The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-04-01
THE WEEKLY COURIER
J. M. HEDRIcK, Editor.
OTTUNwA, IOWA
THURSDAY, .....ApRIL l, 1869.
Don't DO.

Ed. Russell, tho accomplished edi.
tor of the Davenport Gasette, has
beon writing from Washington some
very readable, sensible letters for his
paper, in tho last one of which VIC
find the following of the undesira-
blcness Of Washington official life,
and re-publish it, knowing that the
picture is not overdrawn, to induce
any of our friends, if possible, hav-
ing serious intentions of applying TO
Washington for clerkships, to thus
become national paupers, not to do
it:
Washington is the very last place
on the continent to be sought as a
place of residence by men and wo-
men of muscle, brains and earnest
purpose, desiring to earn their bread
before eating it, and unwilling to ga
crifice tho whole Of life merely for
the eating, and to surrender all inde-
pendenco for the poor privilege of
earning. A port wholly without
commerce; city destitute of even
se,nblanco of manufactures; COM
munity to which enterprise is un-
known; a population helplessly de-
pendent on congressional appropria-
tion bills-this is ashington and its
people. No one can remove hither
unless invited thereto and sustained
therein by appointments to a gov
ernmental office. But office holding
in Washington is in its best estate u
butterfly existencej in all less liv-
ing death. The official whose yearly
salary reaches sufficiently high in the
thousands to secure recognition in
Washington society" has continu-
GUS broilings on the gridiron Of fash
ionable life, exchanged only for pur-
gato1ial fires, in helpless penury or
greatly reduced bank account, when
"the party" goes out of power or a
'snew deal" sends the envied but un-
lucky Office. holder back to private
life. But if "only clerk "--Well,
let few facts given me by reliable
authorities, and corroborated on eve
ry hand by statements oft repeated
and observations directly had, tell
the tale. The several departments
have hundreds of faithful, hard
working, ana really prudent men
who SO barely support their families,
that an unusual illness, or death in
wolves debt certain to be increased
from year to year anu impossible of
liquidation. Scarce q week passes in
which, in some one or other of the
departments, clerks are not solicited
to contribute to pay the funeral ex-
penses of an Office or bureau compan-
ion whose family, for years living
from hand to mouth, is absolutely
without the means to buy coffin for
its deceased head. Only yesterday
our whilom Davenport citizen, Judge
Burris, told ofa case, occurring under
his own observation, in which the
widow of an industrious and econo-
mical clerk was refused the services
Of an undertaken, and was unable to
secure tho burial of her dead husband
until the cost were guaranteed by
Judge B. as agent for a life insurance
company from which, most opportu-
nelly, policy had been procured
thrco years before. Such instances
are not rare. Last evening an Iowan,
occupying good position in one of
the position in one of the Depart
mcnts, assured me that if back in
Iowa once more with his family he
would be much better in mind, body
and estate. One of tho most trusted
clerks, holding a $4,000 position in
the Department of tho Interior, told
a friend short time ago that he had
been hopelessly ruined by the mista-
ken kindness of the late Senator
Douglas by which he was induced 10
abandon a comfortable Illinois home
only to find himself at the end Of
twenty odd years of service too poor
to do moro than secure daily living
for his family, and wholly unable to
remove with them to the west, where
all might eventually hope for indie.
pcndence. Hundreds are in tho same
condition-anxious to get away from
Washington but destitute Of the nee
essary means.