Evening star., 1922-01-17

Charles William Coombs. assistant
department messenger, and oldest
Capitol employe. having served con-
tsnuously for forty-six years. died yes
terday at his residence at Congress
Hall Hotel, following a short illness
He was eighty-four years old.
yCol. Coombs. as he was familiarly
known. was regarded by all in the
House of Representatives. where he
had been employed since 1875. as an
authority on Information regarding
congressional documents and publica-
tions. InE the words of William Tyler
Iage clerk of the House, who has
served cotemporaneously with Col.
Coombs for forty years, he was a
walking index, always ready and Will
ing to give out Information to any
one. His regular salutation after
meeting some one was can 40 any
thing for your Col. COOmbs made
practice during the early years Of his
career here to find out things and TO
remember them He did this well and
throughout his long career made
many intimate friends
Held "valuable Empl0ye."
"He was an old landmark, and
those acquainted with him know that
we lost a worthy friend and Con-
gress a valuable employe. ! intend,
as at one time told him in case l
should survive. to have placed upon
his tomb the epitaph. Can ! do any
thing for you?
Col. Coombs came to this city and
went to work at the Capitol when
Representative Samuel J. Randall
was speaker of the House. He was
Of the old school and full of kind
ness and courtesy. From the time
he came here he wore a Henry Clay
collar. a wide black tie knotted in
a bow and an immaculate white stin
shirt His position was created for
him by a resolution Of the House and
he never feared any political changes
after that.
that Il used to go back to Missouri
at election time to vote, but since
the resolution was adopted by re-
publicans and democrats alike,
used to be good democrat, SO good
in fact that in 1856 I voted for
Buchanan for President before
was quite twenty-one years old. It
mine said. Come on, let's go and
vote for Buchanan and Breckin-
ridge 4 am afraid I can't. said !,
I'm not twenty-one for a few weeks
yet oh. what do you care, he said;
Come on. Buchanan needs the votes. :
So we went and no questions were
asked"
stirring Period Recalled.
The stirring times of the Hayes
Tilden electoral commission came
soon after Col. Coombs arrived In
Washington. and he stated that II
was one of the most exciting periods
of his entire experience at the Capitol
Il was younger then and things i'm
pressed me more" he said In this in
terview. Maybe they have as in
tense times in these days of the war,
but they don't stir me as those times
did. There were great men on that
commission and in Congress these
days
The title of assistant department
messenger in no way indicated Col.
Coombs' real duties. He could tell
members offhand where to find any
one of the tens of thousands of docu-
ments that had been printed and he
could quickly find out whether CIV
en- topic ever had been made the sub
ject Of a document. 1t was the fifty
fourth Congress that passed the reso-
luton making his position perma-
nent.
Col. coombs was prominent in Ma
sonry. With his son, Charles Cyrus
Coombs, also of thi; city: present Dis
trfot grand master Of Masons. he
ber Of the New Jerusalem Lodge. No.
8, F. A. A. NJ; Columbia Chapter. No.
/, r. A. NJ; Almas Temple. Mystic
Shrine, and Columbia COmmandery,
No. 2. Knights Templar. He attend
ed for more than forty years the
Mount Vernon NJ. Z. Church South.
Born in Ohio In 1887.
Col. Coombs was born October %.
1897. at Mount Vernon. Ohio. After
receiving his education he moved to
Missouri, where. during the civil war,
he was employed in the railroad
service. Later he became general
clerk of the house of representatives
of the Missouri state legislature. 1t
was in this capacity that he came
heir to the proud Missouri title OF
COLONEL" ana his friends have since
called him by that title. He came
to Washington in December. 1875.
and at once entered the employ of
the government. which he most studi-
ously served up to the time of his
death. He married Miss Mary Cath
crime Belford Of Pennsylvania, who
died here in 1888.
Surviving him are his son, Charles
Cyrus and grandson, William Leslie
Coombs, both Of this city. Funeral
services will be held tomorrow after
noon at o'clock at the Mount YER
non Place Methodist Episcopal
Church South. Rev. ]. Howard Wells
will off1ciate. Interment will be In
Glenwood cemetery.
Pallbearers will be William Tyler
Page, Wilbur H. Estey, Burt w. Ken
nedy, Martin Mckee, John Herndon
aud II C. Nale.