Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1892-05-11

NA>@ItS ION tttERi,<iD< Dt@tC-
Day !: l.: Er.' 1r.4t>: ut the Conditions
~h: -'juHiinH 'h: Government
E.nrioytr ut Washing; IN.
WA>ut<t;roS, u. e.. May i, 1>:t3..
ED. IELL,WSTo>E Jork>AL:
Most letters that b+ur the past n,ark
OF Washington and nfr written u
descriptive nf life here. deal with tl1f ~
high III >ta1inh-at least they start out
with describing the prominent people
nne secs hire, and sou!+tinle, not often
however. "A few lines are given tn those
who occupy humble Positions aud who
are tn tame unknown. While IN the
COURSE of this correspondence | may
write vnu concerning tome "t tht great
men OF the day, In thi4 letter I
will make mention Of tn, 81 Of
whom 1t Is rate to infer, lone ot your
readers have ever heard or seen, but
who have pus>ed under my ob+esva-
tion during my brief 4'j"urn here.
Must Of the departments employ AZ
watchtuen both for day aud night
duty, elderly men, old &. A. r. men.
old soldiers, men, who perhaps III
their younger days were employed as
clerks tr >ome Of the different branches
of the governmental service, but who
AZ they grew older hecatne deficient ln
the requirements of their position, and
were obliged IT, step inside for more &C.
tive workers. .1u'e:ognitlon Of their pas |
faithfulness, tlle government Eener-
ously offers IT, tho-e deserving If Kener'
tu+ treatment, some oi1iGt, tne duties
f which arr trivial, ano vt the in.
Ct MT from which y iii erutle tn 81 u'd
srrvitor- t" hv" respectfully, And kte!
tn.,u trun helt.y u burden t. thenl~
stlves nnA their ttIrtds. IT. ~ucll ARE
u.,lIntd the tlutits uf WatthAt Ell. and
sometime. u,sH-tnEer@. Eu'trinE al!
the departments YOU will u"tlre ut zach
| uf the ,EAl1l doors nf tntrnn"e dt-k,
ut " h'cll ran always be setn nne uI
=
with IL messenger Ut two, and A~ you
| proceed down tt,i4 corridor or that you
| will Il: frequent Intervals encounter
! more uc-k- and u4o1e watrhmtn and
tnofe n4ts=cig< r.. \! lhe 'lour lead
lug Into the 1ontn> oc~nritd by tht
vt cresnrie- If S1n'e, Ut War. Of T t
: >nvy, + the 1uter'er, ot AEii 'ulturt
of the Pu-tniA.tes General and Ut tht
| vnlioIs assistant secretaries nnn con4'
m,4>iuners, additional desks are sert
| win more Iuts-enEer4. a very large
prnpnr&iun Of lhtst messengers ~E'
colUred men, nnd they are nll very
| puli,e unh attentive TO the slightes
with OF Ii visitor, and equally con4:d
crate to the calls upon them by th'
employees Of the government. Just IL
passing it might be we'll for Inc tt
state that besides being employed a
messengers, a large number Of coloret
men are engaged as clerks In the diff
ferent divisions of the dit1eren
branches OF the government, and give
where 10 employed, complete satizfac
tiun. Que Is really surprised at tb
number of women in the employ q
the government a. clerks in variou
capacities. Every department Is fu|
of them. from l8 year old girls t
white haired old women Of 60 or more
The fresh, rosy checked, bright ey &c
plump mies finds az her neighbor Il
the adjoining desk the white hairet
bent ind wrinkled widow of 4ome Oh,
time honored general or legislator
What a fund Of historical romano
many Of these bid ladies' are no doul
possessed of? What tales of "unte
bel|um" events iu which they presun
ably figured, could &hry not retail .
this :ietaut day: And yet, while u
can weave something pf tue roAant
in contemplating them, there Is
psthetic 81 IL which must surely strih
one s he looks into the cureworn, fu
RIVED face, and Iuvoluntarily conn
the query, why ~ size working her
why IN she here?' Alb, why: 1t
the old, old story, perh sps-husba1
lott, fortune swept away, too proud
atrept aid from relatives or friend
she lives here on salary Of from ~
to 5000 u YcAE-~-sutt1cing tn keep boo
AID soul and rspectubllity togethe
i moi very p(ersant, this side of tt
cA@e. Ip,efer the romuutio view.
The mnle employees resemble VI
much the femnles as to age; hoys of
joatle old men Of 10, Some of the
men have heen In The same
partment and same division
years and years. Only yesterday
clerk In one of the divisions of t