Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-22
Achievement Spurs Mellon
Is

time he saw Abraham Lincoln. The
latter was President and was going TO
washington. A vast crowd gathered at
Pittsburgh to welcome him and IN the
forefront was a boy named Andrew
Mellon. The train came into the sta
ton slowly, the crowd surging behind it.
mr., Lincoln was seated on a camp
stool, which altogether disguised his
size" said the Secretary, land there
were two men standing on either side
Of him. wiacn the train stopped I was
very near the rear platform, and as Mr..
Lincoln stood up I remember how as
tonished was. He seemed to unspiral
himself and rise to q great height. I
recall the GESTURE he made in waving to
the crowd. He also made q short
speech and my memory Of his voice Is
that it was gentle and well modulated."
Mr.. Melons first visit to Washington
was as a boy Of l6. He trudged all over
the Capital seeing the sights.
You didn't take cabs in those days,
he told me with q smile. land my feet
were swollen and blistered because I'd
walked 80 much"
Tells Of Washington Monument
A reminiscent look came over the
Secretary's face as he nodded in the di-
rection of the Washington Monument,
which can be seen from his ONCE.
when came down here as a boy" con-
tinued the Secretary. but there was
scaffolding up to where you can see the
marble ends. I climbed to the top of
the scaffolding that day, too"
Mr.. Mellon didn't visit the White
House on his first trip here and, curl
ously enough, the first time he entered
it was q cabinet officer. But his
youthful 1est for walking remains with
IT, kpAa .. L. eIaf HrtTss ~
reation. Once q day at least, and some
times twice, he walks between his home
-he lives In an apartment-and his Of
flee. It's q distance OF little more
than q mile.
"And since coming to washington, -
he said, IT have computed that in my
daily walks have walked distance
| equivalent Of from washington to San
Francisco and half way back again
| Also / have learned that it doesn't
make very much difference in time
whether walk -leisurely or rapidly. If
walk leisurely. It takes me about 81
minutes; rapidly, between 10 and 20
minutes"
Dislikes Being Explained.
I mentioned this little incident to a
man who knows Mr.. Mellon quite well
! and he said It indicated how thorough
1
even walking. Mr.. Mellon knows
this man added, everything there is tc
be known about a subject when he goes
| into 1t. But hire am, explaining" the
| Secretary. even though it's q second
band explanation, and made q solemn
resolution not to do this. The resolu-
ton came about in this way. Mr.. Mel
lon was talking about some Of the
/ things that happen to man in public
Il life ana With 4 fVyiY1lrlo IN HE ax5ae he
said:
at feel something ike Lord Balfour
the British statesman, who declared
that he didn't object particularly tc
/ criticism, because much of 1t was USE
| full; nor did he resent commentator
/ providing it wasn't put on too thickly
and then he added, but spare me from
those who are forever trying to explain
me-"
The Secretary told me he liked his
work-enioys it. in fact. He is very
| prompt in reaching the ONCE at GOO
| in the morning and he seldom leaves
/ until between 900 and TOO at night
When he accepted the cabinet post he
| didn't think he would like It. In fact
he began methodically, soon after COM
| ing to Washington, to cross of the
norths on a calendar, figuring that
! when 40 were KID on his task would be
! stopped.
Maintains Merit System.
He took q firm hold on the Treasury
/ Department, maintained the merit sys-
| tenn in the face Of considerable political
pressure, and he has guided the
finances of this country all through the
diff1cult postwar period. He has made
substantial reductions In the public
| debt, lessened taxation and, up to this
| year, kept the expenditures Of the Gov
| eminent within its income. These &C
complishments have not been without
strife, however, and Congress has been
bitter in some of the disputes it has
! CONTINUED on Seventh Page.)