Joseph West Moore described
government clerks of the day in his 1889 tome coined Picturesque Washington
as follows:
“People who are unacquainted with department life in Washington are
very apt to believe that government clerks, as a general thing, are indolent
and improvident – a peculiar set who have obtained office by political favor,
who work very little, and spend the liberal salaries they receive in
extravagant living. This is a singular
but by no means uncommon mistake…it can be truly said that the majority are industrious,
sober, economical, and, without doubt, fully on par with similar workers in
commercial lines.”
In 1889, male clerks
usually began with a salary between $800 and $1,000, while their female
counterparts began at $700 per year.
Interestingly, each also received 30 days per year of paid vacation!
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