Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-10-24
MORFORD'S GENEROSITY.
How the Autocrat of All the Alleys
Rules.

L
Rules.
There is nothing like short cut, q
short and easy method of doing what
one wants to do, or Of getting where one
wants to get. Autocrats of all the Rus.
sias, Great Moguls and Prester Johns,
have been envied of all men from time
immemorial because they had this open
sesame way of doing things, all cut and
dry, ready for immediate use on all i'm
aginable occasions. But these worthless
must all pale their Intellectual fires before
present year of grace, and under the ex-
listing Republican rule. The able and
graceful incumbent of this Office is Col.
W. E. Morford. He was born some
go years ago in a foreign land,
to wit, New Jersey, and by taking up a
residence in California became q voter
here, and, being true blue Republican,
he became an office holder as soon as he
could gat one. He was long time get.
ting it, but succeeded at last by the
grace OF the official ring and the votes of
the people. He is filling the place most
ably, but is little bit OF an autocrat,
considering that this is government of
the people, by the people, and for the
people. In Los Angeles at present it
sometimes looks like a government by
the ring, against the people, and for the
Doodle. Colonel Morford of course is an
exception on the last proposition. As
said, the only objection to be made
to his administration is solely CT the
line Of despotic rule. When the Colonel
wanted safe for his Office he went out
and got one. He did not want any red
tape in his department, and would not
run circumlocution Office. He wanted
safe and got one.
When contract was to be let to put
bridge over the Arroyo de Las Posas the
able and efficient Superintendent of
Streets, the Colonel. took the matter out
of the hands of the proper committee of
the Council and put the bridge in of his
own proper motion. Then when the
paving Of the approaches to the First
street viaduct was to be done. the gal
lant Colonel did not care to delay things
by any tedious processes in the
Council or before the Board of Pub
lie Works. The Superintendent of
Streets ordered the paving done,
and, presto! it was done. But two or
three times presto, and the contractor
has not been paid. But that is out of
the Colonsl's line. He is not the Treas
urer, or no doubt that would be done too
without any intervention of warrants or
other slow and tedious methods.
But all these are small matters. The
Celonel's latest exploit in his expediting
Office is to let franchises for railroads.
The residents of North Chestnut street,
Eaet Los Angeles. got up the other
morning, and, stepping out of doors after
breakfast, they found gang of men
laying railroad track along their street.
Inquiry developed the fact that it was
the Cross road to Pasadena laying in a
spur to get to a big gravel
bed belonging to the city, in order
to cart away said gravel for ballast for
the road. Further inquiry developed
the fact that Captain Gross, or one of
his representatives, had acquired the
franchise, right of way, and, right of
gravel, and all the other rights or
wrongs in the case from w. E. Morford
in his capacity of Superintendent of
Streets. The Colonel being asked about
the matter, said of course he gave the
permission to do all and every one Of these
acts, and added, "For, am l not the Su-
perintendent of Streets ?"