Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-02-28
WOMEN OFFICE-HOLDERS
Tho Kind of Work They Do For
the Government.

!
SCENTS many Interesting features Of tn,
! important question Of woman s right.
! fnl status and worth as Il worker II
has long been q popular but erroneous
idea that women in the Government de.
/ partments owe their positions entirely
10 favor and influence, and that they
are, as rule, incapable and unfit to
perform the duties incumbent upon
them. 1t is true that political influence
and power have in some cases obtained
/ places for women which neither their
natural capacity nor attachments fitted
them 10 worthily fill, but are these the
only incapable office holders who owe
their positions to political influence
There are about four thousand women
employed by the Government, and al
though the work is chiefly clerical they
are also valuable assistants IN a variety
Of other occupations, many of which
are comparatively new to women. The
greatest number are employed in the
Treasury, which was the first depart
ment 10 make use of their services.
The occasion arose during the late civil
war, and was entirely a question of ex-
pediency and even necessity, in order to
I'LL the large number of vacancies made
by the enlistment of the employees.
Women were first employed AS coun-
tiers OF currency and soon afterward
rs clerks, copyists, etc. As counters Of
money work requiring chiefly quick
~ a. a
women have always excelled and have
been I'm fo,mly preferred to men. Theil.
undoubted honesty has also contributed
| much to their value in this work. II
| Is said by the officials in charge of the
currency division that II case of dis
honesty on the part of a woman has
never occurred since their employ
ment in the Treasury. There are
/ l,349 woman employees in the Treasury
Department. including the $50 in the
Bureau Of Engraving and Printing.
they are employed rs corresponding
clerks. accountants, stenographers,
copvists, counters, librarians, and in
some lew Instances rs chiefs in charge
OF sections, their duties being super
visory. Some of the books kept by
women are models of beauty and
accuracy In the issue division a
lady has for several years had entire
/ charge of the books containing the
exact amount Of currency issued. re-
deemed, destroyed, and outstanding;
| also the amounts of daily currency re-
deemed and DESTROYED in the several
states and Territories. This involves
a vast amount Of detail and an accuracy
VI accounts which il is difficult for the
uninitlated To conceive of. The Ma
| tional bank notes are brought here
from the Bureau OF Engraving and
| Printing. where they are engraved and
! printed, to he re-eNamlned and again
counted, The exam nation is for the
/ purpose Of noting the slightest defect or
omission m the mechanical part of the
bank note, that the bank aud charter
number. the seal and coat of
rms of both the United States,
md the State are not want
ny or imperfect. The money is
Usually examined and counted at the
anne time, and when the accuracy with
which this mu be done is taken into
consideration. and the concentration of
mind necessary in the exercise of two
mental operations. it can readily bc seen
that II requires a spec al mental train no
md eNpcrtness, The annual report Of
he Comptroller of the Currency, with
Is bewildcring columns of statistics. IL
almost eNcluiVcly the work of women
Jerks, In some of The auditors offices
he women are obliged to have knowl-
dye of banking As we'll IS of mathe-
Mates
The difficult and responsible work of
me Redemption Az ncy is done "a tjrelN
10y women. This division is devoted eX
rlnsNely to Identifying burned and mu
ulMed money, which is brought here
dnder all sorts of strange and remark
BILE circumstances. from every part of
he country, to be- edeemed some
INES il is 50 badly faced AS 10 seem
almost 10 defy dent cation The most
successful expert in This work ha, been
here for twenty Years, aud has in that
Time saved many millions OF dollars. A
iriek, bright. intellis. mt woman is She
who, upon being asked what appliances
we're used in the dilicult processn, of
her work, replied; ",,ulv a thin knife
md patience. The iliculty of idcnti-
tying National bank eeteS is much great
n than tho-, of legal tender. rs not only
me denomination tu. the title of the
ank must be deelphered A few wears
a." package OF sllu.o1 was brought
here 10y the Adams Express Company
which, 10y the burning of railway train.
hat been reduced to a charrcd. coal
black mass. Three DAYS afterward So
600 was identified and redeemed by the
women experts of this division. In an
other case, after man hal been buried
many months, " II was found which
stated that in the inner pocket of coat
the same he hadhcen buried in-would
he found large sum of money in bank
notes. The bplv was exhume,l, and
the slimy, diseolored money. with
the olor OF the grave about IL. was sent
her for ID ntiticat on Another in.
stance. lllu-trat ng how cup " spmr-
TIM 5 ovcrreanh : itself was that of "A
niSer who had burie his savings. t.
the amount of nearly $40 900, in an
clrthcin lar After an interval of sev.
eral months h went one dav to add a
few hundred dollars to his treasure. and
found the whole an indistingu shable
heap OF molder,ng paper Although
living in the tar Wezf he had ha,rd ~