Woman's chronicle. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1888-1???, 1888-10-20
From Washington.

From Washington.
EDITOR OF WoMAN's CHRONICLE: Among the
many employments of woman, not among the least
in salary and in easy duties, is that in the depart
ments of the government at Washington. When
l came to the city did not see anything novel in
the fact that many of the government clerks were
women, perhaps had previous knowledge of their
employment, or perhaps because | believed that
they should be thus employed, | saw nothing
strange in their actually being there. But | am
told that not so many years back not woman
clerk was in any of the departments. That eX-
Treasurer Spinner, he of the crooked, crawling and
twisted signature on the banknotes, was the first
to appoint women to duty in the civil service. The
story goes that these ladies, bound by girlish (D
habit, would congregate in pairs, and arm in arm
promenade the corridors of the long treasury
building their ears entranced by tid-bits of fem-
nine news and other sweet morsels dear to feminine
secresy, when one morning the treasurer, coming
in late, hurrying to his delayed work-he was
prodigious worker-ran almost in collision with the
line, two-abreast, of the promenaders. 'Umph!
what does this mean? Rooms being cleared? Wait
ing in the corridors until it is done?" 'No, SIR"
came the words from the sweet lips of a little
blonde; ~ was just telling Jennie of the lovely
bonnet saw last night at the theater" Gen.
Spinner was said to swear-to cuss, occasionally
when he could do justice to the occasion. The
little blond and Jennie and all of the line, saw
something was wrong They observed the general
give one sweeping glance down the line; that his
brows knit and terrible look came upon his face.
They knew or had heard of his habit when worried
to swear little, and just stood transfxed, too
frightened to hurry to their rooms, expecting some
thing from the general, they knew not what But
why? What had they done? Whoever else was
guilty, they were innocent. But to hurry to the
denouement. The general fastened to his room,
the ladies with whispered inquring words, rapidly
broke line to their desks. A half hour later each
was summoned to the generals desk and with
flushed face he told them of how he had appointed
them in the face of laughter, ridicue and opposi-
ton of the other heads of the bureau how he had
staked his Judgment on his faith in womans idel-
ity to duty, and how deeply mortified he was to
find them indulging in such idleness and weakness.
That it must never occur again. Then came ex-
plantations, etc. But no, not a word he did not
want any reasons. That each should get her bon
net and shawl and report to the chief clerk that she
would be absent the remainder of the day, and
that he should deduct the time from her salary.
That they could promenade the avenue where the
air was pure, and not at the expense of the gov
eminent OF course the heads of the other bureaus
laughed and some sneered, but the fact is, woman
came to stay. She is seldom seen now promenad-
ing during hours, and then she is the exception.
Many of them get handsome salaries and do cor
respondingy intricate work. And what is better
than all else, the great majority of them sup
porting helpless families and doing other equally as
necessary duties to be performed in the exacting
role of ''bread- winner L. E. V.