Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-22
WOMEN WHO WORK.
The Part They Take In the Routine Of
Government.

Government.
sonsrH1No ABOUT YRMALR xnPIoYHs n puYKn-
xNT BRANcn1s OF TEE oovK1MNRN1 SERVICE
-How WOMEN FIRST cAM1 10 n NPLoyxD
- cLHnxs-woAHN AND THE CIVIL SERVICE.
The woman 81 the type-writer il one Of the
familiar figures Of the day. Sometimes, too,
she has stenosr.ph, or graphophone, or Q
monograph. II there ID really such thing in
the world az . woman-hater walk through the
business places or the government buildings in
Washington must fill him with misery. Every
where women seem to be getting on very we'll
In stores one sees them standing behind count
ers or sitting at the cashiers desk. In Offices
OF attorneys or real estate agents one win come
across woman clerk in some COY, well-screened
corner. glance into windows of printing
Offices would show to the misogynist the hated
fair ones feeding and operating presses, fold
ing Sheets and, in few cases, even at work at
the printers case. There are women lawyers
In the government buildings woman has made
conquest OF much Of the ground once occu-
pied exclusively by male creatures. Not only
are there many women in Office but new ones
are constantly being appointed
WOMEN AND CIVIL SERVICE.
Some interesting facts relating to these ap-
pointments were learned by Q STAR reporter at
the civil-service rooms. As . rule, the appoint
ing powers never appoint woman to q clerk
ship above the $500 class. II there 10 place
above that grade to be filled by appointment
the Secretary calls for the names Of the three
highest males. Such places are sometimes
nileo by promoting woman already in $500
place and then appointing a woman to the low
grade. SO woman need hardly expect, under
existing conditions, to be appointed at the
start to an office above the $500 class The
exceptions to the rule are those who pass ex-
amlnations as type-writers or stenographers.
About one out of every three of those examined
for appointment is o woman, and about one out Of
seven OF those appointed is . woman. In other
words, one-third Of the applicants are women
and only one-seventh Of the appointments go to
women. As result, the list Of women eligible
for appointment, who have passed excellent
examinations, is generally fuller than the
list OF men of high standing in the
examinations. Some department officials
have discovered that they are likely to get in
calling for woman to fill $500 place per-
son Of much higher qualifications than they
would get when they call for man to fill q
81 200 place. There still seems to be some
prejudice against women clerks. One reason
for this, a STAR reporter was told, is that in an
office where there are only men employed it is
almost out OF the question to appoint one wo-
man. II one is appointed another must be ap-
pointed to keep her company. As this cannot
always be done at once, the advance of women
into new territory is slow. The civil-service re-
former, to whom STAR reporter talked,
thought that one result Of the civil-service law
had been to secure female clerks of much
higher qualifications than were obtained under
the old rule, when the sympathies of appoint
ing officers were appealed to in behalf OF wo-
men applicants. The woman who gets an ap-
Polntment now is almost always wen fitted for
her duties.
IN THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT..
"To Gen. Francis E. Spinner, formerly
treasurer Of the United States, belongs the
credit of having introduced ladies into the
ranks of the government clerks" said an
old Treasury official to a STAR reporter the
other day. Previous to the war there had
been no women employed in clerical capaci-
ties, except, perhaps, in occasional instances in
one or two OF the departments when there
would be rush Of work and women would be
given copying to do at their homes. In 1861
and there was an immediate necessity for
some kind of circulating medium to meet the
demand for money. So Congress authorized
the issue Of legal tender notes, pay
able in gold on demand, the issue
OF which was begun in August OF that year.
came into Office the next day after their issue
began. They were printed in sheets contain
ing several notes each, and came to us from
the bank note and engraving companies with
bbaiR spaces for signatures. The names OF the
assistant treasurer and register were then
signed for their principals. The enormous
demand for the money necessitated quick work
On our part to get the notes signed and ready
for issue. but it was found that it was slow
process signing and cutting the notes at the
same time. They had to De cut apart with
scissors and their edges trimmed. Gen. Spinner
thought over the matter and then suggested to
Chase that a number of women be
temporarily employed to cut the notes and to
count them. He thought that it would
be good thing to give employment to
these women who were deserving, and
he also had an idea that their
familiarity with the scissors would probably
lead them to do quicker work. So they were
employed. a number of them, and We went to
work cutting and signing the notes. Iremem-
Der well that scene. There was a long table
with great stack Of notes in sheets before
each lady, and the scissors kept shipping and
The notes dropping until the sheets lay piled
into separated notes, which were rapidly
signed and counted. Some of us men turned
IN to help the work along and there was some
lively cutting done. We cut and signed 800
200 600 worth of paper, and then Congress au-
thorized another issue of a like amount and
also gave permanent employment to the women.
Some OF them are still employed in this Office.
From this start the gradual growth was toward
the employment Of females in other branches
Of work, and now they are to be found in al
most every office, doing in many cases the same
work as men, although they are mostly en-
gagged In counting or copying"
do you think that woman is better adapted
70 the work OF counting and handling money
than men?"
mo, l do not think that am Of that opin-
lon. The work OF counting is not a merely me-
chanlcaI one; 1t involves great mental work as
well. The counter must not only see that the
bundle OF notes contains so many sheets, but
also that 1t contains SO much money and that
the notes run In consecutive order according to
their numbers. 1t requires as much concen-
Eration OF mind as dizziness Of fingers, and ex-
perts become so only by practice and applica-
ton. There il q popular belief that women
are employed in this department in handling
money because of their special fitness for the
work. must say that I do not believe in it.
They are employed on that work more because
of the custom Of hiring women to count money
than for any other reason"
ONE OF THE CLERKS
During this conversation lady entered the
room with the air Of long familiarity with the
place. As she caught the drift of the officials
remarks she gradually assumed the look of a
person with something to say, and only waiting
Tor chance TO say it. Her opportunity came
with iuil IN the officials words, and she re-
marked:
snow I don't know about that. When We
hrst started on the counting, in 1851, there
were two men working with us at
our table. They managed to get the easy
notes, the eos, los and IS, and we got
the harder onea and than xhav $4,000 o,,x