The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-08-10

The Peudieton Civil Service statute Is now
In force and examinations hereunder OF ap-
plicants for clerkships In Washington have
been held for the past month. Candidates
for clerkshIps must now stand examination
by the Board, and the grade shown In this
examination gives status and precedence. /,
Is ieft Discretionary with heads Of depart.
ments TO promote from lower TO higher
grades Of clerkshIps In case of vacancy In
the higher grades, or to have the Civil Ser.
vice Commission name a clerk direct from
It's list to the higher grade. or course but a
few OF the many who are examined and pass
creditably can obtain positions and IL Is ques.
tionable II after all the great reform is going
| TO do any practical good. About the worst
thing that can happen competent young
man under ordinary circumstances is to be
appointed to a clerkship In one of the de-
partments, where he natures, lives, and dies a
chronic oliceholder, with ambition and self
reliance crushed out of him, a mere office
worm, with little more pay and little less
exposure, but otherwise on the same footing
as an enlisted naA In the army. Heretofore
IL required political influence TO get these
positions, and the majority Of young men
saw these positions beyond their reach. and
had some show TO rise in the world. Now,
however, every school district In the country
will have q candidate for examination In the
person Of some young fellow who aspires to
make a living otherwise than by 10 ANAL Ia.
Dor, and many Of those who pass credtable
examinations will waste their bsst Yeas
waiting for an appointment they will never
get. In these examinations the questions so
far propounded are not very difficult, but II
does seem TO us that clerk who writes q
good hand, is a competent mathematician,
intelligent in the duties Of his particular de-
partment, and his good character, is not open
to discovery and location by poking such
conundrums at him. Out of the several
lists Of questions contemporary has select.
ed the most difficult, which are given below,
and omitted the simpler ones. 1t Is not such
series Of interrogatories as a level-headed
business man would subject ali applicant to
If he desired to employ an efficient book
keeper. Following are the questions:
Write letter TO the Governor of your
State, informing him of your education and
about the town in which you reside.
Name fifteen States and fifteen cities of the
United States.
Name fifteen principal rivers and the cities
on each.
Name three principal ranges of mountains
and the principal States and Territories In
which they lie.
Name six principal American Generals in
the Revolutionary War and as many popular
statesmen at that time.
What Presidents have been Generals in
time Of war, and in what wars were they en-.
gagged?
What does Confederation mean, and
what States constituted it?
When was the Constitution Of the United
States signed?
Name particulars Of territory added to the
United States by the Revolutionary War.
In what manner are the Supreme Judges
chosen?
A clerk In Office has bis salary raised twen-
ty per cent, but in a short time is reduced
twenty per cent, which fixes his salary at
S64S. What was the original salary?
A man holding note of $3.50 has it cashed
for $500. What rate per cent. discount did
he pay?
Reduce f45s It's Cd 10 United States cur
rency, pound sterling being s4s565. |
Write letter to the President, giving your
views, as far as you are willing to express
them, regarding the duties and responsible
ties of an officer In the public service which |
you desire to enter.
One OF the examiners will read distinctly |
any passage of fifteen lines from the Civil |
Service act or rules, and applicants will write |
the same as the reading goes on, as test In |
copying and photography.
Write the names of the States bordering |
on the Atlantic, in their order. beginning
with Maine.
Write the names Of ten railroad centers,
fifteen seaports, and fifteen navigable rivers.
Express In figures the following; Fifty
million, fifty thousand five hundred and sew
enty five; also, one hundred and forty.three
million one thousand and one, and one ten
Write In words the numbers expressed
by the following figures: 3o,OG5. los: also,
3,OO1 1901.
Give definition of verb, noun, an ad-
ective, an adverb, proposition, conjunc.
ion, and the phrase "the grammar Of the
English language"
The postmaster at New York received two
bags Of mail which contained 1881 letters,
put one bag contained 1911 more than the
,ther; how many did they contain9 Give