Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-04-06
Especial to the Bulletin.)


one woman out of every fifty in the
Departments (if we except the girls in
the Customs Bureau) but is either the
mead of a family or one of its main
props. A great many have mothers
whom thoy care for while the broth
ers are married or perhaps not doing
so well.
Promotion Goes by Merit
To the hard working girl of Chicago.
New York, and many other of the big
and little cities of our country; the
Government clerk who draws a gen.
erous salary on the first and fifteenth
of every month, is regarded with al
most vindictive envy. An erroneous
opinion prevails that she is showed in
to position by an influential member
of Congress-; that her working hours
are a sort of quiet resting time, and
that Congressional backing is con
stantly pushing her a notch on the sal.
airy roll. Now, she is no more a At
subject for jealousy than any other
successful business woman. She works
: Just as hard-and harder sometimes
! than her sister on the outside. In the
first place all the influence in Wash
ington won't put her on the eligible
list" of the Civil Service Commission.
Che hard pnnat ho W
ability to get there. In the second
place, when she has secured a place
she must work to keep 1t, and expert
labor for six hours and a half day Is
not easy. There must be no errors In
accounts, no mistakes in letters, no
misstatement of facts. Government
work is well paid for only when well
done. In the third place promotions
are the reward of merit. A very strik.
ing illustration of this occurred the
last winter when a young woman was
made chief of one of Che divisions of
the Post Office Department, because
she knew more about the work of that
particular division than any other en-
ployee in 1t. She receives salary OF
$2,240, one OF the best paid to any wo.
man in the service.
Miss Thora Stejnejer, of the Smith.
sonian Institute, is another woman
who is earning large wages. Miss
Stejnejer is a Norwegian who has de.
voted her life to the study of animals.
She has charge of the classification of
all animals received by the Smithso.
MAN. and many are the queer speci-
mems she examines and labels with
the skill Of an expert, day after day,
year in and year out.
Among the Indian Schools.
Miss Estelle Reel, Superintendent Of
Indian Schools, does the work and en-
dures the harlshlps that are supposed
to be the lot of men exclusively. Her
WORK takes her all over the West, and
through many Eastern States. The
poorest Indian school on the far away
frontier must be visited quite as reg.
ularly as the famous institutions at
Carlyle and Hampton. Miss Reel has
had many adventures and not few
mishaps. Often she is obliged TO drive
for miles In a blackboard or on a rat
Ting stage coach. and camp all night
on the open prairie-the rustling grass
for a mattress, Navajo blanket for
covering the star studded sky for
canopy, and a dear revolver for com
pany. Last year while fording a river
In Indian Territory. her wagon was
upset, and she was swept down stream
for nearly half a mile, and was res
cued by cowboy just as she was be-
ing whirled into some deep and dan.
gerous rapids. No one will say that
this woman does not earn her $4,000
year with the additional 1900 for
travelling expenses and subsistence.
II Miss Reel could eat Uncle Sans
greenbacks and gold pieces, every
thing would be comfortable, but there
are Indian villages where all the nee
essary expense" appropriations for
the White House state dinners would
not buy a square meal. Recently Miss
Reel wrote a text book for use In In
diaN Schools, which embraces every
topic of educational training for the
Indian student.
It is a mistaken idea also that good
looks influence promotions. A case
in mind is that of young lady In one
OF the Departments, most wholly I'M
prepossessing in appearance who en-
tered the Government service as a
copyist, was advanced to a stenograph-
er's sosltion and while holding that
studied that branch of law applicable
TO the work Of the Department in
which she was employed. Called up.
on by accident to examine a complicat.
ed case she rendered so comprehen.
sive and able a legal opinion that she
was promoted 10 the position of law
clerk which she now holds. All this
without political influence or the sup.
posed Influence of good looks.
Salaries and Matrimony.
outside of the salaries paid skilled
laborers, printers assistants and press
feeders, which rarely II ever exceed
$40 a month, remuneration for women
in the Departments runs from $500 to
81, 400 a year, that Is for the average