Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-02-18
A Neat Little Game.

There would be something very
,omical in the way the constables have
worked the county exchequer If there
we're not serious side to it. The HER
AID first, and the Board Of Supervisors
called attention to this little
game through which the Constable
at Lancaster, was enabled to draw over
81 600 in single month from the county
treasury. The next feature Of interest in
this matter was developed yesterday,
when Conductor Bowling, of the South
em Pacific Railway, told reporter of
the HERALD that the constable at Lam
caster offered his brakeman fifty cents
for every tramp brought into Lancaster.
Doubtless these liberal inducements
have been held out to other brake
men, as a constable of such enter
prising instincts would disdain to
practice favoritism. The genius who
first called the attention of the taxpayers
to how prolific Antelope Valley was in
tramps is gentleman named Magee. At
one time working for the beggarly pit.
lance of $75 a month as telegraph oper-
ator, he saw his opening and promptly
embraced it, with the result of depicting
the county exchequer of over 81 900 in a
single month. Seeing that Othello's oc-
cupation was gone, through the adoption
of the White bill, restricting the remun-
Grafton of constables to 81 900 in single
year, Mr.. Magee is said to have trans
ferred the theatre of his activities to San
Francisco. A man with capacious and
contriving brain like that ought to seek
one of the great capitals OF the world for
an arena commemorate with his gall as a
man and his ability as financier and con-
nubiator. Lancaster is on the extreme
northern edge of Los Angeles
county, distant seventy-6ve miles from
the county seat, SO that, in addition to
the ordinary fees, the mileage of the con-
stable foots up quite large sum. When
the maintenance in the jail and
the railroad fare Of the tramps is
added to the Justices and constable's
fees the total is something alarming. A
continuance of this style Of things would
soon result in a numerously signed petit
ion to have Antelope valley set of as a
county by itself. With courthouse and
jail of their own the work might then
proceed merrily, without any very ener-
getic protest from the outside.
There is something unique in this
whole business. 1t fsscinates US, and
we can't help recurring to its novel and
cheerful details. In the days when the
constable's Doodle ran highest it is said
that fires were lighted on each side oi
the railroad track near Lancaster. AS tn G
candle attracts the moth, these bright and
sparkling harbingers of warmth at
tracted the tramps. By whom they
were kindled we cannot pretend To say
One of the thousand tongues of Rumor,
a dame who lies oftener then she tells
the truth, says that the Constable eithe1
kindled them or had them kindled. AT
all events, the effect was sure. The
tramps would gather round the fires and
the vigilant Constable would gather in
the tramps. Carried before the Justice
who got fee if he committed them and
nothing if he turned them loose, the fate
of those trsmps was not doubtful. To 9
man they pulled up in the Los Angeles
County Jail, and the Los Angeles county
treasury diegorged money galore.
And now the wary tramp, forewarned
if not forearmed, when he approaches
Lancaster, makes Ilong detour and in
termits not his vigilance till he
approaches Alpine station. There he
draws a breath of relief as he prepares
to mount the grade, exultant at his
triumph over the Justice and Constable ot
Lancaster.
Reduced to dire straits, the attempt to
subsidize brakemen to import tramps is
all that is left to these frugal officials.