The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-03-20

the scissors and trim the edges, no ma-
chine having as yet been invented for
that purpose. Gen, Spinner suggested
that women should be ,employedte tenn
porarily to cut and count the notes. a
number oil them were hired, and after
they had cut 500, 900, 900 worth Of paper,
Congress authorized another issue, at
tue same time making the employment
Of the women permanent. some OF
these very young women are stu at
work in the treasury, where their sex
is intrusted up to the present time with
the counting OF the money, From thus
point women gradually made their way
into the other departments.
AS HELL TO STUDY.
A great many young men secure
places in the departments merely for
the purpose OF supporting themselves
while they are studying in the great
schools OF law and medicine here.
Matters are so arranged'at these insti-
tutions that Il clerk who stops work at
4p. IN. can get dinner and be on hand
for the evening lectures, which begins
at O. After being graduated the young
physician may practice and yet slay IN
office, becoming what is known as Il
"sundown doctor" Tho medical schools
OF the Georgetown College and Column
bla university are o., the highest rank,
In the Army Medical Museum the finest
medical library in the world is Access
sible. Justices Of the United States
supreme court and great medical officers
OF the government are members OF the
faculties of these and other learned es'
adjustments ut Washington.
INCLINED To SPECULATE a LITTLE,
The clerks in the departments are
very fond OF speculation. They buy
and sell stocks in small quantities, while
among themselves they made up tlnan.
Cial syndicates or pools for the purpose
Of cooperative gambling. Beal estate
agents get fat by p%ersuading them to
buy houses on what are called easy
terms" This usually implies paying
for the dwelling about % per cent more
than it is worth, and when, Us common
ly happens, the purchaser fails in apay-
ment tho holder OF the inevitable cast
iron mortgage swoops down and gobbles
the property. On tho other hand, near
~ all Of the real estate agents in Wash
ington are ex.government clerks. Like
wise, many OF the most solid citizens
financially are graduates from Uncle
Sans employment. They are astute
persons, who saw the future OF the town
years ago. When they had saved 500
they bought a bit OF land and the "un'
earned increment" did the rest.
TIE ANNUAL VACATION.
The house voted to reduce the annual
vacation OF tho clerks from thirty days
to fifteen days. Undoubtedly some OF
the government employees do abuse the
present privilege, which allows them
thirty days sick leave each year in ad-
dition TO the regular month OF absence.
Persons OF this class always have their
holidays figured out for q year in ad.
vance. By having things thus scheduled
they are able TO turn their leisure to
the greatest advantage. For example,
whenever there is a legal holiday there
is usually q h~alf-holiday on the day pre-
vious. The clerk takes the working
part OF that halliday off. This gives
him two days clear. But, on the day
before the half-holiday, he goes to the
chief Of his bureau and asks permission
10 leave at 2:30 p. M, so as to catch a
train. Thus the single days holiday ia
expanded into two days and a half.
The ingenuity with which such afTaira
are managed is said to be wonderful.
However, it should be explained, that
two.thirds OF the department employees
rarely take n day Of the sick leave
allowed them.
SICK LEAVE.
II a clerk Ia absent on account OF ill
ness over sixty Gays in any year he or
she must pay a substitute. The civil
service commission provides all the
substitutes that are wanted. 1t is pro-
vided that the clerk shall give to the
substitute q certain proportion Of the
pay, usually amounting TO about fifty
six per cent. By thus hiring a substi-
tute u clerk might retain his place in
the service Of the government for years,
though himself blind, paralyzed aud
confined TO his ped. In all cases OF
sickness a physicians certificate is re-
quired. Not long ago the treasury de-
partment made q rule to the effect that
such certificate must always state the
nature OF the complaint. But the local
medical society resolved in formal coun-
Gil that such q thing was out OF the
question, and so the regulation fell to
the ground.
DREAD OF BEING Swallowed.
Many clerks are perpetually haunted
by a dread lest they are watched by de-
t~ectives of the secret service. That sort
Of thing is sometimes done, but only
rarely and on request OF q superior Of
fetal who suspects that something is
wrong. II man who occupies a re-
sponsible position gets TO drinking and
playing the races it may be thought
worth while TO have him Swallowed for
a while with a view to finding out what
his habits are. II q government em-
ploye Is disaipated his boarding house
keeper. washerwoman aud tradesmen
arc apt to suffer, and they do not hesl-
tate to address complaints to the de-
partment. II such complaints come in
10 frequently az to be annoying an in
v~estigation may follow. Oddly enough
the clerk who %misbehaves in such ways
ia usually not a new man, but one who
feels sure Of his place.
VAST DEPARTMENTAL SUPPLIES.
One gets a vivid notion OF the magni-
tude OF the departments from the vast
quantities Of ice and coal which are re.
/ quirod to quench the thirst of the
clerks and keep them warm. The