The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-18

obiCA W IL WHeii are Ou I1t uS-
clares he could run that department better
than it ever has been before if he was left to
decide for he would discharge three-fourths
of the men and put women in their places.
They could then abolish the debt department,
of which he is the chief, and the genial
gentleman hereupon showed me a good
sized closet filled with letters of complaints
from grocers, boarding-house keepers and
at the rate of 1000 per month, represent
ing some 81 900. Of all those complained OF,
but two or three were women, and even
they proved the complaint unjust in almost
every instance. There are very few women
who do not work well, but 25 per cent. of the
men are bummers and deadbeats. During
Secretary Folger's administration 81 per
cent. of the promotions have been ladies.
John G. New, Assistant Secretary, gives the
highest authority in the Treasury at present,
Judge Folger being absent, in favor of the
ladies. His experience when United States
Treasurer made him the lasting friend of the
women, almost every one of whom have
families to support, and so use their earn
lngs; they are rapid and expert in this pecu-
liar line of business they are better at de-
tecting counterfeits than men, and less like
ly'to slop over in results They can be
trusted to handle money with less watching
than the lordly sex also. ooh, tell it not in
CATH"
A lady in this bureau miss Keller has
handled more money than any man in the
country. She has been the final receiver of
redeemed money through many admlnistra-
tions. She examines and verifes all such
moneys received from whatever source, many
little rivulets combining in her hands
mighty river of responsibility. This lady
has never embezzled any funds If you
have man who could take her place, send
him to Barnum.
When Mr.. New came back to the Treasury
there had been an effort to suppress the pro-
motion of ladies, as l was told by lady,
Methodist preachers widow, woman of
unusual ability, who had suffered from that
injustice. When he was informed of that
fact, he said; Il will see about that, and l
will know the reason why one faithful clerk
is not good as another in this depart
ment." This lady does not know Mr..
New eveI by sight, so | presume her state
ment unbiased. Ladies of Indiana, remember
the proprietor of our Journal also, in the
future. He does not talk much, SO L hope
his editor will not order what l say for him
scissored.
At all the other departments the very
same result wss attained by my researches.
At the PoSJoffice Department l visited the
dead-letter office. The chief of that bureau
was absent, and his chief clerk, who was
woman sent, at my request, for Mr.. Perry,
a kindly man in charge of the work. Il did
not intend to get any statistics from women,
as they are interested.) Mr.. Perry showed
me through the office, and explained the
great difficulties attending the work. There
were women at every table but one. The
table where the letters are opened and read
employs only men, because Uncle Sam
doesn't want his nieces exposed to the OBJ
scene matter sometimes discovered. What
a useless precaution this would be, if these
women were no better than they should be;
but the young lady in charge of the misdi-
rected correspondence, with her plain but
interesting face, had innocence written legi-
bly, on her forehead, and the grave faces
and good breeding of the older ones kept her
company.
An Indiana man, holding an important
position here, says he had heard so much of
pretty department women that he naturally
began to look around when he came to
Washington; but, alas, he finds he left all
the pretty women at home. He declares
there is not pretty woman in his whole de-
partment, but there are great many good,
honest, industrious ones, which is better; he
does not know one of the description re-
ferred to by the correspondents aforesaid.
This gentleman declines to have his name
used after putting his taste on record in the
above style; but he is himself one of the
handsomest Hoosers at the capital. Let the
good guessers profit by this hint.
OF course it would have been a Herculean
task to interview an those in position to give
information; but all to whom l appealed
for the simple unvarnished truth
III tHlS udtleT tOlu JlB same story WIFI Sill
gular unanimity. The fact is, our best men
are too large to stoop to such a mean class
prejudice as that, and besides, they are very
nearly related to woman they were horn of
woman; though l can imagine some creatures
in the shape of men who must have lust
growed" like Topsy. The editor of the Ma
tional Republican of this city has been doing
yeoman service in some of the most telling
editorials on this subject. My Hoosier sis
ers, 1 commend him to your grateful pray
ers. McUsE.IN-THE-CoRNE