Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-02
AN EXHIBITION OF NERVE

1.-THE most overwhelming display of nerve
| that I ever met up with. face to face" said
an Official who was connected with the last
census organization from the start, and
who is now a factor in the present nucleus
of the big 1900 census force that Is to be.
was furnished by a Chicago young woman
"a very pretty, clever and generally pre-
possessing girI-who walked into the orig
inal office early in 1889, when census en-
ployes were just beginning to be selected.
and addressed me thus
1T is necessary to take an examination
to get a position on the census force, ISM
it,?
1T Is. said I.
"'we}I.' she said, while L don't feel any
doubt about my ability to pass the exam
ination, l wish you would just let me have
an exact list of the questions that are put
to applicants by the examiners. l want to
run over them and get the answers down
pat
Il wiped my glasses and looked the young
woman over carefully.
'Er-isn't that rather an unusual sort of
a request?' l asked her.
Yes. she replied, I think it is. But
when | go up for the examination l want
to pass with a rush. l dare say that 1
could get through it without any trouble
even IL l had no previous opportunity to
study up the answers to the questions, but
/ want to walk through with positively
electrfying speed. For instance, 1 under
stand the examiners ask applicants how far
the moon is from the Cape of Good Hope
Well. I'd like to have the list of questions,
50 that l could get somebody to calculate
the distance for me and enable me to just
Jot 1t down without a particle of trouble
l wouldn't care to be embarrassed by hav-
ing them ask me how far the moon was
from Cape Horn, instead. That's why 1
want the exact questions. Again, SuppoSing
they We're to give me problem something
like this in fractions: "A pole stands ID
feet above the water 10 feet in the water,
and the remaining portion of the pole,
which is one-third of the whole length, is
in the mud beneath the water. What is the
total length of the pole?" Well, I'd like to
have that all worked out, so that L wouldn't
be subjected to the bother of having the
examiners change the figures on me-
You are trifie inclined to treat your
self kindly, are you not? l asked her, try
ing as hard as could not to be sarcastic.
Well. yes, rather she replied. L am
going to get into the census bureau some
how or another, bit L really prefer the
simplest route. I'd like to be prepared in
advance. It's all very well to go up before
the examiners and bother and fatigue ones
self with problems that one hasn't got all
pat in advance, but I'd really prefer not to
do that unless l have to. OF course, if |
have to, I'll do it. But can't you let me
have the questions in advance-typewritten
preferably-so l could just go ahead and
spend quiet morning digging out the an
swerS?
THAT was Chicagoesque, wasn't it? 1 felt
like asking the young woman how things
were out in Chicago, but I didn't. 1 said:
Do you think it would be fair to the
other applicants for positions if-even sup
posing L had the questions were to fur
nish them in advance to you and not to
them? Why, if l may inquire, do you pre-
fer such an extraordinary, such an I'M
heardof request?
Well she replied, looking me square in
the eye, / need the money-the salary-and
L want to make dead sure of getting it
There was something captivating about
her nerve, and, although she didn't. of
course, get any list of examiners ques-
uons in advance, she passed the examina-
ton hands down, worked her way up to
one of the good billets in the office-and is
going to be back with us again when the
new force is organized"