The Republican journal., 1870-11-10
TREASURY GIRLS OF WASHINGTON
From the Start

From the Star.
Female clerkships, SO eagerly sought after
by applications from all parts of the country
are not easily obtained, rs the force in the
Treasury Department and its various bu-
reauS has been reduced to q standard, and
no appointments are made except to hi va
..ncirs. The influence brought to bear by
die fair applicants in many instances is very
great. and oftentimes the officials are be-
-iogcd by Lady office seekers who plead with
tears and rcctals OF stories Of want and SUI
itring of positions.
FEMALE CLERKS A SUCCESS.
1t is only within the past ten years that fe-
males have been employed in the Treasury,
hut the experiment has proved a success,
and as long as we have a currency there
will hr ample work for them, for which
they have been found perfectly competent.
The total number Of employees in the Treasu-
~ building is about 3.0OO about 100 OF
whom are females. including 800 employed
IN the Printing Bureau.
THE FIRST FEMALE CLERK
in the Treasury Department was appointed
under the Administration of President Blu
ehanAn. She was u Mrs. Ridgate, widow
pt Judge Ridgate, formerly OF the Solicitor
office and daughter of VIM. r. King, Esq,
who resided on T street, near Fourteenth.
Mr. buchanan. during his visits to Washing
ton before his election, boarded with Mrs.
King, the mother Of MIS- Ridgate, and was
always very friendly toward the family. AT
Ter hie election and Inauguration Judge Rid
gate died, and Mr.. Buchanan then appointed
Ms widow 10 Il clerkship in the Department
III IN annual salary of 81 500, which she
tilled very acceptably for three or tour years,
when she resigned and married prominent
physician Of this city. This lady was the on
y female employed in the Department until
July /, 1861, when Mrs. Fanny Steele, a
sistrr-in-aw of Hon. George Harrington,
chen Assistant Secretary Of the Treasury,
received an appointment at $50 per month,
upon the recommendation of General A.
Doubleday, and was assigned to duty in the
1ecrciary's Office. She held her position nm
til the Summer of 1850 Mrs Steele was of a
distinguished family, her grandtathers being
Commodore Chase, of Maryland and Com
modore Barney. who commanded at the bat
tie of Bladenshurg in the last war with
Great Britain.
THE VIEWS OF SECRETARY CHASE.
I'm the latter part of 1861 and early in 1862,
after The beginning of the rebellion, and
'lttl troops l1il " occupy tDOullltIu
rE many families came TO this city having
mo means oi support. Secretary Chase, who
then presided over the Treasury Department
appointed several females to position therein
n copyistS and counters, who came highly
recommended, and We're no doubt very de-
serving, Mr.. Chase did not favor the APP
poinment OF females in the Department, but
said he was compelled to do so on the score
OF charity, and to save many from absolute
want. This seems to have been the inaugu-
ration on promScuOus scale of the appoint
mrnt Of female clerks and counters and
since, that time the system has been wei
tested and fully established.
NOW EMPLOYED
There are now employed in the Depart.
ment, exclusive of the Printing Bureau, be-
tween six and seven hundred females, mainly
IN the Yreasurcr's Internal Revenue, Regis
ter's and Secretary's offices of the Compfroll-
or otthe Currency and Third, Fourth and Fifth
Auditors. The Printing Bureau employs be
tween five and six hundred, exclusive oil
those above mentioned. Those first employ.
ed were assigned to duty as clippers of the
margins of notes and fractional currency
hut upon trial it was found that the delicacy
of their touch better fitted them to count coup
ons and fractional currency and in this class
of work they are apt to surpass the male tell
cr@. Some are good accountants, and rap
idly run up lengthy columns Of Figures
THEIR DUTIES.
The duties of the female employees in the
Department arc rs mutifarious as those o.
the Stcrner sex. Copying, making entire!
in records, writing letters counting money
&c. are their principal duties-l larger
number probably being employed in the
latter service than in any other branch. The
ladies for the most part do their work salts
iactorily and their handwriting is distinguish
ed for legibility and neatness. In the Treas
urer's Office it has often been remarked tina
thc remittanccs OF mutia.ed currency from
the Assistant Treasurer's Office at Philadel
phia, where female counters are EMPLOYED
come in heater packages with less mistake
in counts, and less counterfeits than iron
other offices where male clerks eXclusivel
are employed. In the Internal Revenue Blu
reau, Registers, Comptroller ofthe Currency
Secretary's, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Audi
tors Offices, a large number of females AZ
employed as clerks, some of whom are yer
notably expeditions in their work. and a
whole they seem to compare favorabl
with the male clerks.
COUNTING FRACTIONAL CURRENCY
The work of counting mutilated fractional
currency and legal-tenders received for re
dcmotion from all parts Of the country, i
done entirely by females. In counting tn
currency they excel the male clerks, as the
are quicker and their fingers more pliable
enabling them to run over u package wit
great rapdity. In counting legal tender
they are not equal to the male clerks, a
their
HANDS ARE NOT LARGE ENOUGH
to grasp the bundles and separate the mote
quickly. The redemption division has II,
female employed in counting money, SOM
of whom count as many as eighteen or TWEEN
ty thousand notes during the six hours from
nine to three About $2o,oOO,0oO a montl
are counted in this DIVISION assorted, packed
recorded, &c. Each cleark receives one ormor,
packages to count in the morning, for which
She gives receipt, and in the evening returns
it, but is compelled to promptly report an,
error Immediately upon its discovery
The final count of all coupons, legal-tend