The Opelousas courier., 1893-06-10
FOR UNCLE SAM.
TWENTY THREE THOUSAND OF
THEM IN WASHINGTON. -. ,

N WRITER in the New York
q IS: $:::; :@:; !: &: :: &; as: =; : 4; +; :: !;
the Department of State are considered
the most desirable. To begin with, the
incumbents are never discharged with
out being provided with a consulship or
some other place. Their employment
carries a certain amount Of social posi-
ton with it. The most conspicuous of
the young swells in Washington are en-
ployes of the "Foreign Office" as they
like to call it. Beaux being greatly In
demand here, they have more invitations
than they can accept. With small sala-
ries and no prospects, they would be re-
garde1 as 'detriments" in other cities,
but here they are at the top of the
swim. Good anner and the fact o.
wearing pantaloons constitute satlsiae-
tory claims to recognition in local
society. They get their dinners at other
peoples houses, see all the plays that are
going without paying a cent, and enjoy
excellent opportunities for marrying the
rich girls who fairly swarm at the Capt.
tai. They are not even expected to
send a bouquet in acknowledgment OF
of the entertainment they receive.
The work of a clerk in the Depart.
ment of State implies no little RESPONSE
bility. A wrong word in his transcript
of a diplomatic paper might place this
Government in a false position. Toe
49, - 4.,-1ooE1 10 ~ o1SIr IF q caorpf
nature. He may know long iu advance
whom the President has chosen for a
Cabinet office, or what wal ships are
about to be sent to threaten the cities of
a foreign Nation. II he tells anybody,
and his information gets out, his indis-
erection may upset a policy and dlsar-
ranged a complete series OF moves which
Uncle Sam is trying to carry put. Hap
PLY, betrayals of secrets by Government
clerks have been very rare.
Though one-half of the applicants for
places in the Department are women,
only one person of the gentler sex IS ap-
pointed for every seven men. There IS
q prejudice against female clerks on sew
eral accounts. Nevertheless come offl-
| Gals have discovered that they can often
get a woman for 5000 a year who is more
capable than a 1920 man. Before the
war the employment of women as clerks
by the Government was almost unknown,
though they S,ometimes got copying to
do at home. ,of'he first woman regularly
employed was put on the rolls OF the
Navy Department thirtY-tive years ago.
She was "a young widow. 1t was a grave
question what should be done with her,
| and IL was thought best to isolate her, as
a,if she were contagious. An attic room
was given her, and she received AID re-
turned her copying by a messenger. To-
day there are 1900 women in the Tfa1s,
ury alone. They AMI others in other
Departments are efficient as accountants,
correspondents, linguists, draughtsmsn,
tyesetters. etc.
In 1861 the coined money belonging
to the Government gave out and Con-
gress authorized the issue of legal tender
notes payable in gold. These were thu
original "greenbacks." Taey clna IN
sheets from the banknote conpanle5,
with blank spaces for the signatures OF
the Treasurer aud Register. 1t was nee,
essary to cut them apart with scissors AMI
trim the edges, no machine having as
vet been invented for that purpose. G9a-
eral Spinner suggested that wo non
should be employed Temporarily to cat
aud count the notes. A number of them
were hired, aud after they hal cat 3d.
900, 900 worth of paper Congress author
lied another issue, at the same time max
Ing the employment of the women pat
mauent. Some of these women are still
at work in the Treasury, where their
sex is intrusted up to tae present time
with the counting of the money. From
this starting point women gradually
made their way into the other Depart
ments.
Agreat many young men secure place;
in the Department merely for the par
pose of supporting themselves while 5heJ
are studying IN the great schools of Law
and medicine here. Matters are so ar
RANGED at these institutions that q CLERK
who stops work at 4 p. m. can get din
ner aud be on hand for the evening lee
lures, which begin at 6. After bein:
i graduated, the young physician ma
practice and yet stay in office, becomin:
i what is known as a ''suudown doctor.
The medical schools of the Georgetow
College and Columbia University are O
the highest rank. Ia the Army Medica
Museum the finest medical library in sh
world is accessible. Justices of tn
United States Supreme Court and grea
medical officers of the Government al
members of the faculties of these an
other learned establishments in Washing
ton.
If a clerk is absent on account of i'll
ness over sixty days III any year, he 0
she must pay q substitute. The Civi
Service Commission provides all tn
substitutes that are wanted. It is pro
vided that the clerks shall give to tn
substitute a certain proportion of tn
pay, uJually amounting to about fifty'si
per cent. By thus hiring a substitute
clerk might retain his place in the ser
vice of the Government for ten years
though himself blind, %paralyzed and con
fined to his bed. In all cases of sicAues
a physicians certificate is required.
The clerks are perpetually haunted b
a dread lest they are watched by detec
tectives of the Secret Service. That sor
of thing is sometimes done, but onl
rarely aud on request of a superior Office
who suspects that something is wrong
Re a man who occupies a responsible