Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-10-04
rHE GOVERNMENT oLERIS.
Az Me Appears in the Departmsnts at tho < NAtional Capital.

The Government clerk is the institu. ton of Washington. says a correspond ent of the New York Evening Post. He fills the theater, he buys from the shops, he rents the houses, he even makes up a large proportion of those who go to balls and parties, he consti- tutes the resident population. What sort of tenure of office he has, and what salary he gets, may be immaterial to Congressman, but are questions of sub sistence, or starvation almost to him. Let us see what sort of Q man he is. Here are some types:
 The first is bent with age and years of leaning over a desk. A mild and ami able atmosphere of conciliation sur rounds him, only to give place to a harmless air of importance as he trudges the department corridors with papers in his hand for the inspection of his chief. And he is facetious, too, but God forbid that he should ever give offense to mortal soul. Even to the lazy old mes senger, who responds so slowly to his call, he is polite. Polite he Is to every body, and apologetio, slow to ask favor, and quick to grant one. If ever there was any fire in him 1t has been quenched long since. If ever there was any strongly-colored hues in his nature the oppressive influences that surround the life of subordinate have long since toned them down to sober tints. Reg ular in his office hours, provokingly slow and conservative in his methods of work, but more trustworthy than clock work and truer than steel, such is the Colonel" or Judge" who has been a Government clerk for twenty, thirty or even fifty years. There is little danger of his being dismissed.
 The young fellow who shares the judge's office, like Dick Swiveller, wears a shooting-jacket as an offlce-coat, smokes cigarettes constantly, receives visits which he does not relish from his tailor's collector, and his mail consists chivhy of duns. He spends much stime preparing to go home and leaves his office promptly at four o'clock, like Charles Lamb, to offset the irregularity with which he arrives every morning. He loves cravats and pins and the theater, and he sometimes takes a 'lady friend" out "buggy-riding."
 In the next room we see different being rusty, barely re- spectable, a hopeless, helpless look in his dull eyes. He is il-educated and ill trained, and treats the work of the Gov ernment very much as he would treat the digging of potatoes-a thing that must be gone at Justify, with the coat of and the hat on. Capitalization, as the civil-service commission love to call 1t, he is learning, but. after the manner of the immortal Cobbett, he persists in Nt taste. He is ''one of the people," and he looks with disfavor upon the "col lege-bred man."
 But now let us look upon his col league, and here must ask you to pause a moment, for this is the type of Gov ernment clerk whom protest I love Young, middle-aged, or old, it makes nc difference, for the position that he may hold as an old man is the position that he has held ever since he was man. Ht Is a real, bona-fide swell. He does no write very good hand-a gentleman | should not. He is, perhaps rather careless in his work-hG has other things to think of If you want information about the department he is in would no advise you to question him, but If yol want an invitation to a german go tt him by all means. His official position is incidental. His real life is in 'socie | ty." No secret tary dares to discharg' him. He does not promote him 1 is true. may be he has 8 pool opinion of him, but he always ask him to his parties. He Is as mucl of a necessity there as punch-bowl o
 bouquet. have known him to ge married, but since the Government be
 gan there have been but three cases o
 the Government clerk of this class com
 mitting such an indiscretion. Of cours
 the three married rich girls, and, re
 signing their positions, lived miserabl,
 upon their wives ever afterward-an
 just consider the independence ths
 they lostl
 If Sam Weller's inquiry as to what be
 comes of old post-boYs and donkeys wa
 difficult one to answer, 1t is stil
 harder to say what becomes of the Gov
 ernment clerk who is discharged. H
 hangs around his department seekin
 reinstatement. He seems to have be
 como absolutely dependent upon tn
 Government, and to expect employmen
 from no other source. Sometimes b
 gets desperate and commits suicide
 there have been several cases of thi
 kind to furnish grim dreams to distur
 the spoilmen's rest-sometimes he die
 from sheer grief and hopelessness-an
 the cases of this character are painful
 frequent; but VI hat becomes of him whe
 he isn't rest1fed and doesn't die is mystery indeed. He sinks out of sigh
 new clerk has his place, the waters (
 official life close over his head, and b is forgotten.