The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-13
DIsMIssAIs IN THE cESsUs OFFICE.

moet and pass resolutions OF thanks 10 Micnaei
kyle, infant.
DIsMIssALs IN THE CENSUS OFFICE.
A Terrible Ten Minutes Unaer the Eycs or the
whole Department.
Dismissals among tho clerical force OF the
eleventh census werc frequent almost from
the very first. New names were constantly
added to its rolls and old names stricken OF.
Quite frequently only two or three discharges
were made at one limo, and then they could DO
kept 30 quiet that they occasloned only a small
ripple of excitement. But as tho work Of tho
census drew near is close. tho force employed
was naturally found to DO much too large, and
great numbors OF employees lost their official
heads at one blow. These extensive dismissale.
Of course, were the cause Of considerable excite
ment among tho clerks, for few. II any, could DO
absolutely sure that their names wero not on
the fatal list. A few there were with such
strong influence behind them that they felt they
need waste but little anxiety on their tenure Of
office; a few more hold such difficult and
responsible places that they felt comparatively
easy. though realizing that theirs was by no
means as secure o safeguard as Influence"
would have been. But tho great body Of Clerks
know that there was no safety for them.
There were many young girls in tho Office to
whom the cutting off Of their relations with
the Government merely meant q stoppage OF
their pin money. Thcn there were quite q num-
bor OF young men who had utilized their sal
aries and their opportunities to tho best I'D
vantage. and as graduates Of law or medicine
were now prepared to start out on o professional
career. But there was a sudly largo number Of
persons employed who seemingly had no other
means of existence than that afforded by the
money which they drew from the United States
Treasury twice each month: and many OF this
class were the sole support Of their families. 1t
really was n mystery how some of them con-
trived to exist before they entered the Govern.
%' All s sfom III S 1na aasHarab5lls' u lsss sSfntyod most
The building where, toward its close, the cen.
sus made its home, is nine stories high, and at
that time with one or two eXceptionsI, each OF
its huge floors was practically one room, and
could accommodate. perhaps one hundred and
nothing OF numerous files. At ono end a small
apartment was usually ,partitioned of for the
was I always %" Observed with regard to dismissSiss,
seemed an impossi6ility to prevent some ono
out the building. Each chief" received a sep
o aPes. P ShisS he O. usually ans nsG disiGibstoS t thpou shG his
messenger Just before the hour for closing.
rumor; and but little work is done after the
lunch hour, There Is an mir Of suppressed OK.
has his work before him. but finds it impossible
to fix his mind upon 1t. Sensational reports are
i iShseddr dressed ds sirff. s sCSps' in her erre own Influence s.se.
casts plying Flanses at the gray.heired woman
crutches. and whose name. it is whispered,
is among those OF tho unfortunate. The
many needless errnnds Which give It them an
excuse for moving about. Some boastful youth
whispers 10 the man next to hin that they
for thcm.' An energetic woman gets an inklln9
that her connection with the office is about to
Capitol; her dismissal is sent to hor homie. yet
she is back at her desk tho next morning. with
a HSoss 8 o's1oo * h sSe hs aSiot leaves his little
s room and H diiEn Idv = In In r tine direction ct 6 ON, q 81 the bs.
sieged by tears, which move him deeply, and by
prayers which he is helpless to grant. The rest
iessness now increases more rapidly. Every
opened fifty pairs Of eyes are fixed upon It.; and
II John. the messenger. appears. his every move
The afternoon wears on, and at last the hands
Of the clock point to ten minutes ot4; The mes;
haps. The room is so still that there seems to
be an almost solid quiet, and the ticking Of the
forward and hands envelope No. 1 to a very
young man, most fashionably dressed, and
means. The youth gigRles nervously, and every
one else feels a momeptary relief to find that ills
to a widow dressed In deepest mourning. who
she receives lie blow calmly; only showing
but the warm.hearted gil who sits next to hcr.
and who has learned to love the motherly
the table before her. o%blivious to tho
fact that the en- messenger sg had passed her
town way CD in the north Of WISCONSIN. and
s siS sS%s sS M.ssni1f Il atf saisay h for la .Rs
actually case Of bread and butter. the sym.
pathy extended to him Ia not quite 80 deep. AS
the messenger pursues his way. those no leaves
behind, unnoticed, experience a strong sense Of
noishb9rs. but they are flied with badness for
And so John goes on. A tired looking woman.
who has hoped against hope that she might re-
main a month Or two, longer. has not sufficient
cheeks. A shabbyiookIng man is the next Vic.
tim; he is q drunkerd. SO much sympathy need
wife. The boastful youth receives his congo
with an air Of incredulity. but on examining
made. John. now turns toward the gray.
haired haired e an9 ;be her wa h q Leaps th into nd her
house, house is so S" Very s sePrib E0nf Her relief Is proper ppor:
tionately great (how selfish are the best Of usD
when John passes her BY and stops Sy 2 comfort:
ioosened., Bnt alas! the cripple's envelope was
her hand, The shock is almost too much for her;
she had desperately nerved herself TO meet 1t In
She sits with Q stony smile on her white face,
gazing into vacancy; nevertheless the soft hand
that presently steals into her own does warm her
sad heart a little.
And thus the messenger makes his way down
the long room. leaving unhappiness on every
hand. until at last his twenty, thirty. forty.
yellow envelopes are exhausted. There 10 no
longer SO dense a silence; 1t is broken by sympa.
last the ten minutes-surely there must have
been more than ten minutes-are over. The
the unhappy go their various ways; and before
many weeks pass by the scene is enacted over
again. Poor foolish thingsi "They might have
known the Census wouldn't last when they got
TAGGED COD.