Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-07-10
OVERLOOKED.
fne LxboriOus Services of the Nimble Tip
slaves.

fno Lxborious Services of the Nin,ble Tip
slaves.
The county auditors have been busy for
several months investigating the officers
OF the county and they have given special
and plaiseworthy attention to those Off
cials who, in their opinion, have been
drawing too much money from the county
treasury. For some reason or other they
have failed to call or inquire about AL
over worked set of men known rs tip
slaves, who do duty in court. In this
force there are eight men, all told, includ-
ing the crier, and for their valuable SER
vices, during the sessions OF court, they
each receive tho modest sum Of
s. per day, while the crier,
who is boss of all, draws his
little "a. Up to the first of last Janu-
ary the pay Of each tipstaif was So and the
crier So. At that time tho increase was
made for some reason or other and the
men are paid as well, if not better, than
any others in the county who do like
amount of labor. Many people ask what
the duties OF these men are and We will
endeavor to givo them some idea. In
quarter sessions courts eight men arc en-
ployed. tome of them march up
and down the big court room and
endeavOr to keep order; others are
used to run errands for lawyers. attend
to juries, and do other light work. Dur
ing these weeks they have the most work.
When the common pleas weeks begin there
are but six men On duty, including the
crier. One tipstaff does duty down stairs
as cricr and four arc left to do the Gsher
work. In argument court there is scarcely
any work to do. but the six able bodied
around the court house every day until
they think they have earned their wages
Itiswell known thatwhile court is in session
some of the men who are employed as tip
slaves 60 outside of the court house to do
work for pay while at the same time their
wages arc going on at the court house
where they are expected to do duty. One
of the number has been known to leave tho
court house and do outside work while
criminal court was in session, when he
certainly would be needed-if ever Others
of the GOwd often sit on arbitrations dur
ing the sessions Of court and draw their
coin for both. or course this soft
job does not last for whole
year, but very close to it and while
court is not in session the tipstaveS
can work at other business, as most of
them do. In case court meets upon a
certain day for five minutes or an hour
the tipstaff draws his full days pay al
though he may not have been obliged to
move from his soft cushioned chair-not
even for ice water-during the whole
session. Tomorrow morning the
court will meet for the special
purpose of hearing the final report
of the auditors. 1t may be in ses-
sion for few minutes or an hour, but it
will not affect the claims of the tipstaf' s
wages, as he will Ego below" imme-
diately after court adjourns to draw as
much Iaoney as many poor laborers in the
city are glad to receive for three days
work.
1t is no wonder the post of tipstaff is one
that is sought after the judges take turn
about in naming the appointees, and each
is said to have long list of applicants,
who have to wait SO long for dead men s
shoes that occasionally the pressure gets
30 strong that it requires new position
to be made in order to reduce the list of
unappeased claimants.