Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-04-16

AAAN 6AASNN
linens that she examines and labels
with unerring skill.
! Miss Estelle Reel, superintendent of
Indian schools, does the work and en-
dures the hardshipS that are suppos-
eel to be the lot of men exclusively.
| The poorest Indian schools on the
far away frontier must be visited
quite as regularly as the famous in
stitntions at Carlisle and Hampton.
Miss Reel has had many adventures
and not few mishaps. Often she is
Obliged to drive for miles in a buck
board or on a rafting stage coach.
and camp all night on the open prai-
rie-the rustling prairie grass for a
mattress, Navajo blanket for COW
ering. the star-studded sky for can
opy. and dear little revolver for
company. Last year while fording n
river in Indian territory her wagon
was upset and she was swept down
stream for nearly mile and Il half
and was rescued by n cowboy Just as
she was being whirled into some deep
and dangerous rapids. No one will
say that this woman does not earn
her $4,000 a year, with the additional
81 500 for travelling expenses and sub
sistence. If Miss Reel could eat I'm
cle Sans greenbacks and gold pieces
everything would be comfortable, but
there are Indian villages where all
the necessary expense" appropria-
tions for the White House state dim
ners would not buy a square meal.
Recently Miss Reel wrote text book
for Indian schools which embraces
every topic of educational training
for the Indian student.
1t is a mistaken idea also that good
looks influence promotions. \ case i'm
mind is that of a young lady in one
of the departments,ss * sdedly unpre-
possessing in appearSNe, who en-
tered the government service as n
copyist. was advanced to a stenog-
rapher's position. and while holding
that position studied that branch of
law applicable TO the work of the de-
partment in which she was employed.
Called upon by accident to examine
a complicated case she rendered so
comprehensive and able legal decis-
ion that she was promoted to the po-
Sition of law clerk. which she now
holds. All this was without political
influence or the supposed power of
good looks.
Outside of the salaries paid skilled
laborers printers assistants and press
feeders. which rarely. if ever, exceed
$40 month. remuneration for WOE
men in the departments runs from
$3.50 to HOO year-that is for the
average clerk. 1t has been urged
that the women drawing these com
paratively good salaries are being
spoiled for wives. Perhaps they are.
No one can blame a girl for being re-
luctant TO give up a comfortable in
come and the freedom to live as she
pleases for the cares and worries of
married life. When department
girl does marry she usually makes n
success of it. 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 matri-
monial chances i'm Washington are
few. 1t is not a business town. The
male department clerk is not an
eligible" by any means. He fire.
quently gets no more per month than
his female co-laborer. and sometimes
less. \ large proportion of them live
from hand TO mouth, and are flush
only on salary days and broke" on
all others.
IT. is a well dressed crowd of wo-
men and girls who troop down TO the
in the mornings. the wo-
men. many of them, from wealthy
families-dressed in sombre black.
the girls in short skirts and tailored
waists Indeed, this sensible costume
of short skirt and shirt waist has al
most become a uniform, so general
has been its adoption.-Boston Trans
cript.