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This newspaper page contains 7 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
The Indianapolis Journal
Location
Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
Date
Apr 27, 1902
Page
3
Why applicants are anxious to secure positions in Washington rather than elsewhere. The article examines the criteria, scrutiny, and competitive pressures in federal staffing, noting the heightened expectations, lengthy selection processes, and the allure of stability offered by government jobs in the capital.
The Civil service Commission notes 67,200 spring and fall exam applicants with about 6 to 7 percent women appointed. About 212,000 men and 240 women have passed exams, yet only a fraction secure positions. Washington clerks number 109,000, with an average salary near 1,129 yearly, while total payroll exceeds 131,000,000 annually. Department roles span Postmaster General’s office largest at 196,000, Treasury 90,000, War 27,000, Navy 17,000, Interior 16,000, Agriculture and Justice around 2,400 and 90 respectively, with White House staff at 28.
A curio filled portrait of federal offices, long hours, and generous leave contrasts with a mix of anecdotes. The piece notes 127 salaries from 1540 to 8000 a year, vivid grind of time reports, and cafe culture inside State War and Navy and Interior buildings, plus social commentary on clerks and public service. Several digressions cover New Orleans and Toledo mayors, stamp collectors, and a camel transportation proposal.
A lengthy Southwest history note recalls Jefferson Davis promoting a 1851 bill to import thirty camels and twenty dromedaries with Arab drivers to aid frontier warfare and transport across deserts. Davis argued camels would outrun Apache bands and move ordnance, drawing on Eastern and Egyptian experience.
A long recounting of American camel experiments from 1857 to 1882. It covers Representative Richardson's baseless Danish bribery claims, the Purchase, voyage, and deployment of camels to Fort Tejon and Albuquerque, and the Desert caravan failures. It notes hardship, mutiny, and eventual desertion, with some camels ending up in Nevada, Arizona, and even a small wildlife presence near the Mexican border.
Physicians intensify efforts to combat mosquito activity seen as key to eradicating fevers worldwide. Reports indicate rising cases and urgent campaigns across continents as medical professionals target transmission and seek preventive measures.
The article urges draining stagnant water and using kerosene to kill larvae, noting mosquitoes spread malaria and fever. Medical experts from the United States and abroad warn of summer disease risks and advocate a citywide crusade, with New Jersey funding cited as an example.
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