Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-03-15
WOMEN OFFICE-HOLDERS
The Kind of Work They Do For
the Government.

The employment of women In the
Government service nj Washington pre-
sents many interesting features Of the
important question of woman's right
ful status and worth as worker. IL
has long been n popular but erroneous
idea that women in the Government de-
partments owe their positions entirely
To favor and influence, and that they
are, as rule, incapable and unfit to
perform the duties incumbent upon
them. IL is true that political influence
and power have in some cases obtained
places for women which neither their
natural capacity nor attainments fitted
them to worthily fill, but are these the
only incapable oilice-holders who owe
their positions 10 political iniueneeP
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-
mnnt to make use of their services.
The occasion arose during the late civil
war, and was entirely a question of cx-
pedicncy and even necessity, in order 10
fill the large number Of vacancies made
by the enlistment Of the employees.
Women were first employed as conn
fers of currency and soon aftcrward
- ..NE A
money work requiring chiefly nnick-
ness of sight and deftness of hand
women have always eNcelled and have
been uniformly preferred to men, Their
nndonbtcd honesty has also contributed
much 10 their value in this work. II
is said by the officials in charge of the
currency division that case of dis
honesty ON the part Of woman has
never occurred since their employ-
ment in the Treasury. There are
l,S49 woman employees in the Treasury
Department, including the $50 in the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
They are employed as corresponding
clerks, accountants, stenographcrs.
eopyists. counters, librarians, and in
some few Instances as chiefs i'm charge
OF sections, their duties being suner-
sisory. Some of the books kent by
women are models of beauty and
accuracy. In the issue division =
lady has for several years had entire
charge of the books containing the
exact amount of CURRENCY issued. re-
deemed, destroyed. aud OUTSTANDING:
also the amounts of daily currency re-
deemed and DESTROYED in the several
States and Territories. This inyolyes
a vast amount of detail and an accuracy
of accounts which il is difficult for the
uninitiated TO conceive of. The Na-
tlonal bank notes are brought here
from the bureau OF Engraving and
Printing. where they are engraved and
printed. To he re-examined and avain
counted. The exam nation Is for the
purpose Of noting the slightest defect or
omission in the mechanical part of the
bank note, that the bank and charter
number. the seal and coat OF
arms of both the United States.
and the State are not want.
ing or imperfect The money 4
usually examined and counted nj the
same time, and when the accuracy with
which this mn i be done is taken into
consideration. aud the concentration of
fbfhAf AsAf'N6t1 NifN tNtFfI~fA III fMu
mental operations, il can readily be- seen
that II requires special mental training
and expertness. The annual report ~
the Comptroller of the Currency. with
its bcwildcring columns of statistics. is
almost exclu iyely the work Of women
clerks. In some of the auditors offices
the women are obliged to have n knnwl-
edge of banking rs well as of mathe-
matics
The difficult and responsible work Of
the Redemption Agency Is done "a tirely
by women. This division Is devoted eX-
clus'vely TO identifying burned and mu-
tiiated money. which i brought here
under NIL sort@ of strange and remark
able circumstances, from every part of
the country. to be redeemed. some
times II is so badly faced as 10 seem
almost Ia defy ident cation. The most
successful expert in this work has hecn
here Tor twenty years. and has in that
time saved many millions Of dollars.
qnick, bright, Intelligent woman Is she
who, upon being asked what appliances
were used In the ii iiiC:alt processes of
hht Work. replied: ..6RlY Il thin knife
ana patience. The 'illiculiy of i,lenti-
etns NATIONAL bank ties il much great
y I, tiii'ii tlos, OF legal tender, as not only
me nenamnaiian b.. the title of the
'ank must be decipherosl A few years
.gu package or SllO.Un was brought
here by the Adams Express Company
which, by the burning OF "A railway train, /
had been reduced - eharred. coal +
black mass. Three DAYS afterward @75,- |
600 was identified and redeemed by the
women exports OF this division In an
other case, after man mad been buried
many months, VII was found which