Memorial letter for Taylor

              and told me to go ahead; said that he would be glad to have any suggestions from me; that he, himself, knew things could not go on long as they were; that if the Navy did not reform its yards, Congress would step in and reform them for it. I told him that I was fortunate enough to have as a warm personal friend the ablest mechanical engineer in the country, and that I should not bring anything to his, the Secretary's, notice until I had thrashed it out with Mr. Taylor.

It would be idle to enumerate the many countless details of our attempts at reorganizing the navy yards, for it is well to remark that each change, after being tried out in my individual command, was enforced at all others. What was done created consternation throughout naval circles and brought upon me personally many bitter reproaches. The way of the reformer is beset with thorns, as I found to my cost. Too many ancient idols were destroyed; too many soft jobs eliminated; too many sinecures abolished; too many toes trodden upon, to make the perpetrator of these measures popular. Nothing in these respects was done by me or through me during this period without Mr. Taylor's knowledge and approval. It may be that without him