Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-17
KV E VI
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During the census of 1890 1 had con-
kiderable To do with the efficiency rating of
the clerks and other employees" explained
a well-knOwn official who is now connected
with the Interior Department to Star re-
porter. 'and ] was forced by circumstances
To adopt all kinds of methods to secure the
standing Of the people in the office in con-
nection with the never-ceasing efforts of
those concerned to secure promotions In
the important positions, of course, did not
figure much, for the reason that such pro-
motions and changes We're made directly by
the superintendent's office, from knowl-
edge Of the abilities. or lack of the same,
"f the men involved. 1 had to do mostly
with what is known as the rank and file
that is the ordinary lower grade clerks.
messengers and 1aborers. AS all had to do
a certain amount of work each day, in
particular style. there was often a very diff
nSUit question as to who should receive pro-
motions when vacancies occasionally oc-
CURED in higher grades. i tried to give
promotions when / was allowed to do
50 on the merits in each instance, and often
l was weeks in trying to reach conc1u-
sion My conclusion was not always APP
proved, but generally from my official po-
Siton what l said went with those above
me l was forced to arrive a some de-
cisIon. and often / got at it by curious
methods. After all else failed in helping
ME to decide on a promotion. or afterward
in retaining clerks when the time came
when We were reducing the clerical force,
/ depended upon what 1 called the
lunch test My experience had satisfied
me-and the same thing holds good, think
IN all OF the departments today we'll
theu-that the all-around good clerk was
more TO be depended upon than those who
Were particularly rapid or accurate in spe-
Cial work. and that the all-around clerk
Cl,aSi rz4D (yaT,iU nla
enough. but they could not always be de-
pended upon. This class of unfortunates are
generally extravagant, and the lunch test
showed them up to a nicely, even when
other things failed. They would invaria bly,
go out and buy their lunches generally on
Credlt. too, and would be eXtravagant in
ordering the same. The average depart
ment lunch rarely costs over ten cents
while the clerks | refer to would run it up
TO twenty and often twenty-five, having
no intention of paying for it if they could
avoid it. | found that the all-around clerk,
the conservative, economical and dependa-
BILE fellow. as a rule, brought his lunch
with him. thus saving money and often
getting Il better lunch than a small sum
would buy. The homemade lunch was one
Of the evidences of his superiority, and. as
] say. from this lunch test alone L have
often decided on promotions. l don't know
that others have done so, but [ am satisfied
that il is a better test than some that /
know Of having been made in deciding on
promotions and retentions. The test could
r1fe. they all brought their lunches with
them
= Z x
The formidable display Of sword canes
dirk knives. daggers, brass knuckles, ETC.
made frequently in the show windows of
Iawnshops." observed a lieutenant of the
police 10 a Star reporter. reminds me of
the saying that the bark is worse than the
biJt I remember when 1 was young
man and the night when 1 was first put on
police duty. My beat was in the vicinity of
the old Northern Liberty market house,
9TH and New York avenue. There were
Your pawnbrokers places then on eth
street. three above and one below the mar
krt all Of which were included in my beat.
! Suppose the same line of stuff had always
been displayed in their windows. but prob
ably had never noticed it. Anyhow, l re-
member that when / returned to the sta
Jion house ! told the lieutenant in charge
OF The precinct of what l saw in the pawn
brokers windows. 1 supposed that the ex-
h!bitiun of such danserOus-looking instru-
meutS. as the carrying of them, was a vio-
laJioD Of law. and thought | should report
il The lieutenant simply smiled and told
NE that that sort of stuff did no harm,
and that in his Twenty-Five years expert
ence in police business he had never
known Of any one being injured even by
a sword cane, and had never known of an
assault having been made by one.
The same can be said of brass knuckles
and th. dirks though there are a few cases
on rrcorh. think. where assaults have been
made. by them but the harm done by them
Is trifiins The people who hlly that kind
Of stuff never do any harm TO any one IN
they know il. and tire of it soon as the
novelty wears off. The purchasers are gen.
eraIIy big bovs The stuff very often finds
its way back into the pawnhroker's or sec
ord-hand store for no one else will buy or
handle il. Indeed, / think the sword cane
which reported at the time sneak Of is
still in the window of A secondhand dealer
further ttn on Ith street. Probably in the
rast twenty-five wears il has not had over
tye owr..rS and they all returned il at a
discount off. of course. The man who talks
sword cane dagger. dirk and brass kuuc-
kIes i the barker. not the bitter"
g
Mighty few neonIe move on Fridays"
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