Ten Years in Washington or, Inside Life and Scenes in Our National Capital as a Woman Sees Them ... to Which Is Added a Full Account of the Life and Death of President James A. Garfield

CHAPTER XXXIII.

Chapter 33159 wordsPublic domain

THE GREAT CASH-ROOM—THE WATCH-DOG OF THE TREASURY.

No Need for Dirty Money—The Flowers of July—Money Affairs—The Great Cash-Room—Its Marble Glories—A Glance Inside—The Beautiful Walls—A Good Deal of Very Bad Taste—Only Made of Plaster—“The Watch Dog” of the Treasury—The Custodian of the Cash—A Broken-nosed Pitcher—Ink for the Autographs—His Ancient Chair—“The General”—“Crooked, Crotchety, and Great-hearted”—“Principles” and Pantaloons—Below the Surface—An Unpaintable Face—An Object of Personal Curiosity—Dick and Dolly pay the General a Visit—How the Thing is Done—Getting his Autograph—A Specimen for the Folks at Home—Where the Treasurer Sleeps—Going the Round at Night—Making Assurance Sure—Awakened by a Strong Impression—Sleepless—In the “Small Hours”—Finding the Door Open—A Careless Clerk—The Care of Eight Hundred Millions—On the Alert—The Auditors—The Solicitor’s Office—The Light-House Board—The Coast Survey—Internal Revenue Department, 339