The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-24
WOMEN IN THE DEPARTMENTS.
Some Are Lazy, Some Nervous and All Un-
satisfactory to the Men VINO Want Their

Some Are Lazy, Some Nervous and All I'm
satisfactory to the Men VINO Want Their
Places.
Special st. Louis Post Dispatch.
In the Treasury Secretary Manning and Mr.
Fairchiid are trying to get the business of that
department upon the same footing a great
business house in New York. They have great
ploye of the department has back of
him certain mysterious power called
influence. If an employee is moved
about this influence appears almost instantly
at the department to make an appeal to
have the order repealed. In some OF the bu-
reaus the work is more agreeable than in others.
In looking through these Offices, superfuous
people. when found, are transferred where there
is some work for them to do. Instead of being
grateful for not being discharged, they resent
sometimes, these changes with great bitterness.
The other day Judge Durham, the First Comp
troller, came to the Secretary and said to him
that there were two lady clerks in his Office that
he did not want. They were employed there in
making letter-press copies Of letters. He did
not care to have this usage kept up, and
SO he suggested that the services of these two
ladies should be dispensed with. Mr.. Farchiid,
to whom the case was referred. asked for the
names of the ladies. He found that one of them
was Mrs. Chisholm. He shook his head very
earnestly when he heard her name. He asked
if she was the widow of the unfortunate CHS
holm who WAS killed by Matthews in Mississippi.
The answer was in the affirmative. Mr. Fair
child instantly said: ut will never do to dis
turb her." To please the First Comptroller
however, the two ladies were transferred to
another Office They resisted this order, and
are working very hard at present for reinstate-
ment although they have the same pay and no
harder work where they are assigned. In many
cases the employment of women in the depart
ments amounts to the giving of pension direct
The majority of the women, however do their
work well. But they cannot be subjected to as
close business discipline as the men. Some of
the ladies employed in the Treasury are very
nervous. If they were men they would be dis
charged on account of the bother they give. There
is in the Treasury at present lady who was the
daughter OF very very prominent former
brought up with the most luxurious
surroundings Her father failed a few
years before he died and left her penniless. Her
friends secured her place in tho Treasury.
She is so nervous and delicate, however, that she
cannot be relied upon for any regular work.
The other day she nearly went into fit of hys-
terics because she was obliged to sit in a room
next to clerk who was in his shirt sleeves.
She went to one of the assistant secretaries and
made such a wild complaint upon the subject
that it was with the greatest difficulty that he
could calm her down. At one time it looked as
if she were going to faint away in the midst of
her excited protest. The majority Of
the women in government employ are
very quiet and matter of fact and are
thorough experts in the lines of business where
they are employed. They make good type
writers, shorthand writers and copysts. The
most expert counters of money in the Treasury
are women. AS detectives of counterfeit money
some of the ladies in the national redemption d.
vision of the Treasury have no equals. The
presence of fifteen or twenty hystericky women
in the department is enough to give the chiefs a
prejudice against women clerks as class. There
is no doubt but what the present commission in
vestigatng the department is of the opinion that
a greater portion of women is employed than
should be.