El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-10-24

| been days on which SeNeraI nunuI Gu
I letters of every character imaginable
| have been received. The size of the
| executive mail varies from day to day.
! and from season to season. Fhere are,
! of course, great number of routine
| letters from the departments which
| maintain a fairly steady flow; then
! there are the letters brought on by ex-
! traordinary events. After the sign
/ ing of the tariff bill, for example,
( thousands of letters were received re-
| lating to that alone; besides, there
| were nearly 500 kilograms Some were
| congratulatory, others critical, the
| list including requests for Information
/ or jobs, predictions of hard times ana
| observations of varied characters
One Clerk Receives All Mail.
All of the presidents mail passes
| through the hands of one clerk who
/ opens and sorts it. A small number
of the letters go directly to the presi-
| dents desk. Those relating to impor-
tant appointments and of a political
| character generally go to the desk of
| private secretary Tumulty- Executive
| the executive departments of gov
/ eminent and mang others of
, Importance Chief clerk Thomas
| Brahany gets the requests for inter-
| views with tie president and those
| which relate to him in personal or
/ social way. Brahany gets the freak
| letters, too. Each letter, however IN
I important. is briefed in a few words
| president.
Mr.. Brahany, perhaps. has the most
! interesting batch of all, for his letters
I constantly reveal the odd quirks which
human imagination takes. as well as
all sorts of human interest stories,
from the naming of a little Eskimo
baby Woodrow" to appeals by mothers
for the release Of imprisoned sons
Letters Often Indicate Ignorance.
The presidents mail uncovers at
times impressive evidences of ignor-
, ance as to what the presidents JOB
really is Not long ago there
national bank large batch
Of old paper money which he
desired the president to take in ex-
change for new bills. The clerk mar
yelled that a man could have attained
the cashiership of national bank
without learning that it was the func-
ton of the treasury department and
not the white house to redeem such
money.
It is estimated that zoo young Ameri-
cans have been christened Woodrow
Wilson within the last year. InfOrma-
ton as to the christening of practi-
cally every one of these has been con-
veyed to the president in a letter. Mr..
Brahany has written a nice little note
TO the parents in each case, expressing
the presidents pleasure at the honor
which has been conferred on him
Some Of the youngsters were born on
election day, some on the day of the
inauguration, some on the presidents
birthday. some on the day the tariff
bill was signed. but many of them had
no excuse at all for being named for
the president.
Young "WOOdrOvvs- Everywhere.
The letters which their parents have
received VIII be treasured up for them,
however and passed down to their
chidren's children with as much sat
ls1acuon as if they were evidence of
an an intimacy with the president of the
United States Young WOodrows have
seen the light of day in practically
every quarter Of the globe.
Accounts of such christenings have
come from Africa, Europe China and
Alaska An Eskimo mother wrote not
long ago that although doubtless many
babies had been named Woodrow. her
son could lay claim to the distinction
OF being further north than any other
member of the clan
Report Family Increases.
along with these accounts of chris
tenlng come letters from people who
want prizes for large families or who
announce the birth of triplets These
doubtless are echoes from president
RooseveIt's administration. Mr.. Roose-
VeIts frequent declarations against
race suicide started these letters and
they nave been pouring in ever since
DE, Desplte the publicity which was
given to the presidents declaration
last March that he would see no candi-
oates VINO came urging their appoint /
ment 10 federal Jobs there are StiIT a /
great number of job seekers writing !
LOT LOT interviews with the president for |
dates
Office seekers generally are proli- !
nc letter writers. They write for l
Endorsements from the president or FOR 1
lntroductions to the departmental Of /
llclais from whom appointments are /
sought, little knowing that thew might /
3 3ior as Wen nave sent these applica-
Inc ne Istters are not acknowledged at
the white house but are sent on to the
departments for attention
ne requests for Fayors Numerous.
me requests which come TO the
president for little favors are So Nun
erous that he must usually decline
organizations in various parts of the /
country write for little messages of
saget4Ihgs Tor anniversary celebrations;
country newspapers want brief arti- |
cIes 10 print on their front Dages [
arrangements of fairs want the Dresi- |
I Ient 70 press buttons to set their cele-
&c 81 q IONS 70 gong, photographers ask
LOT the privilege of phOtographfng him |
at MS desk. and many other re6uests !
are made which cannot he connIiad |
win without the sacrifice of nnucb ~ I
~ PRESIDENTS time. When the presi-
uent announced that he WOuId 90 IN !
MOBILE, Oct. IS, to address the oDenine,
meeting of the Southern Congress- Con.
Vehtlon there he had so many requests
~ ~ stOp OH al various places alonR
me route that had he granted them an
INC Journey to and from Mobile would
nave consumed a longer time than If
ne mad undertaken it on horseback
D1uShter's Engagement Drew 1.OOO
Inc announcement of Miss Jessie
" IIsoh engagement to Francis. Bowes
%. oay re drew more than 1000 letters to
me Whlte house. People told OF Iitt1e
5!IlS they planned to send. gave "a
wee as TO whether the white house
/" edoing should be simple or ceremon-
~ ,Gu Us ana In various ways concerned
ntS1I ls with the engagement
, Larry IN his administration nrasi-
ueht wilson laid down the rule thar
ne would accept no gifts of value from
pe0pIe ne did not know. This has re- ]
suIIeo IN the return of many OFFERINGS
oy Whlte house officials
some Have n "Strfng.s
some OF the presidents gifts coma
mi'h string tied to them That is
~ say from people who hope to pave
me me way Tor the granting OF a favor.
/ ILeSe are invariably returned to their 4
,eluers- one such gift was sent by |
oIIher government engraver of Mil
" aukee who desired to regain his |
'VsIlIon; He had engraved an elabor-
re pattern on an egg shell az evil
,s s., OF ms skill. and sent this to the |
u gSIueht with the suggestion that Mr..
stating him A0-AA Z