The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-26

not few odd stories are told. Chief Clerk
Hogg OF the navy department relates an
Rnecdote OF a bureau now extinct, which
was conducted by gallant naval officer.
One day, about O'Clock D. m, the latter
stepped into the room of his assistant and
said:
"Billy, here's draft of very important
letter that l am extremely anxious to dis
patch by the afternoon mail. Please make
me a clean copy Of it as quickly as you can. !"
IL being so late in the afternoon, BILLY"
was resting. Ha looked up sleepily and re-
piled:
"Why, commodore. have already writ
ten two letters to-day"
"Well, then, BLY, said the commodore.
''never mind. Tomorrow will do as well. I"
Clerkships in the department Of state are
considered the most desirable. To begin
with, the incumbents are never discharged
without being provided with consul
ship or some other place. Their en-
ment carries certain amount OF social po-
sition with it. The most conspicuous OF the
young swells In Washington are employees
of the foreign office" as they like to call
IL. Beaux being greatly 10 demand here,
they have more invitations than they can ae-
oept. With small salaries and no prospects,
they would be regarded as "detrlmentals"
in other oities, but here they are at the top of
the swim. Good manners and the fact of
wearing pantaloons constitute satisfactory
claims 20 recognition In local society. They
get their dinners at other peoples houses,
see all the plays that are going without pay
ing a cent, and enjoy excellent opportuni-
ties for marrying the rich girls who fairly
swarm at the capital They are not even
expected to send a bouquet in acknowledge
ment OF the entertainment they receive.
The work Of a clerk In the department of
state implies no little responsibility. A
wrong word in his Transcript Of a diplo-
matic paper might place this government in
false position. The business he transaots
is mostly of secret nature. He may know
long in advance whom the President has
chosen for a cabinet Office, or what war
ships are about TO be sent TO threaten the
cities of a foreign nation. II he tells any
body, and his information gets out, his in-
discretion may have upset a policy and dis
arranged a complete series OF motives which
Uncle Sam is trying 10 carry OUT Hap
PLY. betrayals Of secrets by government
clerks have been very rare.
Though one-half of the applicants for
places in the departments are women, only
one person of the gentler sex is appointed
for every seven men. There is prejudics
against female clerks on several accounts.
Nevertheless, some officials have discovered
that they can often get q woman for $500
year who is more capable than 81 200 man.
| Before the war the employment or women
as clerks by the government was almost I'M
| known, though they sometimes got copying
TO do at home. The first woman regularly
employed was put on the rolls of the navy
department thiTty-ave years ago. She was
! a Young widow It was a grave question
| what should be done with her, and it was
| thought best to isolate her, as IL she were
contagious. An attic room was given her,
and she received and returned her copy
| ing bv a messenger. To-day there
| are loco women in the treasury de-
partment alone They aud others in differ
emit departments are efficient as account
| ants, correspondents, huguists, craughts-
men, typewriters, etc.
| In 1861 the coined money belonging TO
| the government gave out aDd congress aus