Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1890-11-25
THE GOVERNMENT CLERK.
As He Appears In tho Departments 1t the
National Capital.

tton OF washington, says o correspond
ont of tho Now York Evening Post. Ho
fills tho thcater, no buys from tho
shops, no rcnts tho houses, no oven
makes up largo proportion Of those
who 60 to balls and parties, no consti-
tutes tho resident population. What
sort Of tenure OF ofIico no has, and what
salary bo gots, may DO immatorial to
Congressman, but arc questions of sub
sistencc, or starvation almost to him.
Lot us 500 what sort of q man no Is.
Hero arc somo types:
Tho first is bent with age and years OF
leaning over desk. A mild and ami
ablo atmosphere OF Cancellation sur
rounds him, only to giVo place to
harmless air OF Importance os no trudges
tho department corridors with papers in
his hand for tho inspection Of his chief.
And he is facotious, too, but God forbid
that no should ever give offenso to
mortal soul. Even to tho lazy old mes
sercor, who responds so slowly to his
call, he is polite. Polite no is to overy-
body, and apologize, slow to ask favor,
and quick to grant ono, II over thcrc
was any fro in him it has been quenched
long since. II ever thero was any
8. rongly-colorcd hues in his. nature the
roprcssivo influences that surround tho
life of o subordinate havo long since
toned thcm down to sober tints. Reg
ular In his offlce hours. provokingly
slow and conservative in his methods OF
work, but moro trustworthy than clock
work and truer than. steel, such is tho
Colonel" or "Judge" who. has been q
Government clerk for twenty, thirty or
even fifty years. There is littlo danger
of his bcing dismissed. >.E'
Tho young fellow who shares the
judges Office, like Dick Swivollor,
wears shooting-jacketa as an ollce-coat,
smokes cigarettes constantly, receives
visits which he does not relish from his
tailor's collector, and his mail consists
chivfly of duns. He spends much time
preparing to go home and leaves his Office
promptly ut four o'clock, like Charles
Lamb, to Offset tho irregularity with
which he arrives every morning. He
and he sometimes takes "lady friend:
out "buggy-riding."
In the noxt room wo sec different
being-middle-ag rusty, barely ro-
spectacle, hopeless, helpless look in
his dull eyes. He is ill.educated and ILL
trained, and treats the work Of tho Gov
ernmcnt very much as he would treat
tho digging Of potatoes--a thing that
must be como att Justify, with tho coat
off and tho hat on. Capitalization, as
the civil-service commission.lov to call
1t, no is learning, but, after the manner
of tho immortal Goblet, ho persists in
regarding punctuation as matter Of
tasto. Ho is ''ono of tho people," and
he looks with disfavor upon tho. "col-
lcge-brcd man."
Young, middlo-agcd, or old, it makes no
difference, for tho position that he may
hold as an old man is tho position that
nc has held over slnco no was u man. lie
Is q real, bona-6dc swell. IIo does not
write very good hand-a gentleman
should not. flo is, perhaps.
rathor careless In his worlc-he
has other things to think Of
If you want information about
tho department. he is in 1 would not
advise you to question him, but if you
want an invitation to german 90 to
him by all means. His official position
Is incidental. His real lifo is in "socio-
ty." No secretary darcs to discharge
him. lilo does not promote him il
Is true, may DO no has o poor
opinion of him, but no always asks
him to his parties. lilo Is 90 much
of necessity thero as o punch-bowl o,
bouquet. I havo known him to &c;
married, but since tho Government be.
gan thoro havo been but thrco cases OF
tho Government clerk OF this class com
hitting such an indiscrotion. Of course
tho thrcc married rich girls, and, re.
signing thoir positions, lived misorably
upon thoir wives over aftcrward-ant
just consider tho independence tina
they lost!
II Sam Wollor's inquiry rs to what be
comes Of old post-bovs and donkoys wa,
difficult ono to answer, it Is still
harder to say what becomes OF tho Gov
crnmont clcrls who 10 discharged. Io
hangs around his department seeking
reinstatement. Ho seems to havo be-
como absolutely dependent upon tho
Government, and to expect employment