Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-10-11
UNCLE SAWS MAILeAes.
When Worn Out, They Just Begin to He Really of Service

When Worn Out, They Just Begin to Be Really of Service
 To sec the government economically administered, go where they mend mail bags. When a mailbag is worn out, it is considered as inst fit for service. \ new mailbag is stiff. unyielding. When it has knocked about the world. had the starch taken out of it and its weak places discovered, il grows pliabie. gives when it can't force its way and k now prepared to do business successfully. Like human being. the mailbag has had its experience. The most active mailhags now in the service have scarce ] ly hands breadth of the original fabric.
 The ordinary jute mailbag is mended by women. This Is one of the now few branches of the public service outside of tine civil service rules. The women who mend mailbass arc appointed by con gressmen or public officers in the old way. A more democratic gathering can not be found in Washington. IL Is dirty if not difficult work. In the numbers of women clad in their worst clothes. their heads hidden in paper fools caps with long curtains, their hands guarded by leather bands and at work on sewing so rude that 1t seems like a traveSty on the
 gentle art of the needle. il is difficult to detect from one another the deiicatcly
 nurtured woman. the sturdy foreigner
 and the negro. They are all there work
 ing in perfect amity.
 Each woman sits on a low chair. She
 has exchanged her street dress for her
 working clothes in the commOdious
 dressing room. She receives every morn
 ing u mailbag holding 10 bags. Five
 of these are comparatively good; five
 are more or less bad. Ii Is a mild sort
 of lottery, which these women expert
 ence twice or three times day, and tine
 element of chance Is not the less exCit-
 ing though it lie in the depths of dirty
 mailbag.
 Bad or good the women are paid 3. cents bag. For the woman who can not earn at least Sl .O1 a day there Is no place in this room. They earn on an average about Sl.SO day, and some
 women exceed this amount. Each wu- man 'Norks with a alarming needle and twinc thread. Her first requirement is the sailors stitch. With this she can patch. darn or embroider. When she , has finished the bags. they are carried tO . a central table. where on a bulletin
 board her name is scheduled. There heI
 work is examined by one of three mer and checked off accordingly.
 I Not all sew. Some string the bags a Q the neck and put on tine tags and locks = One of these k a blind negresS. She ha: s not seen since child. but she work. = rapidly and deftly while she tells witl h pride how she can embroider and sew e at home.
 I These women from such varied walk : in life work together in perfect accord e When to the foreman the dusty air an,
 unsightly work seem to have depreSse, e the workers, he suggests 10 some one 1t generally colored woman. ia start III a some music. The wave of sound gath Is CTS until the whole room has joined i'll e It Is usually hymn. for hymns com } most easily tu womtus lips.
 y The government k a kind ta>kmastel T. The room k finely lighted and vent g. lated. The washrOomS are abundant y and finely equipped with marble moun IT ed stationary stands. At noon a tr;l an
 coffee bureau Is opened. and tine worker
 have all the tea and coffee they de>irv :,
 the expense of their country. Wa>hjn. O. ton working hours are easy. Nagal"I T. of month are given, ani certain eir 'S leaves are provided for. Tu" >wea IL shops of the government. Nyier" the Ee or mailbags are made by lv-trIcr. G-- e. this ci.y.-New York Sun.