Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-04-19
ONE rn AsE OF WASHINGTON LIFE
washington Letter to Cincinnati Commercial.

Washington Letter to Cincinnati Commercial.
know of widow woman, former
ly n clerk in one of the departments,
who has number of children de-
pendent upon her for support, who
has besieged the doors of the depart
ments for weeks to secure an office
which would enable her to earn her
living. Three days ago she had "a
in money, nothing else available or
that could be turned into money or
bread, with little or nothing in the
cupboard or coal-bin, and months
rent nearly due. She will probably
utterly fail to get the position she
seeks. as she has not great political
influence, and there are no vacancies.
What then?
Within the last two weeks two
young girls, orphans, from the States,
lately in Office, have been literally
frightened to death because they lost
their positions, and had no hope of
securing them again. Their scant
earnings suf1iced to keep them for
only a few days, landlords and board
ing-honsc mistresses grew impor-
tunate for money due them the pros
pect presented only two solutions of
the difficulty. They could prostitute
themselves, and make then only a
stinted living-for, commercially
speaking, the competition in this line
is rs great as any other in Washing
ton-or they could die. They died.
had the case brought to my atten-
ton, yesterday, of a man who came
here from comfortable home i'm one
Of the States, a few years ago, to ac-
cept office under the Government.
He is lawyer by profession, and had
fine law and miscellaneous library.
He lost his position, and went into
the practice of the law here, but that
profession is, of course, crowded.
For weary months he lived in hope.
Then he began to sell his library, and
few days ago parted with the last
remainder for IS. He has nothing in
the world, and and a family to sup
port What will he do?
know that, three or four days
ago, an artist of worldwide celebrity
was glad to accept the loan of ninety
cents from a friend who was willing
to part with one-half his available
assets to relieve, as fer as might be,
the immediately pressing wants of a
hungry man.
A few months ago young man,
with nothing in the world but the
consumption and q family, holding a
clerkship in one Of the departments,
was unable to pay debt when it fell
due, and, although he was an efficient
clerk, his unrelenting creditor had
such influence with his immediate
superior that he secured his dismissal
The man was stranger, in strange
land, with no resources whatever,
except friend or two, who were
fortunate enough to secure through
the head of the department his rein
statement. But he lives in daily fear.
He is dying by inches, but is menaced
with the probability that before he
dies he will be thrown upon charity
for his maintenance and that of his
family.
1t would be waste of time to go
further on this line. l could fill the
columns of your paper with similar
illustrations of this one phase of Wash.
ington life. The recent cessation o
work in the Treasury Bureau of Print
ing and Engraving (Which was occa-
stoned by a lack of funds, the appro-
priation to carry on the work having
been exhausted) threw several hun
dreds, possibly thousand, OF women
out of employment. Columns OF the
Republican of this city have been
filed with statements from these
people, recitals of sudden want and
hardship, forced upon them in this
way, SO pitiful that in very self-de-
Tense one is compelled to pass them
over without reading.