The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-07-22
Women are the Experts.

honor of the late Gen. Francis Z. Spinner
formerly Treasurer ofthe United States,
says Washington correspondent Of the
Boston Journal, Secretary Foster paid a
tribute to him that was well deserved.
Attention was especially called to the fact
that Gen. Spinner was one of the frst TO
recognize the merits of women as depart
ment clerks and TO give them position in
the service. From Gen. Spinner's day
the employment of women in the depart
ment has become general.
In many branches of the Treasury ser
vice women have arisen 10 the prohcien-
cy ofexperts. This is especially true as
10 the off ce of the Treasurer Of the
United States, where the most expert
rapid, and accurate counters of mutilated
currency and detector of counterfeit
money are women. A woman detected
the first counterfeit 500 bill of very
dangerous issue. When called upon to
explain why she thought it was counter
felt her answer was: 81 knew 1t was"
1t took day or two for the engravers
and cashiers to make detailed explana-
ton so that bank officials could under
stand the reason. However, it was dis
covered that the same cashiers and bank
officials had received good many of the
bills, while the woman had detected that
they were counterfeit Gen. Spinner
when Treasurer of the United States once
said: "a man will examine a note sys-
tematically and adduce logically from the
imperfect engraving, blurred vignette, or
indistinct signature that it is counterfeit,
and he will be wrong four cases out OF
ten. A woman picks up note, looks at
it in an apparently careless manner, after
her own fashion, and says That is
counterfeit 'Why?' the Division Chief
will ask, and she viii be sure to answer,
Because it is,' and she is right eleven
cases out of twelve" II would be wrong
to say that these discoveries are the re-
suit of chance. They come from keen
perception, fine eyesight, delicate touch,
and long acquaintance with the work.
There is in one Of the bureaus to-day
woman whose Division Chief says that
her daily average of work is nearly three
times that of a man who has been assign
ed to the same duty, and who sits in the
same room, yet the man gets twice the
pay.
The most skillful persons to identity
the notes and bonds which were defaced
and charred in the great Chicago IRE
were women. There was one mass Of
charred paper from the Chicago fire
amounting to Sl65,OOO, consisting oflegal
tenders. national bank and fractional
notes, bonds and coupons. They were
so charred that they would crumble at
the touch. This black mass was given to
six ladies for Identification, and in the
course Of time they accomplished their
task. Other like amounts from that city
were in like manner successfully identifi-
ed. 4 year later eighty-three cases Of
money similarly charred came from the
great Boston fire. One case was found
by these same six ladies to contain SS9,-
GOO. How they did it is described in
this manner by one of them;
after unpaeking the money from the
raw cotton in which it travelled, as zeal
ously swathed as the most precious jewell
~, the ladies' separated each small piece
with thin knives made for the purpose
then laying the blaekened fragments on
sheets of blotting paper they decided by
close scrutiny the value, geuuineness,
and nature of the note. Magnifying
glasses were provided, but seldom used,
except for the deciphering Of coupons
numbers OF other minute details. The
pieces were then pasted on thin paper,
the bank notes returned to their respect
i've banks, and the United States money
put in sealed envelopes and delivered to
a committee of four, who superintended
the final burning. The amount Of all the
money from the two cities identified was
81 ,2263H, or over 76 per cent ofthe
whole"
Six months were required to identify
the money saved from these two fires.
Some Of the woman are employed on
what are known as affidavit cases.
cases where money is too badly injured
to be redeemed in the usual manner.
One of these expert women clerks saved
the government $4,000 once. This
money was lost in paymasters trunk,
which was sunk at the bottom Of the
Mississippi River, lay there for many
months, and was almost mass of pulp
when it arrived at the Treasury. The
express company, which was responsible
for this money, presented the clerk with
$500.
A good many distinguished women
have at different times been compelled
to seek employment in the government
service. Mrs. Stephen A. Douglas, the
widow Of the Little Giant" reduced to
poverty by her husbands unfortunate
sDeculations, for time held a clerkship
in the Treasury. During the lifetime of
her husband she was a brilliant leader
in society, and while in the Treasury
married an army officer ofhigh standing.
The daughter of a decayed Washington
family was married from the Treasury to
4 wealthy German Baron. A niece of
Gen. John Sedgwiek one held a place
there. Mrs. Commodore wainwright, a
descendant Of Franklin, and two grand
daughters of Jefferson have been clerks
in the government service Mrs. Attor-
ney-General Brewster WAS clerk in the
Bureau Of Internal Revenue in the Treas
ury Department, and Mr.. Brewster, then
Philadelphia lawyer, occasionally came
to see her when she was a clerk. She
was the orphan daughter Of Robert j.
Walker, once Secretary of the Treasury.
A female cousin Of Gen. Rawlings, form
erIy Secretary of War, and a cousin Of
William II. Seward have held govern
ment clerkships.
The daughters of Chief Justice Taney
were employed in the Treasury until
friends Of their father raised a fund
for their support. Gov. Fairchild of Wis
consin married his wife from the Treasu-
~. A sister of Gen. Robert Ould was
long time in the Treasury. The poetess,