The San Francisco call., 1913-07-27
AT WASHINGTON
BY IRA e. BENNETT

4 Oioihe OF Arkansas, president VI u
tempore of the senate, hurried into the
| chamber one day last week just in the
nick of time to take the gavel and call
that body to order.
| Shortly before noon Senator Clarke
went to the barber shop. He was
comfortably fixed and listening pa
| tiently to the gossip of his favorite
artist" when he suddenly remem-
| oered that Vice President Marshall
| had Informed him he would not be
| present and that he must call the SEN
ate to order
AS this thought came TO him the
clock began to strike the noon hour.
only one side of his face had re-
ceived attention, but, notifying the
barber of his predicament. the lather
| was hastily rubbed off and Senator
Clarke scurried upstairs to the cham
Der After the opening prayer and
| the machinery of the senate had been
| started, Mr.. Clarke called one of his
| colleagues to the chair and returned
to the barber shop and finished his
shave.
Every afternoon at 80 o'clock, when
| the employees in the state, war and
navy building swarm from the big
| doors, a great clatter arises among the
| trees in the White House grounds. 1t
| comes from the blackbirds and the
| squirrels, who are waiting for "Old
Man Charlie" Lloyd. Soon from out
of the mass of men and women en-
ployes steps an old white haired man.
1t is 'Old Man Charlie" Lloyd, and as
| the birds and the squirrels recognize
| him the clatter and the chirping in
| creases. Squirrels scamper down the
1 trunks of trees and squat on their
| launches in the road before him, and
| blackbirds swirl about his head with
great clatter and tapping of wings.
! Half way down the road leading from
| the west terrace to the avenue the old
man turns and reaches in his pockets.
Birds and squirrels form a circle about
him and for a moment there is quiet.
Then the old mans hands come forth
laden with peanuts, and as he scatters
| the nuts about the din redoubles In
volume. Handful after handful comes
| forth, and as fast the nuts are scat
i tered they are gobbled up.
| The old man has been doing this for
years. He is an employe In the war
| department and every afternoon at the
| same time the birds and squirrels are
waiting for him. There was a time
| when he had to attract their attention,
and this he did. by waving a handker-
chief as he crossed over the street from
the department building into the White
House grounds. Now, however, his
little friends recognize him the moment
| he appears and, according TO one of the
| White House policemen. they can pick
| him out from the largest crowd.
| One afternoon seven years ago when
Mr.. Lloyd was walking through the
grounds he saw on the path ahead of
him a blackbird hopping about pain
| fully with a broken leg He took the
bird home with him and wrapped the
| injured leg In splints. When the bird
was well again he took him back to the
White House grounds and set him free.
During the period of convalescence
he had taught his little friend to eat
peanuts. After that whenever the old
man came through the grounds, the bird
would come to him for peanuts. Soon
| the other birds cultivated the taste and
Mr.. Lloyd believes he has started new
diet in blackbird society.
4
during the presidential campaign In the
| Wilson headquarters at Seagirt, n. j.,
and Trenton have landed" as many
good jobs in Washington, thereby DEM
onstrating the political maxim that,
| however small the job may be, it pays
to be working for the winning candi-
date. These young men. all fresh from
school and college at the time they un-
dertook to help out Joe" Tumulty in
reading and answering the candidates
mail, are Warren Johnson of Trenton
Charles Swemm of Newark, N. j., and
Thomas Fl. Claffy and Charles Fury of
| Trenton.
| Not one of the young men is "a years
of age, yet measured by the rule of
customary political reward the jobs
they have landed are some nifty"
| Johnson is now private secretary to
| the secretary to the president, which,
being interpreted, means that he
handles Secretary Tumulty's mail and
many of his callers, while Secretary
Tumulty handles much of the mail and
many of the callers of the president
| Moreover, young Johnson has an airy
room with rugs to himself, and large
rolltop mahogany desk.
! Swemm is the presidents private
stenographer, which also is some job
| for a youngster not yet. "a years old.
| He takes the bulk of the presidents
dictation, and can look provokingly
wise in the presence of newspaper men,
| Fury has a good berth in the Office of
| the district register of wills, and Claffy
| is slated for the job of private secre-
tary to Oliver p. Newman, president of
| the board of district commissioners.
I.TTTI F. MOVIES !