The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-06-10
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Who Are Employed by the Govern
ment.
The Female CIerks-What Our Correspond
eat Saw In the Navy Yard-Hhers
Lincoln Died, etc.
special Sentinel Letter.

600 to is. 600 people in and about Washing.
ton under Government employment Most
OF these have come from their homes, scat
tered throughout all the States and Terri
tories, and have coma here to work for
Uncle Sam. They receive good salaries, live
well, and spend all they earn, whether 1t be
the department clerks at $500 to $3.50
year, or heads of bureaus and divisions
from 81, 800 to SO 500 per snnum. Very few
save any money, all seeming to count upon
the almost certainty OF their party keeping
in power, thus assuring their ssipendium
con tinuing, On income as sure and reliable
as that of millionaires who clip their cou.
pons from bonds. One party has been in
power twenty.four years. Many of its
clerks and employees here havs been in the
service from eighteen to twenty.four years,
and are growing gray and aged. To these
the election of q new administration of an
opposition party is q blow as unexpected by
them as they were i'll prepared to receive ii.
1t is unjust to plead for them that they be
retained because of their long services
snd their poverty. They could have
ad have snSSg In ssem these
cally until the end OF their days; or,
if they be strong and vigorous yet, until they
find other employment.
There are tens of thousands OF people in
the United States OF the now dominant party
who are Just as competent to fill tne places
under Government, just as needy and Just
ss much entitled to the ''em0uments OF Of
of the deposed political party.
Nest of this vast host Of people here in
Government service are "roomers", or, in
other words, they rent furnished rooms in
private Families and take their meals some
times in the same house. oftimes al restsu-
Il II.
iDgton almost one vast boarding house, and
throughout the city are to be seen on the
doors or in the windows OF residences the
common placard, Furnished rooms to let"
These rent from IS to $35 per month for
single rooms. the rate varying according to
location and furnishings. But few clerks
are satisfied with one room and take a suite.
Good table board costs from S14 to $40 per
month, though the bill OF fare of restaurants
in the central part of the city at the first
named figure is first class and abundant.
We were surprised at the large proportion OF
ladies employ ed in the various departments
and bureaus, not only IS clerks, copyists.
stenogrsphers and tYpewriters but they even
nan and run the printing presses. The
Bureau of Engraving and Printing fairly
swarms with them. Some are middle aged,
and not few have long since passed the
meridian of life, but the large majority are
young and exceedingly flair to look upon
Indeed we never saw 80 many handsome
women, almost universally, as are seen lesv
ing the various departments az O'Clock p.
M. We are much disappointed to learn that
suspicion" Our own idea of woman is ex-
allied, and we do not like to believe the evil
reports so prevalent ia Washington concern
ing the morality of the department ladies. !"
Common rumor classes them on one low
level, where virtue Is lacking and not ex-
,,Fr- <f2~l -
and yet we know that it is entirely too
sweeping, for among them are mothers of
families, pure and womanly. Others are
daughters or relatives os statesmen and SOL
diers of renown in our Nation's history, and
are ladies against whom no word Of
reproach can be said. We would not
recommend lady friend or relative of ours
10 seek position here, where she would be
subjected to the indignity of being carelessly
perhaps scandalously, talked about with the
significance peculiar which attaches to the
female department clerk
THE NAVY YARD
is the main object of interest at our Nations
Capital, and one can spend hours there, OBJ
livious to the passage of time, in locking
over the relics and trophies of all our wars
Among the latter are many cannon of all
sizes, kinds and patterns. Particularly
noticeable are two large guns taken by Com
in our little brush with fripoli. They were
csst in 1767, are Of Spanish make, bell .mstal
and highly ornamented, as are four nearly
similar pieces captured in the Mexican war
two of them cast in 1740. One is possessed
with q feeling almost of veneration as he
stands by these old veterans and thinks OF
the many battles and sieges to which
they were no silent spectators, but in
which they took part in death deal
ing thunder, as with peal after peal from
fiery mouths they sent seYen-iRch balls on
erran6s of destruction, and no telling how
many of our forefathers were moWn down
by them ere the final capture Of the guns.
How disappointed one is in turning from
these slender, shapely, handsomely embossed
pieces or artillery to the big. rough, uncouth
looking giants of our time. Those of lbs
years ago are works OF art. The modern
cannon are infinitely superior in the power,
velocity and rapidity with which they can
throw shot and shell. but there is 10 beauty
either of design or finish In them They are
huge, ugly looking iron castings in appear
ance.
The many large buildings. shops of various
kinds of capable OF employing several thous-
and men, and with spacious grounds and
roomy docks, give one a grand idea Of the
might and capacity of Nations power as O
manufacturing power.
Psssing down Tenth street a few evenings
ago our attention was attracted to q marble
slab about two feet square and just above the
first story windows of house opposite. In
scribed thereon we read: Abraham Lincoln
died in this house April 10 1865" Instantly
our mind reverted to that eyentful morning
over twenty years ago, when a Nation was
shocked by the appalling news OF Llncoln's
assassination. Here then in this three story
red brick house the msrtyred Presi-
dent had breathed his last Now
the inevitable sign is displayed
in the window, Rooms to Let" Little In
nocent children are playing about the door
steps and sidewalks ignorant of the histor-
ical spot and the awful death Nation
mourned. Ladies and gentlemen are chat
ting and laughing pleasantly in the hallway,
where they sit comfortably enjoying the
fresh breeze that fans them 80 coolly there.
The house shows the ravages of time some
what, and must have been built many years
ago. Across the street is the old Ford's The
alter building in which the fatal deed was
done, when J. Wilkes Booth, with Isle sem-
per tyranDis' upon his lips, inflicted the is
tai wound. Ford's Theater, two end halt
story brick, painted brown and looking SOM
bre and gloomy. is now the Surgeon Gener
ais Office, and the interior of the building
presents a business-like appearance, with
manifold desks papers and books anon which