The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-03-18

THE OFFICE OF CITY ESGISEER.-It the old
adagc "save me from my friends" " seeks contcln-
rorgr3 application. 81 L. to b" found In late
card in the ispdtch over the signature Of Se"t-
raj Old CitizcnS' presenting the claims Of MIR.
WASIlINGTON GILL for the position OF City En-
enecr 10 the prejudice Of all other applicants
While objection can be urged to its prevalent
spirit which would lift angel to the skies. there
IS the manifest presence Of another and deplorn-
hr inclination t. pull m2rtals down. If 1tr. GILL
deserves tn cons liberation which places him so
far above others, why Gecry tn. science Of astro
nomy, through whose aid his injudicions friends
NAV find his azimuth? Does the oCcup2-
ton of an office for sixteen years, with
whatete of zeal or industry that may have been
shown hy the Inc -nbcnt, justify his friends IN a
sweeping sur OF requirements which have r, D.
dered men illustrious and benefited the world9
Is the knowledge Of "a good brick or II piece OF
stone or wood more difficult of accomplishment,
and more valuable when acquired, than engineer
ing stln: II, nc Htr. GItL'3 frlends have applied
the fable, we nave lad King LOG. does 1t justify
the conclusion that his successor must prove a
King SToRK? TIL" Introduction Of the incident
Of the Western orator, who, with his a." lcarRe |
friend hah douhties, ato soaked with old So
CRATES" dots not udorn the taic however, It
may point 4 moral namely. that the kno" ledge OF
bricks should l. carried in the had rather than
in the hat.
As n concluding cl;.iIn IN the part Of Mr.. GILLS
friends, II e. stated I'll he lis in possession Of
vast amount of mwritcn necessarily s"l inior-
nation absolutely requisite 10 the proper iilling Of
the Office of City Enslncer.n Injudicious ger
temcn. With sixteen years. Of opportunity to
transfer, either thraul manuscripts or maps, In
formal On gniu"d as Ci:r Eng stncnr, which should
now belong to the city and he among It's archives
this information, "absolutely req ii,le, ana
for which the city has paid in Air. GILL'S
salary. now holds prccarious lodemeut In u"
memory of th,t gentleman and with the loss Of
its present use the rity Is threatened unless Mr.
GILL Is elected, and IL Is ultimately irrcparaby
gone whether Mr., Gill he elected or no, at the
death oCthat esteemed gentleman. Many years ago,
nerllaps when PARACELst-S WAS seeking the eiiXcr
or life there we're to be found those who credited
the existence of lore or bacS art de yln2 cxpre--
sion through pnn or pencil: II / pow believed 81
outrage upon cCIuinn sense 10 make such an asser-
tion. As information gathered through sixteen
Years must by the late system he ultimately an en-
tire loss fss 1t " unwrittcn, andncccssarily so,1
II seems fun time TO inaugnrate Gnohc" syctIn by
sh.ch this lore may lie made permanently avaia-
bic.
Even this va,ntcd Information Of Mr.. GILL's is
sometimes at fault. as about two years since Tenth
expensive search for . culyert whose depth from
the surface anb distance from q" curb proillea
and maps In The city office should have n''icate'.
The CITY Treasurer paid for this knowlc'ge at
least. bringing "thc great Sir ISAAC himself, or
the phi.usophc and laborious HrMH0LDT," nearer
On par with Mr.. GILL rs to local information
than the friends Of the latter gentleman are anX
iotts 10 a'im.t,
Personalities, under all circuns distances, are to
he deprecated. and the assertion on the part of
Several Old Cltzcns'' that gentlemen applying
Tor the position in question may have brass as "A
substitute for brains must he dcploreh. Such re
Elections, like curses, come home to roost.
Tie City Council will doubtless consider fairly
and f. lily the ftness OF all applicants for the
rious Offices now 10 be filled and IL Is to be regret
ted that injudcious friends shnul1 havc a7sacated
the name Of Mr. GILL with an article whose tone
aud spirit merit rcbuke. COURTESY.