The sun., 1907-11-17
SERVED UNCLE SAN % YEARS
WILLIAM ". SMITH LEADS IN
LENGTH or SERVICE.
Ns suDsriROendeat - the BStanic Garden
Ho Has kDOwn sAnny Eminent Men
--EAAyos . GvcAt FI0wer LeNer-'sher.
man. Too. KNEW ARls 1gaAny Carnegie.

--laAyeu a lSVent Viewer LeVer--aher.
man. Too. knew Ells nSaany Carnegie.
WASHINGTON. Nov. IA hale and hearty
eighty-year-Old gcotchInan by birth ard
American by choice claims the honor Of
having served this Government as a Fed
sral employee longer than any other man
On the civil service list in Washington.
Ffty-fivc years has William r. Smith
"OrkedfOr Unole Sam. Whatsoever more re-
narlSable. he has spent those tifty-ive years
Ia single position. ~ II to-day. as he
was more than half a century ago. suporin-
tsndent Of tho Botanic Garden under the
shadow Of the Capitol.
One Of the perqIIisites Of the place is a
little brick house covered with English ivy.
There the superintendent lives. in the middle
OF the Congressional flower garden. that
being the pretty name by which he calls
his botanic domain.
And here famous men have sat and talked
Of the rare plants in the great glass houses
hard by and Of the rarer books with which
the walls Of the rooms are close lined. There
being little space elsewhere, the door frames
and the window cssiDgs are hung with
autograph pictures.
Here Tor instance. 10 Andrew Carnegie's;
and here. in these tiny rooms. Andrew HIM
self has had many a crack vie his auld
friend. Ay. and told things which were
big with meaning. too.
do you mind when the big strike was on
ut Homestead? You don't need to be
eighty years old to remember thati Well
twas just aboot that time that Carnegie
sat right here in this wee parior and talked
and talkedi Az, IL all he said then could
Of the lRb0ring men Of this country things
might have been different.
And there were other times.
Il remember once. bmrs the ScotchInan.
Il put my hand down on tho table here
and ! said. Here's the hand o.
He paused and reflected. smiling.
-I'n not be insistin." he remarked. that
I didn't say paw. ~ sometimes do.
Here's the paw Of q labOring man, I said.
and he's not ashamed CT itr
Quick az a fash Carnegie put his own
hand down beside mine. And here's
another said he.
did you know how Carnegie began hie
financial career? was telling the story
in his presence one time and made out
that his uncle started him on his road to
wealth by giving him two pennies for re-
mo. mol says he. The schoolmsster
gave me penny frs and my uncle gave
me two more. And twas the first money
j ever earned
al remember another time that Carnegie
was here. He and Amos Cummings were
talking about the labor question and Car
negie stated that if ever one of his wOrkmen
came to him and showed that another
man was getting more pay for the same
work that man wasn't having to SAX twice
TO have bis pay raissd too.
Cummings was a bright man. continued
Mr.. Smith. Il recall one time when he
went witt me TO Florida ON plant hunting
expedition.
I'VE had a negro guide who had done
some plant gathering on his own account
in supplying patent medicine maksrsi and
he had some rather original botanical
ideas Once he called our attention TO a
pitcher plant with a white spot on top.
Boss says he. do you know what dst's
foh?'
mo said 7. What is it's puFpose?'
We'll. boss. dat dar spot is fur de moon
10 shine through an make It light 90 de
bugs kin see to git de likker.'
-'Great SOOtr says Cummings az quick
as q Hash it's an all night saloon.'"
As Mr.. Smith looked up at the picture OF
Cummings ss IL to laugh again with him
over their experience his eye rested on
another photograph and he pointed an
aim ost reverentiaI finger at II.
"One time" said he. mot long before
the war. Mrs. Jeff Davis was here in this
room, sitting in that chair and she looked
mp at that picture. hanging where you see
it to-day. And she said slowly and i'm
prvssively:
MY husband says that that man h the
most dangerous man in the North"
Mr. Smith smiled reminiscentIy.
HE was never dangerous 90 me or 20
these gardens" he said. II call those big
glass houses the best monument that has
been erected to William Pitt Fessenden Of
Maine.
@He took more interest in the place than
anybody did. When we went almost
tinnidly TO ask for little money to carry
out part OF the plan he said: How much
will It cost 70 build the whole thing2'
told him. Go on and build it, said he.
After the improvements were started
another Senator came along one day and
broke out into a TRADE about our ex-
travagnnce. But when I quietly informed
him that We we're merely following the
plans approved by Mr.. Fessenden ne
hadn't a word more to say.
Another time. when the impeachment
proceedings against President johnson
were convulsing the whole political world.
I happened to be in the greenhouss and
I overheard, quite unintentlonally. a bit
Of conversation between Mr.. Fessenden and
| one OF his colleagues.
"I tell you. SIR said Mr. Fsseencen.
It's dirty business, A dirty businessi
Il think I had been rather against the
President up TO that moment. But IL Will
lam p. Fessenden called the attempt 10
impeach a dirty business that settled Il
in my mind.
] friend OF mine who took an interest in the
garden here. at least In redeeming Il from
| the disgrace Of being traversed BY Tiber
Creek. That was an open watercourse
which came all the way from Soldiern'
| HnnA and racelYad nretLY nearly the antir.