How were most candidates chosen to fill government jobs in the period before the Pendleton act of 1883?

Well, honey, before the Pendleton Act of 1883 came along, government jobs were basically handed out like free samples at Costco on a Saturday morning. It was all about who you knew, not what you knew. So, if you had a buddy in power, you were pretty much set for a cushy government gig. It was a big ol' mess of favoritism and political patronage back in the day.