The Yale expositor., 1912-01-18

other one OF dozen tasks common to every com
nunity in this busy age. On the other hand,
however. Uncle Sam has his payroll number
Of women who have odd duties. Some Of the
tasks. indeed, novel, that Uncle Sam had
TO train his own workers for their performance
and there are, scattered hero and there i'll the
ranks Of the army of feminine workers, women
experts specialists who have absolutely unique
vocations-mistrcsse of their crafts who have no
rivals anywhere in the world.
For instance there is a woman in the employ
OF the department of state who stands preemi-
nent q manuscript doctor" or manuscript
surgeon Never heard OF such thing, did you?
Well it is a very important line OF work for all
that there is not wide market for her services
and it is form Of endeayor that is almost inva-
liable 10 Uncle Sam. who likes 10 preserve intact
all the historical manuscripts and documents
which have had bearing upon tho history Of
our nation. Before the government had recourse
TO the services of this ''restorer' many Of the
most valuable documents Creates, presidential
proclamations etcD were fast going 10 ruin. Age,
handling, and frequent foldings that broke the
paper had indeed, already played havoc with
many precious relic After this ingenious won.
an took hold she accomplished wonders in mend
ing the ravages of time She patched and pasted
and smoothed out wrinkles and the result is that
many Of these treasured mementoes are, to all
appearances, literally as good as new.
very interesting line Of work iii which Uncle
Sam has recruited a corps of especially adept
women workers is fine book binding In ordi.
nary practice mosti bookbindng nowadays is done
by machinery. That is the way it is done at
the government printing Office where there Is
maintained one of the biggest boolbnding plants
IN the country. However. the government has
some books that it desires to have bound with
the costliest materials and with greater care
than can be bestowed upon the machinemade
product. This hand-work is performed for the
most part by women and some OF the morocco
bound volumes which they have turned out in
recent years would arouse all sorts of enthusiasm
were they to be exhibited at any of those expo
sitlons OF woinen's Eandicraft which are held
from time to time
The whole process Of making Uncle Sans pa.
per money and postage stamps is full of odd
tasks and many OF them are performed By wom-
en- The women-hundTeds OF trein-assist IN
printing the precious product and they have an
ideal field in which TO develop their superior
deftncss of lingering in the counting and recount
ing of the money in the making The newly.
printed currency is counted no less than half
hundred times ere Uncle Sam sends IL out to tho
people, end women do most OF this enumeration.
They also examine the sheets Of money and
stamps for the tiny defects OF printing, and this
requires q keenness Of vision almost unbelievable
In its accuracy
When the soiled currency tattored and torn.
Is sent back to Uncle Sam as unfit for further
it is other women at the treasury
department. who have to count It and check up
ue ieluIHs' Connected Win tniS CHce-the re-
lempton division, few women whose work
s perhaps the most miraculous of all the won
iertasks performed by the women at Washing.
on. Their forte is to identify the denomination
'f partially destroyed bills which no ordinary
Individual would regard as anything more than
waste paper Currency that has been chcwed
~ dogs, notes that have been torn into bits and
wen charred paper money that has been all but
consumed by the flames is taken in hand by these
WARDS and In ninctynine cases out Of a hun
red they manage to ascertain the denomination
Il the damaged bit Of pulp or paper and Uncle
Sam reimburses the unfortunate owner
In line with the detective work of these money
leuths Is the intuition tyou cannot call it any.