The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-04-26
WOMEN CLERKS IN WASHINGTON.

About one-third of all employees
i'll the Government departments at
Washington are women. Several re-
ceive over ST., 500 per annum, about
fifty receive 1000 per annum, 100
receive ST, 400 per annum, $50 receive
81 200, three hundred ST 900, and
the remainder receive from $500 to
5000 per annum.
The Civil Service Commission rec
ords for last year show that 3,o38
women were examined for the vari-
Gus positions open to them under the
civil service. Of these, 2,476 passed
and 444 were appointed 1851 of
the applicants examined came under
the head of Skilled labor" This is
the easiest examination given, and
the lowest salaries are paid to those
appointed under it, the remuneration
ranging from rs cents an hour,
amounting to from $40 to $40 month
to 500 month. The higher salaries
generally go to the men employed
from this class the lower salaries are
paid to the charwomen.
The most popular examination for
women is that for stenographers and
typewriters. "Good stenographers"
is the ceaseless demand of the depart
ment official-not mediocre, but good
par excellence. On stenographic ex-
animation days the big, dreary ex-.
animation room at the commission is
crowded with trembling applicants.
Nowadays the stenographer is of ne
cessity a typewriter, and the prelim-
mary tinkle and clink reverberates
from every known make of writing
machine. The men predominant.
Last year they numbered 563, while
the women had little more than half
that representation-3o7-yet the av-
erage passing was larger on the fe-
male side. But when it came to the
question Of appointment, SO out of
the I74 men who passed received
good positions, while only IS of the
100 women on the eligible list were
appointed. These positions carry a
salary of from 5000 to 81, 200 year
the stenographers of bureau chiefs re-
ceive 81, 600, and those of the heads
of departments $1,000. The Com
missioner of Pensions employs wo
man stenographer, and many of the
lower officials refuse to have male
stenographers in their offices.
Government work is we'll paid only
when we'll done. In the third place,
promotions are the reward of merit.
A very striking illustration of this
occurred last winter when young
woman was made chief of one Of the
divisions in the Post Office Depart
ment, because she knew more about
the work of that particular division
than any other employee in it. She
receives salary of So, ,24o, one of the
best paid to any woman in the ser
vice.
Miss Thora Stejneger of the Smith
sonian Institution, is another woman
who is earning large wages. Miss
Stejneger is 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-
nian, and many are the queer speci-
mems that she examines and labels
with unerring skill.
Miss Estelle Reel, superintendent
of Indian schools, does the work and
endures the hardships that are sup
posed to be the lot of men exclusive
ly. The poorest Indian schools on
the far away frontier must be visited
| quite as regularly as the famous in
stitutions at Carlisle and Hampton.
Miss Reel has had many adventures,
and not few mishaps. Often she is
obliged to drive for miles in buck
board or on a rafting stagecoach, and
camp all night on the rustling prairie
the rustling prairie grass for a mat
tress, Navajo blanket for covering,
the star studded sky for canopy, and
a dear little revolver for company.
Last year while fording a river in
Indian Territory her wagon was up
set and she was swept down stream
for nearly a mile and half and was
rescued by cowboy just as she was
being whirled into some deep and
dangerous rapids. No one will say
that this woman does not earn her
$1,000 a year, with the additional
81, 500 for travelling expenses and
subsistence. If Miss Reel could eat
Uncle Sans greenbacks and gold
| pieces, everything would be comfort
able, but there are Indian villages
where all the necessary expense"
appropriations for the White House
state dinners would not buy square
meal. Recently Miss Reel wrote a
textbook for Indian schools which
embraces every topic of educational
training for the Indian student.
1t is mistaken idea also that good
looks influence promotions. A case
in mind is that of young lady in one
of the departments, decidedly unpre-
possessing in appearance, who enter
| al the GNrya,-,,,,,a.1f carx1fOa oc q (nT1u.