Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-29

AhlAAh NAAAnANH NMNA6 I'll ~ NNNNRa
expense" appropriations for the White
House state dinners would not buy a square
meal. Recently Miss Reel wrote a textbook
for Indian schools which embraced every
topic Of educational training for the Indian
student.
Brains Better Than Good Looks.
It is a mistaken idea also that good looks
influence promotions. A case in mind is
that Of a young lady in one OF the depart
ments. decidedly unprepossessing in appear
ance, who entered the government service as
a copyist, was advanced to a stenographer's
position. and while holding that position
studied that branch Of law applicable to the
work Of the department in which she was
employed. Called upon by accident to ex-
anime a complicated case she rendered so
comprehensive and able a legal decision
that she was promoted to the position Of
law clerk. which she now holds. All this
was without political influence or the sup
posed power OF good looks.
outside of the salaries paid skilled la
borers. printers assistants and press feed
ers, which rarely IL ever exceed $40 a
month, remuneration for women in the de-
partments runs from $3.50 to S1,4O0 a year
that is. for the average clerk. II has
been urged that the women drawing these
III BOOd hdhhA AOo oAo btAhb
spoiled for wives. Perhaps they are. No
one can. blame a girl for being reluctant to
give up a comfortable income and the free
dom to live as she pleases for the cares
and worries of married life. When a de-
partment girl does marry she usually makes
& success of 1t. No dashing ne'er-do-well
can hope to catch her fancy and her neat
nest egg. She meets and knows too many
men not to be able to catalogue them.
Then, the matrimonial chances in Wash
ington are few. It is not a business town.
The male department clerk is not an "eligi-
BILE" by any means. He frequently gets no
more per month than his female co-laborer
and sometimes less. A large proportion
of them live from hand to mouth and are
flush" only on salary days and BROKE
on all others.
"OId Ladies' of the Treasury"
Much has been said and written about
the "old ladies of the treasury" It is
true, there are a great many elderly women
in that department-but surely their age is
no cause for complaint. Some are in the
70e, one or two have drifted along to so
odd. Their salaries all touch or overlap
the 500 per month mark. Among them are
the widows and daughters of famous men.
For years they nave worked in this biggest
bank in the world and millions upon mil
lions Of dollars have they helped to pour
out through the enormous check books over
which their white heads are constantly
bent. The treasury contains the most in
teresting workers in Washington-'Nese are
the women whose skillful eyes an delicate
fingers can detect a counterfeit in a second.
So expert are they that a glance %sufices.
Occasionally, however, a counterfeit is so
near the original that 1t takes considerable
time and labor to prove the forgery. In the
case of a bogus bill the paper is soaked
and then separated by means Of a slender
knife. The government greenback is made
up Of three thin sheets pressed together
with hairlike threads Of silk between. One
can imagine the steadiness OF hand required
to separate these sheets one from another
without tearing or mutilating them In any
way. These women are not paid extremely
large salaries for their work, not over
$1,000 per annum. yet it is doubtful II any
men could be found to do the work regard
less OF salary.
Where Women Beat Men.
Some pension officials declare that II
male instead OF female clerks were en-
ployed on the pension cases OF our old
soldiers, their widows and orphans, the
PNN piOopOS'lNo pcuSlOueTS WOulQ ole o.
starvation before action was reached on
their claims. In cases where exactitude
to the verge OF Thickness is required
women are better clerks than men. This
has been borne out In the work of thu
census bureau. where the tabulating ma
chimes requiring amending patience, and thu
most skillful exactness of touch, are all
run by women.
1t is a well-dressed crowd of women anC
girls who troop down to the departments
in the mornings. the women, may of them
from once wealthy families, dressed II
somber black. the girls in short skirts anC
tailored waist. Indeed, this sensible cos
tune Of short skirt and shlrtwaist has
become almost a uniform, so general hai
been its adoption. 1t signifies the passage
OF the old idea that woman in bushes.
is playing at work. She has tried II anC
found it good, now she is going to dres!
for 1t, and those of her sex who are ener.
getic and ambitious enough to secure tn,
shekels from Uncle Sans moneybal
should not be objects of envy. but rather
of emulation. The way of obtaining thesC
places is tedious and long. but under thu
methods employed by the Civil Service
commission it is open to all, and no matter
how remote the place may be, opportunities
are given to those who live there to taxi
the civil service examination. which Is thu
prerequisite for employment in the govern
mept service.