The Washington herald., 1912-04-16

Brig. Gen. W. H Bixby. Chief Of En-
gineers In the United States army. was
fired from his first job back in his boy
hood days.
He was employed by a wholesale chem
iOal house in Boston. His duties con-
sisted largely in going from one place
to another at the bidding of pretty much
anybody about the place. and It was not
an important job measured by either the
salary or prestige It carried. Still, II was
Job and Bixby needed Il and liked It.
One morning another boy was on hand
when Bixby came around to begin the
days work.
what are you doing here?' asked
Bixby.
Il came to take your place" replied
the boy.
BIxby said he guessed not, and the boy
told him how II was.
'1 don't want the old Job" he said,
but I'm a son of Mr.. Meyer. the man
that owns this plant, and he wants me
TO work here a while, and I'm to take
your place.
So there was nothing for Bixby TO do
but get his hat and trudge sadly away.
He told the Meyer boy he didn't hold
any grudge against him.
Glad 10 hear It," said the Meyer boy.
See you later"
1t was nearly forty years later when
the two next met.
Blxby had been living IN various parts
of the country, where his work called
him. and had just returned TO Wash
ington 10 live. A friend took him in to
introduce him to the Secretary OF the
Navy.
THE last time We met" remarked
Bixby to Secretary Meyer. was the
morning you came around and took my
Job"
A bit Of red tape holding sway IN the
District Of Columbia provides that the
man who collects ashes must not col
lect waste paper or grass and other ref
Iuse from ones yard. When Senator John
Sharp Williams bought a house here a
few months ago, he had the back yard
all cleaned up and filled the ash bin with
grass, tin cans. ashes. and what not.
Naturally. the confusion that resulted
was something awful. The ash man
couldn't carry away ashes all mixed
with grass, could he? And how was the
man hired to tote on grass and kindred
things. get the grass entirely dissoci-
ated from the ashes? II was delicate
situation. and none OF the District EN-
ployes felt like overlapping precedent
and running a risk Of being without a
job.
Old John Sharp listened first to one
ash man and then to the grass man. and
then he went down to headquarters.
leaving his usual calm unrufied manner
behind.
He made a few general remarks about
the Republican Administration under
which such red tape had grown up. and
then declared:
Tomorrow at O'clock I'll separate
the grass from the ashes with my own
hands. and IL there's still any objection
III sift the ashes through a sitter made
OF the finest silk-silk imported from
abroad under a high protective tariff.
Then will you come and haul the ashes
away"
Twenty minutes later a man-John
Sharp never learned whether It was the
ash man or the grass man-went out
with a wagon and hauled the stun away.
Representative Charles N. Pray, of
Montana, is keenly interested in the
talk that WI Ting Fang may be re-
turned here as Minister from our sister
republic of China The last Pray saw
OF WI was on a street car shortly be-
fore the Chinese diplomat left Wash
ington. Pray and another Congressman
and their wives were on their way down
town to the theater. The car was nearly