Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-23
GOVERNMENT CLERKS.
Brief Resume of the People who Com
pose the Government Service.
Civil Service Law Protects Most of Them.
Ths English system of Pensions for
Government Employee
Special to the Gazette.

beTEIco uuu lne CLASS OL peOpIe WIN UeIOu!
TO that immense army known us govern
ment clerks. There rare some CORE
spondents who delight in belittling tn
usefulness OF the government employe
and many writers there are. be it said
with regret, who give the country 81
lnrge through the press wrong i'm.
preston of the female government en-.
ploye. The gentleman clerk is one npari
and distinct from the employe in bust
ness circles. l mean that he Is sui gen.
ers.
The term government clerkp does
not imply in all instances that n man oc-
cupying position under the government
IS therefore unfit ior work outside his
calling, although there nre nuny in
Stances where the government EN- ploye
has become SO welded to his position
thht he cannot break the shnckles which
hive bound him for so many years to the
sti!trd monOiouous duties OF his office
have known many Instances where the
mere position OF n government rIerkship
has led 10 both fame Ruh fortune. There
nTe many wealthy men to-day in WASH
ingtOn who owe their position IN society
and their fortune TO the acquaintance
made through Cover nent clerkshp
with urge claims which they success
fully
CARRIED THROUGH CONGRESS.
The insinnce il fresh i'll my mind OF the
present partial owner of the Washington
Star, Mr.. 5. II KnuTmnnu. Twenty-Five
years ago kaufTmnuu was II $1,000 clerk in
the treasury department, in IL division
which then hud charge of certain South
cru claims. Suddenly deciding one day
10 abandon the futilitv Of working AWAY
in the mOnOtnuous routine of a govern
ment clerkship he promptly resigned his
position, took charge of certnin claims
upon which he had been working, and
with tact and diplomacy put them
through congress, receiving for his lnbo-s
Zee which wns the nucleus OF his pres-
ent for mne. Although coming to Wash
inGtoG from GAINESVILLE, Ohio, n poor
young man. Kaufman saw his opportu-
nitv nnd seized il.
The Washington Star WINS Mt that time
q small pnper, controlled by ex-Mayor
Wallach aud few friends. Knuffmnun
made Oyertures for its purchase, and
with George c. Adams, then the Wash |
ington correspondent of the New York |
World (snce deceased) and Crosby s. |
NOyes, the present editor in chief of the |
paper, they purcha.ed the property, |
paying $40, 00U IN cash aud giving their |
notes for the bnlnuce of the purchase
money. The first years business under
the new management clPnred IN all the
notes, amounting TO some $50 900, and
pInced the paper upon d paying basls.
which II has maintained ever since. I.
Is snii that last year Sl50 200 net profit
was divided between Moves, Kaufman
and the Adams estate. This il only
ONT: OF THE MANY INSTANCES
which might he recalled OF the Inck
which strikes government clerk. There
are many successful lobbyists in Wash
ington to-day who began life with n S75
FER month clerkship In some department,
There are also men now engaged IN profit
able renl estnte business here who began
their career as government clerks.
Then, TOO, there is the other side of the
question. Certain II is that pprhaps !
half, If not two thirds, of the men who
nccrpt government positions rely mainly
upon the fact that their SALARY Is assured
every thirty days, that the government
'annot repudin:e Its debts, and TINT,
their brend and butter Il snfe
These men belong TO the conservative
'lnss who believe IN the process of making
H.
ent with the smnll stipend they
'eceive than to set sail upon
he sen OF possibilities which every day }
'7en 10 those possessing more specuIa- ,
i've minds.
There nre many men of brains in the
Washington departments. occupying no.
ltions OF responsibility and honor, who
refer position TO wealth. In this class 4
nay be placed the assistant secretaries
i the various departments, anh the
NETS or bureaus not directly connected j
II the department; service. such IL the
'nuonal Museum. the Smithsonian In 7
Tuition, the Geological Survey, the
ohst Survey. the Revenue Marine Sery- -
% and the Fish Commission.
THE INFLUENCE OF wo,IAN
poh departmental work may CT course J'
9 exerted for good or evil. II cannot
? deuied that there ars many Ind II
omen In the government service. 1t ia
luaily true that there IL n larger num- II
1r OF good women whose influence upon
le young men with whom they are H
'son ted Is snlutary. This class of p,
omen nro widowed mothers, sisters
vi IN many instances orphan girls. I
hrir nome Influences have been such M ~
make Them pursue honorable lives
''>' N'' S'i upUlOHs III tDtlr attention 10 N.
ny. and their influence in their home D.
e wherever II may lie Is of the best.
ley devote their spar. moments TO the {
re OF friends, or 10 the reading of lie
uIthiul literature. They pursue an
en- lie without excitement, whose Re
mpensntion lies in the fnct that they
e supporting or aiding 10 support an Re
valid family or Inflicted relatives
ley draw their inspiration from their Dc
'rk' ana are always smiling and +
ppv, while benriug the burdens OF S
row md sickness. Ike
hen we have the other class of female
rks who. hent uron having good Re.
le, waste the moments In plensure- {
nS anu pleasure seeking; are always 4
he found ut the theutres or driving not
er the Washington ioulevarls with sec
ne attentive, aud it may ne interested sh.
ie companion; paIronizprs of the F
Pil Restaurants, aud in short may be EW Nv
10 be true women OF the world 1t Cot
happy fact, however, that this class +
III the minority. are fast becoming COZ
Fueu out OF the service. The tone OF
government service is Improving, Ess
~ though the government Is prodi- r.
usiy growing every day, and its need Fl
clerks is Jer,