72 JOHN WESLEY POWELL. 



by any of his comrades could equal that of their leader, whose ca- 

 pacity for work seemed unlimited. Nights, Sundays, holidays were 

 forgotten in the zeal to do the many things that pressed in upon 

 the man who had a reputation for doing things. In the midst of it 

 all, however, his door was always open. He did not appear to 

 hurry, however swift the work in hand went forward, and never 

 showed irritation at the ceaseless interruption entailed by being 

 readily accessible to all comers. He was in this respect like our 

 martyr-president Lincoln who, when the furrows were deepening 

 in his face as the great war wore on, and his faithful helpers sought 

 to persuade him to deny himself to a part of the great throng that 

 sought for interviews, listened kindly and then said as his face 

 lighted up : " They don't want much and they don't get much ; I 

 guess I'd better see them." This was the spirit that always pre- 

 vailed about "the Major's" busy office. 



In a high degree Major Powell had the faculty of stimulating 

 his followers and helping them to accomplish the best that was in 

 them. His directions never appeared to be orders. He seemed 

 to be a companion discussing and suggesting plans rather than a 

 director prescribing a course of action, and this practice to those 

 accustomed to different conditions was most stimulating. 



He was ever prone to draw from his associates their views and 

 then in a few sentences to lead them to broader ones and to kindle 

 enthusiasm for these wider views. Great as was his personal work, 

 yet much greater was that which owed its inception to his own 

 fruitful suggestion. He rarely printed anything without first sub- 

 mitting it to one or several of his associates for criticism, both de- 

 structive and constructive. "Now go for it," he would say, and 

 sometimes add with a twinkle under his shaggy brows, "or ever 

 after hold your peace." The usual outcome of such criticism was 

 not a change of view but rather the reply, "I see I have not made 

 that plain; I must expand it." 



If the Major engaged in reminiscence, as he sometimes did, 

 there was often a deeper purpose than mere story-telling or enter- 

 tainment. There was a principle or a lesson involved, but it was 

 never obtrusive. On one occasion when dining at my house he 

 met a newly appointed Chief of Bureau, one new to Washington and 

 its methods. The conversation turning on administration, he out- 

 lined in a few clear, terse sentences the characteristics and methods 

 of five secretaries under whom he had served. "One," said he, 

 "cleared up his table every night, and so made mistakes. Another 

 carefully weighed everything brought to him, and thus was over- 



