The Washington times., 1906-12-21
Summons the Pittsburg
Delegation to His Office
at 7: 30 O'clock This
Morning.
THEY FOUND HIN THERE
WAITING AT THE DESK
Talk Over Proposed Post
office Sites, and Now They
Wonder Where
They're At.

Secretary Shaw appeared today In
new comedy entitled How the secre-
tary Of the Treasury Handed 1t to
Putsburg"
1t was an unqualified success. sur
passing in humor his celebrated ruling
that bullfrog legs are poultry. and ex-
ceiling in originality his penalizing a
man ia the New York customs service
for ogling a girl on street car.
The scene was the Secretary's public
office in tho Treasury building. The
hour was 7-S0 a m. that time in Wash
ingtOn when the Government clerk
struggles from bed and prepares leis-
Ureiy for beginning work at 9 a. IN.
that time when the street lamps have
just been eNunguIshed and the rays OF
the sun have not disslpated the mlsts
thai hang heavily over the streets and
avenues.
Shaw the Real Star.
In the drama Secretary Shaw was the
star, while the minor parts were taken
b. thirty millionaIres. real estate men
and attorneys from the Smoky City OF
Pittsburg, representing all the prominent
trade bodies Of that town
These thirty men appeared yesterday
with twenty others before the secretary
o. the Treasury 10 speak regarding the
merits and demeTits Cf the twenty-five
possible sites for the new city pOstofice
for PI.tsburg. After The hearing yester-
day. which lasted six hours. Secretary
Shaw informed the P1ttsburgers that
they could appear before him this morn
mg at 7;S0 o'clock
What FORE gasped the surprised
speakers. We've said all we want 10
say
Il know" replied the Secretary. but
/ want 10 do some talking q"
Consequently. this morning al go
O. o'clock, that time when the darkness is
inky and absolute, twenty Of the Pitts
burgers, stout of heart, scrambled out
Of bed with the help Of various call
! boys. Some of them got breakfast and
few got shaved. The twenty maI ehed
| into the Secretary's office
Secretary Waiting for Them.
There they found MIR. Shaw, ensconced
/ behind the big desk as II Re had spent
! the night there. The electric lights
were turned on. and the head OF the
/ Secretary. with its closely cropped hair.
was silhouetted sharply against the win
dow behind him, through which the half
! awake Pittsburgers could sec dimly the
| misJs above the river just tinged 10 a
| faint gray by tho breaking Of the dawn
Apparently, the Secretary considered
/ 7.30 o'clock in the morning an ideal
/ dine for a hearing. He was at his
/ best. He began talking before the
/ Pittshurgers had sat down
! You see. gentlemen he said de-
| cisively. I've got some other work tC
I do today Now will you kindly hasten
/ to say what you have 10 say about these
various sites? After you are through
/ I'll have my innings"
/ Acting on this somewhat doubtful spul
/ to their oratory. members of the dele
/ cation began speaking The Secretary
/ drummed on the desk with his pencil
/ smiled now and then with great amuse
/ ment. and let the speeches proceed unit
J some body flew of on a tangent abOu
/ something somebody else had said. IN
/ stantly Mr.. Shaw shot out his long arm
That's all right about that" he said
sharply. Il don't care what somebody
| Continued on Second Page.)