Evening star., 1934-02-25


bers of the Association of Old
est Inhabitants, but rather one
i for those who, like myself, have
adopted, or been adopted by our
National Capital in comparatively re-
cent years. Yet even old-timerS who
are lin the know may find an inter-
est in checking my dates and state
ments of facts.
When I came to Washington as a
member of the Civil Service Commis-
sion, 1 was. of course, not a Stranger
in strange land. I had of.en ad-
mired the beauty of the fine old
building which now houses the Civil
Service Commission. 1t was pleasant
to think of having an office in a
structure Of such dignity and so rich
in history and tradition, as we'll as
so attractive in line and proportion.
Curious. as women are reputed to
be. it was not long before I began
poking about in odd corners and in
records and memories. Tragedy was
found as well as beauty, gruesomeness
as we'll as harmony. Ghosts Of the
past stalk through the vaultcd cor
ridorS by night fr~ n tier h"ults in
the buildings dark and rlu~..y cata-
combs
China Originated System.
Not the least interesting discovery
was that appropriately enough, the
merit system had its beginning in the
very building. which is now the home
of the Civil Service Commission-that
is, the merit system in the United
States, for the competitive examina
ton principle in appointments to civil
offices had its world birth in China,
along with movable types, and if we
are to believe Charles Lamb, with roast
pig No less an authority than the En-
cyclopedia Britannica says: THE old
est known system of examinations in
hi<ory is that used in China for the
selection of officers for the public
service"
The following is quoted from an
article written in 1919, by William I.
Wyman, an examiner in the Patent
Office:
AN interesting historical fact is
the institution by Commissioner of
Patents (Sam s. Fisher in 1869 of
the competitive examination system
for entrance into the examining corps
(of the Patent Office. thus antici-
pating by many years the general in
PRODUCTION of the merit system for
Government appointments. This is
believed to be the first appearance of
this feature in the history of our civil
service.
1.-THE requirements Of the position
Of examiner were such as to make it
dangerous to the rights of inventors
OF the technical and legal admins
tration Of the work unframed men
selected by haphazard appointment
through favoritism- Thus, force of
circumstances compelled the estab-
Gshment and retention in the Patent
Office of the merit system long in ad-
vance of its Endorsement by public
sentiment and its general adoption
through legislation"
Authorized in 1886.
This structure is conceded to be
one of the finest examples of classical
architecture in America. Its south
portico, on F street, is copied from
the Parthenon at Athens, even to
making the columns of blocks in
stead Of in monolithic form What
pity it would be to disfgure it by
cutting off the approach to widen the
street!
In 1886 Congress authorized the
erection of the building for the use of
the Patent Office. That part which |
faces on F street was completed in !
1910. the east side in 1852, the west |
side in 1856 and the north, or G !
street, side in 1867 The whole cost /
was about $4,000 900. 1t is 4O3 feet |!
long, east and west, and 274 feet deep, |
north and south.
When the Interior Department was !
established, in 1849. the Patent Office |
was attached to it, and certain other |
Offices of the department we're housed |
in the building until they were !
crowded out by the growth of the
Patent Office
Inside as well as outside the lines
are charming. Probably most Wash /
1ngtonianS do not know that the
building is hollow square and sur
rounds a beautiful park with lawn.
trees, shrubbery, fountains and |
benches. This court is 264 feet long
and LOG feet wide. My Office windows
open upon it. We have little oppor-
tuhity to do more than look upon its
quiet solitude, but even that eases us
through the strain of hot Summer
days. The thick masonry walls miti-
gate the August heat Unhappilv.
they don't build that way now.
Suffered By Fire in 1886.
On September "a, 1877, fire on the
third floor of the Ninth and G streets
part destroyed thousands of models
and countless valuable records. En-
glnes were brought from Alexandria
and Baltimore to augment the fire de-
partment of the District of Columbia.
Those from Alexandria arrived quickly.
Tor that time, by means of their own
norses, but those from Baltimore were
loaded upon freight cars and came
over by rail. /
The Patent Office had suffered be-
Tore by fire, when, in 1886, it was par
italy burned out In the building it
occupied on E street near Seventh,
formerly the site of Blodgett's Hotel
DR.. William Thornton was "superin-
tendent OF patents" at that time. He
Is credited with this caustic comment.
record Of which still hangs in the
Patent Office: "A perpetual motion is,
therefore, only considered as a per-
petual notion, and ought never to be
attempted until the sun rise in the
West"
DR.. Thornton was q versatile man.
He was doctor of medicine, and be-
came definitely identified with the