The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-05-15
From the Washington star.


Scarce - Vacant PostoHaces 49, IN
sought Consular Posts.
From the Washington Star.
Offices that go begging! 1t would
hardly be supposed that there were any
such, judging from the swarm of place
hunters that has besieged Washington
for the last two months. In fact, how
ever, there are many salaried positions in
the governments gift which it is hard to
get men to accept. Some of them in-
vOlve great danger, while others are too
poorly paid to be desirable.
For example just now the treasury
finds 1t almost impossible to secure avail
able men for revenue agents in the mount
aims of Tennessee. A number of those
officers have been murdered recently in
that region by moonshiners. Three of
them were shot from an ambush and
killed only the other day. The occupation
in which they met their death is the most
hazardous known. During three consec-
utive years twenty-five of these seekers
after Illicit stills were slain and fOrty-nine
wounded. No wonder that il is difficult
to fill their places at Sc a day and eX
penses. To do the duty well requires
sense and discretion as well as courage.
One fool agent in five minutes can get the
internal revenue bureau into an embar-
rassment that will take a year to get out
of, besides entailing great expense.
ON A LIGHT SHIP.
The treasury finds it hard to get and
retain officers on board of the New South
shoal lightship, which is stationed
twenty-eight miles south of Nantucket.
Here, in region of almost eternal storms,
the vrpsno1 tsiHnc ut qnphpV / ilvn hn
stored phantom ship, she is perpetually
buffeted by the waves, though never
destined to get anywhere. From time to
time she breaks adrift and is blown out
into the ocean. During three consecutive
months of last year she was absent on
two such involuntary cruises-once for
thirteen days and the other time for
eight days. Usually on such occasions
she is towed back by a steamer that is
sent to look for her; sometimes she man
ages to get back under sail. Besides ra-
tions and clothing, the captain or keeper
gets SS3 month, the engineer $50, the as
sistant engineer $50 and the assistant
keeper $50. In spite of such good pay, it
is rarely that man can be persuaded to
spend a second winter on this lightship,
which is the last landmark so to speak,
seen by Transatlantic voyagers on their
way to Europe.
The marine hospital service, which be-
longs to the treasury, is having trouble
in finding physicians to send abroad for
service as inspectors of vessels at Euro
pean ports during the approaching sum
mer. These officers, who will examine
all ships bound for the United States,
are required to have had experience of
cholera. Furthermore, they must know
the language spoken in the place to which
they are dispatched and must possess
some acquaintance with the country
For example, the medical agent at Liver
pool ought to be familiar with the slums
of London in order that he may be on his
guard against persons coming from dan
ger spots.
Few available persons are willing to
accept commissions from the treasury
TO represent the United States govern
ment on the seal islands in Boring sea.
Those isles are 800 miles from Sitl1a and
5000 miles from San Francisco. After the
steamer leaves in October they are shut
off from communication with the rest of
the world until the following June.
ON MOUNT WASHINGTON. OR Pixies PEAK.
For like reasons few men care to
serve as observers for the weather bureau
on top of Mount Washington. Officers at
this station must live through the winter
in an iceberg, chained and anchored
W IOChb dlblu ullC CAOuQS--
for into such a shape is their cabin
shelter transformed by frost and the ac-
emulation of snow. For months to-
gether they are cut off from all the rest
of mankind. The conditions on Pixies
Peak are quite similar. Prof Harring
ton recently excused himself for having
kept disreputable person in charge there
on the ground that he could not get any
more desirable individual to accept the
job. When the weather bureau was alb
sorbed by the department of agriculture
its observers were classified under the
civil service law. Thus their pay became
from 81 200 to $1,000 a year. Previously
they received only the remuneration of
sergeants in the army-S34 a month, with
ratiOns and clothing.
During the recent pleuro-pneumonia ex-
citement the agents sent out the depart
ment of agriculture to inspect cattle and
slaughter diseased animals, whether the
proprietors were willing or not, found
their occupation very hazardous one,
They were frequently received with
pitchforks, brickbats and bulldogs. Some
of them were badly hurt. Consequently
it was hard to procure veterinary physi-
cIans to do this werk for salaries of 81 900
TO 81 800 per annum.
For the small wages paid the navy de-
partment has difficulty in retaining the
experts employed to handle high explO-
siveg at the Newport torpedo station.
These men manufacture dynamite by
mixing ultro-glycerine, which is the most
dangerous of all known explosives, into
shape for loading shells. Also they chop
it up with chisels. While undergoing
these operations the stuff is kept satur-
ated with water. If by an accident it got
little dry it would blow the factory to
pieces.
SMALL POsTOFFICEs.
1t is in the postoffice department that
offices go begging by wholesale. There
are thousands of fourth-class postoffices
which it is hard to get anybody to accept
People are constantly sending in requests
to the effect that a postmaster shall be
appointed at this or that out-of-the-way
spot but no one will take the place
There are ninety-seven designations of
postmasters now on file from the state Of
Washington alone, and there are appli-
cants for only a few of these positions
Hundreds Of postoffices have to be dis
continued every year, because nobody viii
take charge Of them. There are 10000
postofices which pay TO the incumbents
less than $40 year, Whenever there is a
change of administration at Washington,
designations of poStmasters pour in.
Many Of them notify the Postmaster Gen
eral that they have sold out to somebody
else. Most small postoffices are in coun-
try stores, and the proprietors dispose of
the mail privileges together with the
good will and fixtures. OF course, such a
barQain if not recognized bV the deDart-