Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 October 1903 — CAPTIVATING SIMPLICITY. [ARTICLE]

CAPTIVATING SIMPLICITY.

The War John Barroaghi Secured m j Treasury Clerkship. Early in the sixties of the last century, when Hugh McCulloch had Justt been appointed comptroller of the cur-' rency to organize the new department under the provisions of the national bank act, there walked into his office, unannounced, one day a stranger dressed In “store clothes’’ and wearing long hair. “My name Is Burroughs—John roughs,’’ said the visitor. “I Bhoukyike to have a position in your department” “What do you know about asked the comptroller, thinking that perhaps In the unique stranger mjgbtl be discovered some genius of an actuary or accountant. “Unhappily nothing,” replied the applicant. “Who sent you here?” “No one.” “Well, who’s your congressman? To 1 whom can you refer me?” “I know no congressman.” “And you expected to get a govern-, ment position without qualification for. the position and without Indorsement! or backing of any character?” “I think I could learn office work, here, and the salary would be a great* help to me in my literary career.” “Oh, you are a writer, are you?|. What’s your line? Poetry, perhaps?” “I try to write poetry,” confessed the visitor. “Got any of It with your asked the comptroller, now considerably amused. 1 “If so, let’s see It” The poet-naturalist produced a song' redolent of early spring. It treated off the chewink, the oven bird and thej Carolina wren, with a dainty reference? to forest violets and hepatlca. “This is great” commented the comptroller; “it’s right out of the woods.” “Which Is more than can be said of j the author,” observed Mr. Burroughs,! thinking of the world of finance which he was seeking to Invade. The comptroller laughed. “And Is this all you have In the way of credentials?” “I have some more poems at home,” was the bland and sincere reply. In much merriment the comptroller summoned an assistant "Here’s the most astonishing Instance of Ingenuousness I have ever encountered In; public life,” said he. "That man over there applies for a government position 1 and the only backers that he can name are the muses. Yet this department Is not political, and somehow I’m inclined 1 to put the fellow to work. I am captivated by the man’s honest simplicity.” So John Burroughs was set to work as a treasury clerk. No appointment ever before had been secured on such a basis and no one since has bad the temerity in asking for a government Job to cite song birds and wild flowers as his only references. Some of Mr. Burroughs' eld colleagues are still In the treasury service. In telling this stery of his appointment they dwell with emphasis upon the excellent work he did in the department, earning rapid promotions and finally securing the responsible position of receiver for a failed national bank In New. York, the affairs of which he settled satisfactorily both to the creditors and the government.—Saturday Evening Post.