Telegram-herald., 1890-09-28


os owned ~ the Uoyernment, and
would be Az object oi Neneratlon 10
thousands. Bat here imperial Oacsaf
having t9rheo 10 clay, hives &C. Keep the
ram away, and the only wonder 10 me
"a that some enterprls'ng person does
not set hold oi the place ana make
money out ot H.
-
The NoNernintns departments Anord
a great study K \ person who looks
little beloN The surface. Ia the days oi
long ago, before uaele Nas such tnlns
as clsll service commission and ap-
p0inIeients as Llle ftsQg Al eKail. IA
uOns, lhey were stih nlofe interesting,
bai even now there = enough ln theia
% make a large sized book IL All was
published. Young men who are getting
small salaries as clerks ln country
stores, or t0okkeepers ia small Cltles,
have tleir ambitions fired hy the ac-
counts they read Of tile large sa.ar.es
paid 20 lhe clerks la the Government
departments, aud they mag .ae ulat
$1,000 OF $1,000 IA Washington, and seven
hours day, Is nexl Desl talag 10 beng
a millionaire. So they manage t0 a.
cure an appointment la Washington,
and alter they have been hera a year
or 70, tney md Oat that everything ls
not 30 rose coicrea az they imagined
wnen they read 1orid descriptions oI
Washington aud iondly believed tnat
tney could hoo mob WITH senators
ana the President three OF four nlglis
week. IL Is true that the sai-
aries paid 10 lhe clerks ~ tAe
departments are larger as =
general thing than the same class uf
work coaandnus in private employ
anywhere else except IA tie laI.ssl
cities, but Il must also be rememhe ia
tnat the cost OF hylng IN Washington j.
high and the chances vi advancement
are small. BY dint of great industry
and good luck, Z clerk NAY nau~ge -
be III receipt OF n sa.ary OF SleuJ a ycaf
after long years OF service. but aitef
having reached that point Ae stops, and
as there is 40 retiring pensiOa Tor Alm
when ne brcomcs Old, las future j. Dot
very bright. Ii the young mau j. clever,
le comes 70 Washington Tor "A y>ar Ur
two, gets knowledge OF good uus..4f 81
| methods and then turns l3ls knON aogt
10 the best account iu private lie. Al
is very comic. table .ih.ng working Tor
the governmeIt-ths psy y certain ana
the hours are not long; Dut-t does not
offer many inducements 10 a man Nltl
any ambition. O. All thC mea nov
occupying promla0nt positions there l.
not one who has worked himself up
| from the RANKS. Ii they get to be chiefs
/ of divisions, with a salary of 5000. -, y
are considered lucky, and regarded
| with envy by their more unfortunate
1 companions. Tie departments are fnl
/ OF gray-haircd men who have lseen n
| the service for the best years 81 their
/ life, and who, by the can't 80 street
/ economy. have managed 10 save a little
money, but the majority Of tho men on
the government pay rolls AT, aDung.
Ten wears ago there WAS "a q ter,ni
class of olcrka ia the Departments ~
] those foand there TODAY. "a those day
/ influence went for everything. and 10 1e
/ the son or the nephew ot = senator or
! member of Congress Was as tiint wa
/ needed 10 secure onc place. lleacs
! of departments often did no, want %
! make appointments, but they bad nu
alternative excerl 10 comply With uiC
wishes OF their political hackcrs or toe
men who were prominent sra the party
winch They represented. The sppon nieei
4 knew perfectly well the circumstances
| under when they were appointed ard
| they had Dut little respect Tot those Dol
/ authority over them. Ia those layi
/ there used To Dc a class Of clerks known
| as "rOunders," who were perpetual y
being appointed ID this department O'
that and almost as quickly losing ihci
5laccs because OF their giarng incin
/ cheney or inStteDtlou to business. h'
soon as they cot OCT of one place thei
went g then ''Inliuencc" and mmag.
to secure An appointment in Epothe
department, 50 tast 30 not infreQucual
Happened that. la tiie course of fcV
wears, one OF these "roundcrs" ha.
beeu on the pay rOiis of cVery dCpafi
ment. when tae "lnfuenCe. tne ~rn
atOr or member % Congress. had Seer
retired - private life. tle "Tounder's'
cay was over and be was thrown out o'
a cold and unfeeling world 70 make BE-
living a. best he could. Bv iiiat tnp
he vas untitled for any position roquf
ing really nsra work and hc uecaf8e
/ hanger-on OF isar-fo0ms anf gambling
houseS. ckinEout n precar Gus txstte8f
n some mysfcficgs sort ~ wav. fir
service reform has worked change g.
the better ~ thisresDeCt. but tfe round
efsn 10 are either ia tBe department
or elae hanging on b Nasb ugton hsv
40 use for tie iaN. aod M telI sou
with teas in Their eyes. of tDe g'9rof1
davs when appointments wers made b.
fasoriir sn an.i the sole end aHf an q
a great many government cicfk was f
sc how itio 1efk thcx - aid do a.
sci manage 90 keep tbe.r places.
a NArHICE Low.