Litchfield enquirer., 1871-03-09

ner. The old hours, g to 3, were forgotten, gas was introduced; night work was inau gurated; the lending men were selected for specific capabilities rather than because of political services. Some clerks spent hours at their desks before breakfast, while oth- CTS returned after dinner. These customs spread into the old offices, and men who couldn' or wouldn't stand the new order of things went to the wall. while men of marked capabilities remained in the de partments. however obnoxious their ante cedents, in spite even of special reports of congressional committees. Now bureaus were broken up into divisions, and disls- ions into sections, and sections into classes, each headed by man who could "dr1ve things" competition, emulation, ambition were called into play; promotion followed devotion to and accomplishment of work, and ability, enterprise, and industry were at premium. .
 Another element came nto play to change clerical character. The old citizens consid. cred this influx of Yankees, as they called the new corners, an invasion of the Goths and Vandals, and hence they socially pro- scribed the invaders. Being thrown on their own resources, they created new so- ciety, and were independent of the old in habitants. Courses of lectures were soon announced, at which the most noted and in some instances the most liberal of plat form speakers appeared, and then such men as Oliver Wendell Holmes, John G. Sake, George William Curtis, Henry Ward Beech CT, and even Wendell Phillips and William Lloyd Garrison spoke to crowds of enthusi' astic listeners, many of whom were their accustomed hearers in their old homes. The Young Mems Christian Association was speedily galvanized out of propriety but into life; it's rooms were enlarged and it's library popularized by the introduction of live papers and liberal magazines that treated Of the great questions of the day. State societies were formed, and held social as we'll as business meetings. The churches were vivified by the introduction of new blood, and they held frequent sociables, and all kinds of
 societies, clubs, cliques, and. classes, were formed. so that there were plenty of doors opened to the late arrivals, even though
 the former leaders of society did not rec ognise them. Indeed, they had no chance
 to miss the Inequalities so ostentatiously denied them. They did not neglect their
 physical while providing for their social self in the formation of base ball, cricket KY the creation of skating park. The ear. nest workers of the departments labored as hard to amuse themselves out of office hours as they did to keep up the public business while at their desks. The war atmosphere, as we'll as something in their home training and character. made loafing lost art.
 Among other things new architecture was born of the war, creating long rows
 al, n1 the new clerks encamped. Housekeeping asserted its supremacy over boarding. The family circle presented such opportunities and Possibilities that billiard and bar-room rendezvous were no longer necessity. Before the war was over 8 revolution in manners and customs had taken place, and the community of clerks had formed new character. .. ....r- s. ..s f s. On the return of peace another new ele- ment became evident. Some of those who | had left the college for the camp returned through the departments to civil life. Wishing to continue the studies begun be- fore the war they nightly crowded the offices of the doctors and lawyers, the studies of the preachers, and even the houses of teachers as private students. But new need was so evident that the old schools of law, medicine and theology were reconstructed, or new ones arose, which held their sessions or delivered their lec- lures at such hours that our clerks by day could become students at night, and these institutions are now we'll attended and par tially supported by the government clerks. If you refer to the report of the Commis- sioner of Education for the past year you will find that the law department of Colum- bian College, in session near the City Hall, had 166 students; that of the Jesuit Col lege, temporarily located in the Coloniza- tion Building, 20 students; that of Howard University out on Seventh street, 60 stu dents at their last terms; that the Medical College of the Jesuits on street had no students; that of Columbian College, in the building ou I street presented them by that of Howard University had 40 students the theological school of Columbian Col lege has IS students, but no mention is made of the number attending the similar schools of the other institutions.
 Now, most of these students are employees of the government; those in Howard Uni versity are mostly colored men. A law class was graduated last week by that in stitution-the Attorney General, several senators, and even General Sherman assist ing in the exercises; and the graduates gen. erally were in Uncle Sam's employ. The standard of these schools is above the aver age. Among the instructors are some first class men, such as Justice Miller, of the United States Supreme Court; Ex-Senator Harris, of New York; Dr. Ordronaux, of the Columbia College of New York; John M. Langston, the colored lawyer and, vari- ous of the most learned and successful of the lawyers, doctors and preachers of this city.
 This report, however, gives no elew to the number of clerks who nightly attend the Business College, nor of those who be- long to the classes in mathematics, vocal and instrumental music, or the languages; nor does it give any statistics relative to the libraries, book clubs, nor other means of improvement escorted to by the clerks. If it did the array of figures would con- vince you that the popular idea of the man, ner in which the clerks spend their time is hardly accurate.
 An. but you ask. don't this prove too much? How can these students do justice to the public business and prepare their lessons? And what becomes of their night work at their desks meantime?
 The necessity for night work in the pub lie offices has passed away with the wars emergencies. The departments reduced their clerical force to the requirements of