Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-05-01
KEEP NIGHT VIGIL
IN HOPE OF Jobs.
More Than 1000 Applicants
for Blanks for Places as
LaborerS.
LIST MADE UP BIENNlALLY |
FOR CIVIL SERVICE ROLL
About 400 Positions Filled Each
Year, Pay Ranging From
$240 to 5000.

AFTER an all-nlSht camp IN the SCfSeS9
in the vicinity of the civil service COM
mission offices, near 18th and F streets.
more than two thousand men. women
and boys were on hand at the commits
sion's ONCE this morning for the distri-
button of the application blanks for
unskilled labor. 1t was the biennial
distribution of blanks to make up a
list from which eligibles may be drawn
after July l. The positions are for
laborers and charwomen in the gov
eminent departments at Washington,
positions paying from s240 to $500 a
year.
Long before midnight there was a
line more than a square long. They
brought boxes and chairs and some
cushions, SO that they could rest dur
ing the all-ntght wait. In former
years the line began forming long be-
fore shutdown of the preceding day,
but last year it was determined not to
hold the May day distribution and to
let the eligible list Of the year before
continue for another year.
Just Enough Applications.
This probably created the belief that
tinue the practice of giving out the
blanks. Where in years before it had
bsen necessary to turn down thou
tor all who wanted them today. There
were $500 given out
Those who had sandwiches and other
edihles to peddle did a land Office busi-
ness during the night, for standing in
line makes one hungry. and when the
white wings came around this morning
they had a regular circus clean-up.
Peanut hulls, apple skins, paper wrap
pings and the like. and even enough
old boxes to keep a stove running sew
eral weeks, for after the rush for
blanks began nobody thought of car
rying along with him the resting place
he had used during the night.
Several tables were placed on the
sidewalk in front of the commissions
ofnces. forming an aisle through which
the double line passed. clerks of the
commission standing on the sides of
the aisle distributing the treasured
papers.
Policemen Are Kept Busy.
The policemen had a job watching
the line. keeping those who came late
from trying to jump into the line when
ever they could, and it was necessary
4 number of times to pull men and
women out of the line. Some sought
special favors from the policemen, ask
ing to be put in choice places in the
line. but the policemen refused even to
know their friends today. Policeman
George B. Wheelock stood at the head
Of the line, keeping it good natured-
however. IL was a good-natured. or
derby crowd anyway. But he kept II
moving. and after they received their
blanks they kept on the run.
There were all classes in the line
Youth and old age were represented
Men bent from trouble and worry. and
whose clothes had served their days,
were there. were young girls not
yet out of their teens. The greater
part of the line was made up Of col
ored applicants. All were eager to get
their blanks and get them Allied out
and on file with the commission quickly
After the distribution the curbstones,
the steps of the government buildings
and lawns In the vicinity were used as
desks while the applicants filled in the
blanks. SO that they could get on the
roster early. Many brought their pens
and ink with them, and they were not
selfish, for the ink bottles did yeomen
service there today.
Some There to Prey.
Some were there to prey upon the
uneducated. One does not have to read
or write to get one of these positions
under the government, and they may
have their blanks filled out for them
and they sign with a mark before a
witness. People came this morning
and charged the unsuspectins colored
ones for fllins in the blanks. The po-
lice heard of 1t. and located several
people indulging in this practice. The
officials of the commission did not
know how it could be broken up, and
the police did not know what to do
They contented themselves with warn
ing the applicants against such people
Inside the commission sat a clerk
with a numbering stamp numbering
the applications they were filed
for there are only about 400 vacancies
But then some of these $500 are weed
ed out in the physical examination.
Rigid Physical Tests.
All applications have to be on fl.
with the commission by May 7. TheI
the physical examinations begin. Thu
male applicants must be accustomed
to hard manual labor. and adult male
must be capable Of shouldering ant
carrying with ease $50 pounds weight
Applicants having any defect, de
formity or infirmity plainly uniting
them for hard labor or who are un
able to see or hear well or who can
not speak distinctly will be rejected a
once.
Male sligiblss will be entered on til,