Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1912-07-05
FROM LAD0RER
| TO sTEMOGRApAER
REMARKABLY RAPID RISE OF AN
AFRo-AMERIcAN WHO HAD AM
eITIoN AND BRAINS.

Washington.-A rev years ago Wool'
sey w. Hall, an Afro-American was q
laborer working for $54S a year IN the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
but now, he Is a stenographer IN the
division Of printing and stationery. at
an annual salary of s1,4O0.
The story Of the rise OF this young
man is interesting. Hall was born IN
Washington and educated in the pub
lie schools of the city. When he had
completed his course In the high
school, instead of accepting place
as teacher, he decided to enter the
government service, begin at the bot
tom and work his way to the top. He
went into the bureau OF engraving
and printing as laborer at $54s per
year. He toiled hard during the day.
but studied stenography at night and
soon become proficient.
In the winter of 1905, Hon. J. Mil
ton Turner, of Missouri, was before
congress fighting for the interests of
the freedom of the Choctaw and Chick
asaw Indian tribes, and the bull OF the
testimony and evidence necessary to
be presented to the committee of con-
gress being too voluminous Of his reg
ular stenographer he employed Hall
after department hours. Mr.. Turn
er's sponsor in congress was Hon.
Richard Bartholdt, of St. Louis, the
then chairman of the house commit
tee on public buildings and grounds,
and the clerk of this committee at
that time, Mr.. Edward E. Miller, men
toned to Mr.. Turner that he was over
run with work and would like to Sc
cure the services of a stenographer
until the rush was over Mr.. Turner
inquired if the stenographer's color
or race was a consideration. Mr..
Miller replied that the only qualifica-
ton required by Congressman Bar
tholdt, Rodenburg and himself was
proficiency. Turner then took Hall
to the capital and introduced him to
Miller, who in turn presented Hall to
Congressman Rodenberg and Bar
tholdt, and from that hour fortune has
seemed to smile on his pathway, for
Congressman Rodenberg interested
himself in Hall, worked with him over
confidential legislative and personal
correspondence, thus giving young
Hall the best and most practical steno-
graphic education it is possible to re-
ceive, and as climax to this work, in
1908, when Mr. Miller found the work
of handling the omnibus public build
ings bill Of the Goth congress to re-
quire more stenographic help and
asked that some arrangement be
made to detail Hall to the committee,
Congressman Rodenberg prevailed up
on Chairman Bartholdt to request the
house to appropriate for an assistant
clerk to the committee and when the
place was created, had Hall appointed.
When Hon. Franklin MacVeagh be-
came secretary of the treasury in
1909, Hall had reached the grade of
messenger in the Office of an assist
ant secretary of the treasury at ST.
900 per annum. Mr.. Rodenberg told
flied by experience and competitive
examination for clerical place
should not be retarded in life and kept
a messenger, even at $1,000 a year,
and without solicitation on Halls part,
Congressman Rodenberg of Illinois,
whose interest in the race is we'll
known, called upon Secretary Mac
Veagh and after short consultation
received a promise that Hall would
be given an opportunity. He was at
Cnce transferred to one of the divis-
ions of the secretary's Office, as a
clerk, at 500 (the regular entrance
salary, and shortly thereafter he was
promoted to $1,000, skipping the ST.
900 grade. He has again been pro-
NOTED by Secretary MacVeagh, to ST.
400 per annum.
Secretary Of the Treasury MacVeagh
is known as the Square Deal Secre-
tary" and he we'll deserves the title,
because the employees in his depart
ment get a square deal. When the
secretary discovers" young colored
man who has made good he does not
hesitate in giving him promotion.
There are 1,400 Afro-Americans in
the treasury department and their
annual salaries aggregate more than
s1,0O0,O00.
WOULD NOT SAVE HIS HEROINE.