Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-05
A Veteran Ernp1oye Of
the Navy Department

assuming chaotic state and Admiral
Dahlgren, then chief of the bureau, sp-
pealed to the Secretary for permission to
secure the services of an additional clerk
temporarily until the condition of affairs
could be presented to Congress 1t the
succeeding session.
The request was granted. and as an ev-
idence of the high appreciation of his
work, Mr.. Gisburne. I'm preference to the
three others who remained in the city.
was asked to return and resume his du-
ties, and accepted. so that before his leave
of absence had expired he was again in
harness. So October Is next he will have
comp ete6 forty-eight years continuous
employment in the bureau. He has seen
the appropriations and expend lures for
ordnance diminish from $4,000 r.
year during the civil to but $3.50"
and in 1869 had the unique exnerier
prepar ng a report for submission TO {
gress in lieu of the usual annu
mates. stating that a sufficient
remained available, and conse uen.
appropriation would be needed o;
service of the ensuing yea. III
course was long before the but t-up pan.
and armored dreadnaughts of the prescas
day toward equipping ana arnine WI
with result ng increased expenses annual
appropriat onS OF from S20.0fi,I0l to s a.
OOo.@oo have became necessary for ord
nance purposes alone.
In 1857 he devised and inaugurated q
system of special printed blanks for
vouchers covering payments in connection
with the larger financial transactions OF
the bureau, which have resulted in very
material saving in clerical work. and
urquestionaby tended to increased &C
curacy and efficiency. They have sue
cessfully stood the test OF meeting all
the anticipated requirements and con
ditions without change or question. great
ly facilitating accoun. ability as well as
auditing, and are stil in USE expendi-
lures under this system TO date having
been considerably over S1Ue,G000O.
Previously TO being assigned to the
financial work OF the bureau he had
charge of the gun records and these he
watched over with the attention and zeal
good father bestows on his children
Every time the disposition of a gun was
changed-and there We're several thou
sand of them. varying In SIZE from the
little l2-pdr. Eowitzer to the turret mon
sters of fifteen-inch caliber-repairs made.
or shot fired, he carefully recorded
the fact, and had Literally at his beck
and can the history. Of every gun in the
navy from the beginning. There were
also three OF twenty-inch caliber. though
never in service. his special pets. These
Were officially named Satan" 'Lucifer"
and ''Moloch," which aroused a caustic
and heated protest from a prominent
Presbyterian divine of Ptttsburg, Pa.
who charged the bureau with impiety and
blasphemy in assigning such names. to
VIII CHI a reply was sent. maintaining that
the destructive use to which these hideous
black demons were intended fully justi-
fled the selection.
While maintaining his high rating az
an Official in the government serv ce Mr..
GiSburne has found time and opportuni-
ties for active participation in other pur-
suits, having passed with honor through
all the chairs Of the Nat al Union and
the Royal Arcanum, being the first in
this city, while regent of Oriental Council
in 1854. to exempi v the ritaal which
had just been adopt It'd and is still in use
by the order at la Sc He also q
member of the Grand Army of the Re-
public.