The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-25
AN IMPORTANT OFFICE.

Henry n. Copp, attorney, Washington, has
published a pamphlet of 143 pages entitled
United States Salary List and the Civil-serv-
ice Law, Rules and Regulations. 1t purports
to publish the list and salary of each of the
positions in the public service, and IS velua-
ment. 1t shows, among other interesting
things that there are 685 clerks employed
in the New York city postoffice besides SOB
letter carriers. Among the federal Offices
| apportioned to Indiana is an inspector of
hulls, with a salary of $1,000. Specifically
this Office may seem superfuous and es-
tablished simply to make place for some
body. In point of fact the position is
one of responsibility, and requiring the
highest order of intelligence united with a
wide range of experience. First there is
such range of huils in Indiana. Perhaps
no State in the Union has more varieties.
Occupying, as Indiana does, territory
Immediately between the extreme North
and South, and in a measure par
it contains many species of bulls native to
each besides some indigenous to Indiana.
Lowest in the order of Importance, perhaps,
is the beechnut hull, and anything like a
conscientious inspection of these alone will
engage the attention of live man for some
time. The beech belt occupies the middle
portion of Indiana. North of this are the
walnut and hickorynut hulls. These latter,
to some extent, may be bulked and passed
on in quantity, though in wormy seasons
extra care is necessary, To the south OF the
beech belt, and particularly along the
Wabash bottoms, lie the range of chestnut
and pecan hulls. The word pecan is often
enormously pronounced as if spelled
p-e-c-o-h-n. This is a mistake, of which the
inspector of hulls must take cognizance, and
seek to eliminate. In addition to the nut
hulls are the acorn and chinquapin hulls,
and these are even of greater moment than
are the former. We have not exhausted the
catalogue of bulls that may be enumerated,
but have simply aimed to cite enough to
show the arduous character OF the Indiana
| inspectors duties. The salary of 81, 200, in
stead of being excessive, is beggarly, com
pared with the work required.
There will probably be few carpers and
chronic fault-finders who will demand a rea-
son for the inspection of hulls. Such ignorance
deserves the contempt OF silence; but, lest
~
it is perhaps necessary to enlighten them,
which is difficult only because of their mani
fest obtuseness. In preparing the national
census Mr.. Francis A. Walker desired,
among other things, to secure an estimate of
the number of swine Cor hogs) in the coun-
try. Well, of course, it was practically i'm
possible to secure the exact number, as many
were scattered through the back woods pas
ture, some were under the barn, and in divers
other places, Now, the plain purpose of APP
pointing an inspector Of h1lls must have
been to lump the hog product of the
nation. To do this the inspector
looks over the hulls, makes an estimate
of the holes, multiplies the result
by the square root per acre. and the product
is the hog area OF the United States. As the
seasons vary the mast product of our forests
varies. Sometimes the nuts and acorns, as
indicated by the hulls, are paratively
free from worms, and when there are worms
it is part of the inspectors duty to estimate
the value of the worms, We have never
seen the hull inspector Of Indiana, and have
no personal interest in the matter; but it
ought to be apparent that he earns his salary,
and is an absolute necessity in the functions
of government