' asked everybody at
once.
Mr.. o'Mara." answered the news
bearer. Il thought you all knew"
For a moment no one spoke The
secretary looked at us In evident en-
joyment. 1t was 1 who first found
breath. and 1 shouted at the top of my
throat:
"Mr. O'Mara? Mr.. o'Mara? I don't
believe you. The idea of putting Mr.
O'Mara before Mr. Macpherson. I
don't believe you know anything about
IT -
'Yis 1t is Mr.. O'Mara.'' said the Irish
man. quietly. walking over To my desk
and looking at me steadily. 1T is Mr..
O.Mara and no one Use. And Ohm sorry
If you're disappointed"
The cause for this alteration OH the
part of the Secretary TRANSFERRED within
two days. The new chief and the old
had been friends FOR years. poker play
Ing, barroom loating, gambling friends.
For that reason the old chief had rec
commended O'Mara for promotion many
times. In one OF those recommended
| tons O'Mara was described as the
very best clerk in the division" O'Mara
and his friends lost no time in going to
work with this leverage. In one day
they had eleven Representatives and six
Senators In the office of the Secretary.
All these Congressman were Democrats
and the Secretary was a Democrat. who
hoped his party might continue In ad-
| ministrative control of the country.
They made their position plain-they
were all friends of the merit system
and they were cnly helping enforce that
system when they asked for the ad-
yancement of "the very best clerk In
the division"
Another member of O'Mara's athletic
association came into the office about
the time we learned all this. "OMara. -
he called. do you know you are ap-
pointed chief as a Democrat?"
WILL" asked the new chief. what
of it?'
why I've heard you say a thousa nd
times you came OF Republican stock.
"Ond so OF did. But we've heard of
the mon who said TIL Administration
couldn't change emmy oftener n he
could? VIII. Ohm the original of thot
sayin'."
The Washington times., 1905-05-14
WASHINGTON, D. c., April 26, 1905.

To the Editor Of The Washington
Dear Sir: Twenty
filed with
departmental
ice with rendering
Today
chance of doing anything with abilities hack,
am
of ory-four life decided failure
clearly
all
believe the today could
against entering the service where
nothing ambition
on The
yours.
a COG WHEEL
The Washington times., 1905-05-14
Ambition Undermined.

In the light of these three happenings
my plan to become attorney general in
ten years and my faith in the merit
system as 1t was then pTactlced were
both undermined. Indeed, my whole
view OF the service was changed. /
had fought for a post in it as a field
for the profitable and creditabie use of
my best abilities. l was finding it a
field where low associations, personal
spite, and ignorant partisa nship put
character and ability TO route.
Still there was always the thought
with which I treasured myself that first
week. These conditions were the her
itage of a merit system and not its
products. Rot even the President
could reorganize the departments-and
now / realized their size as ! never
could have realized 1t away from
Washington-in two years. 1t was my
misfortune to enter the service in the
transition. AS the evolution of the
merit system progressed my opportuni-
ties to advance would become greater.
The service as 1t was then was a mem
tai grave-but it could not remain so
long.