The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-04-07
MANY Queer ANSWERS
Curious Responses TO Civil Service
Board Enquiries.
Definitions Of Applicants for Posi-
lions a. Law Clerk Concerning
Suspensions of the Writ OF HabeAs
COrpuS-A View About the Co-Ordi-
mite branches of the Government.

The Civil Service examiners are busy
marking the average Of those whose rec
ords Of examination come before them.
The tediousness OF this duty" said d
member OF the examining board TO
Times reporter. rs somewhat lighteDed by
the many extraordinary and amusing an
swers which are received to questions
which one would think were by no means
out Of the ordinary subjects with which
every citizen Of this country is supposed to
be familiar. II is wonderfully strange
what a poor examination some persons.
who are rally clever, will pass while 9TH
ers. generally not half 50 bright, will, up
on being examined answer paarly every
question correctly and almost instantly.
There seems no doubt but that by the pres
ent method OF competitive examinations.
the best clerks are secured.
Here arc some remarkably samples OF
answers to questions received during our
recent tests and already passed upon. The
following query occurred in an examination
for law clerk:
Under hat circumstances may the writ
Of habeas corpus be constitutionalIy sus-
pended? One max IS answer. 'Dishonora-
bic action. simply. while another. TO be
more explicit. writes When the person
charged with IaisGenIeanOr is a member OF
Congress 1Ais Is beaten by another ap-
plicant who answers, When the person
for whom the writ H. issued is a member
Of Congress. or Of the House Of Represen-
tative' The best Of the lot however is
made by a young man who has tor several
years filled the position OF law clerk In one
Of the departments IN what must be pre-
sumed TO have been a satisfactor.s manner.
He says, In case OF death, or II the person
is under sentence Of death.
A well-know young man answers the
question Into what coordinate branches
is the Government OF the Unitei States
divided Army, navy and civil service,
and complains in an appendix 20 his paper
that he had no faculties for refreshing
his memory at all
Questions in false svntaX give many
Of the applicants much trouble 'RebecCa
took goodly raiment and put them on
Jacob is one Of the sentences 20 be cor
,rected. II was corrected in many ways.
and among others the following. 'Rebecca
gOodly took raiment and put them upon
Jacob. and -Rebecca took sufficient
raiment and put them on jacob. Some
OF the answers TO tho questions in history
are also rather peCuliSr. The question,
What two noted Polish generals fought
for this country dsrinE the Revolutionary
War brought forth the following an
swers De Kalb. Cromwell La Fayette.
Sigel and Heintzelman
Before the Civil Service examinations
were in vogue" continued the examiner.
the old examining boards Of the Treas
ury Department had a way OF asking
questions such as Where is the newly
discovered heaven Arcadia and How
long would b take a pound Of snow 10
melt on the 18th Of July just FOR the
purposes of amusement. but il would seem
that the soundly practical queries which
are now put by the Commission are pro-
ductiye Of answers sufficiently queer"