El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-02-19
chief Sullivan, to the headship of the
adjustment.
The Treasurer's Work

chief Sullivan, to the headship of the
establishment.
The Treasurer'S Work.
The bureau last year turned out $685.
100000 worth of new paper money. All
cash Of this description, as fast as it is
manufactured, is delivered to the
treasurer, Lee McClung. who has Off
ciaI charge of the government funds,
and attends TO their receipt and dis
bursement. His is one of the most re-
sponsibIe and laboriops jobs in the SER
vice of Uncle Sam. and if, out of all the
billions in cash that pass through his
hands, any sum, small or great, is miss
ing, he must make it good out of his
own pocket
So much has been published in the
newspapers lately about McClung that
it is unnecessary to give any biograph-
zeal account of this young man from
Knoxville, Tenn, not yet 40 years Of
age, who earned such celebrity as a
football player at Yale. The work he
has to do in the treasury, apart from
the general direction of a gigantic
money-handling organiza ton, consists
largely in signing checks and war
rants. 1t is too large q task for one
man, and so he is obliged to divide it
with. an assistant-GideOn c. Bantz.
One of the advantages of being
treasurer of the United States is that
ones name appears on the lower right
hand corner Of every piece of paper
money issued by the government.
Negro for Register.
On the lower left hand corner is
printed the fac smile signature of the
register of the treasury-an officer
whose name is William T. Vernon, and
-bo &c full IaI
to have come to be accepted as a mat
ter of course that this important place
should always be held by a negro
the original precedent having been set
by the appointment OF the famous
Bruce, of Mississippi Bruce, when he
VS. a senator of the. United States, was
on very friendly terms with Benjamin
Harrison, who, after he became presi-
dent, wanted to find a job for Bruce,
and thought the place of register a
suitable one.
Vernon is about 40 years of age-a
heavily built man, weighing perhaps
250 pounds. He was born ar Lebanon,
Mo-, in a log cabin which had only one
room. His parents had been slaves be-
fore the war. He earned his first dol
lar by pitching hay, and worked his
way through Lincoln university, which
is the state school for negroes at JEFF
ferson City.
Being graduated as valedictorian of
his class, he took charge of Western
university, at Quindaro, Kan, which at
that time comprised one small building
and half dozen students He was the
only teacher. Thanks to his efforts in
building up the institution it now has
400 students and a faculty of 90 Yer
non is still president of it,
Ea
Now, as to Gideon c. Bantz. his Off
cial title is assistant treasurer He il
one of those government employees who
hold their jobs permanently, and who
could hardly be replacedA Other an
pointees go, but there must always be
a few people who understand the bust
ness of the establishment from top to
bottom, and who can be ABSOLUTELY 4
trusted If the high officers, including
the secretary, his chief assistants. and
the treasurer, passed out, and their
places We're not filled, these men could
run the treasury right along, and no.
body would know the difference.
1t is the business of Bantz in a word
to help the treasurer to take care of
the peoples money, and TO receive pay
ments and make them. He was born
IN Dayton, Ohio-the town which the
Wright Brothers have made famous.