The morning call., 1892-06-12
SHOW THE GENTLEMAN IN.
That Is What The Big Mans Visitor
Likes to Hear.
But Very Often He Don't Hear 1.-THE Ap-
proachableness Of Our Local
Great 0aes.
Written for THE MORNING CALL.

Big men-that is men who fill lots of space
IN human affairs-are more approachable
nowadays than ever before.
1t is only the old fashioned men who can
never be seen.
Still, it depends good deal upon who
you are and what you want-ths reaching
of big men.
Are our San Francisco great ones ap-
proachable?
A lump question like that cannot readily
be answered. 1t will be necessary to take
them up man by man, and even then one has
not solved the problem to ones complete
satisfaction. for, taking every man 10 his
humor one must often go to some pains to
find the precise hour of the day, whether it
be before or after dinner. at which your
particular man is seeable.
Never run away with the idea that be-
cause you know great man, one is going
to know you whenever you happen to meet
him. young man trying to make start
IN life, who presumeS upon MS sllght ac-
quaintanee with some great one to stop him
on the street and try to 'hOld him down"
for the coveted interview is young man
of bad Judgment not to say bad taste.
Such a young man would smoke before
breakfast.
II you are an average person of average
address and your errand is of average inn
portance you can see Mayor Sanderson if
you 60 to his oifica in the new City Hall
between 10 and II A. NJ. He is then as ap-
prOachable as fly-paper is to flies, but in the
afternoon beware. You may fnd hin con-
geaed This Is because nearly every body
who wants to see the Mayor goes in the
afternoon. After clock he can generally
be found at his Market-Street store, which
is the worst possible place TO select for an
interview. But it must not be thought that
our Mayor is not an approachable man. Be
is, in fact. as approachabe as Mayor well
can be, and that, too, by all kinds of
people.
talk TO, and getting at him is not simple
thing. The round man who sits on the top
OF the stool behind the counter in the
Chiefs antero0m, and who owns the whole
world, fires the big booming question at
you, What dye Want?' The round man
wears brass buttons and his big booming
question makes you feel very small. Men
have been known 20 forget that they hai
any business with the Chief and to apollo
giZe very humbly 10 the round man and go
out and buy smaller suit of clothes. The
Chief does not say much in conversation,
but what he says is always to the point.
Three doors must be gone through before
you can stand in the awful presence of j. 5.
Leeds, the manager Of the Traffic Ass0ci-
alton. Mr. Leeds is good man, but he is
not appToachable. For months after TAX
ing his seat in his little office in the Wells
Fargo building, at Market and Sans0me
streets, no reporter set foot within lis sacred
precincts. Newspaper men could get as far
as the counter near the outside door, and
send in their cards, but that was the end of
it, One day three reporters met in front of
the counter, wrote their names all on one
card, gave it TO an uns0phisticated clerk
and told him TO tell Mr.. Leeds that a COM
mlttee from the San Jose Grange wished to
speak with him on important business.
a hla dplay re- rpnnrfnrq
were let in behind the 0ak-grained door,
and there they actually saw and converSed
with Mr.. Leeds. Being in and seated they
could not we'll be kicked out, and they had
the desired interview. Since that time Mr..
Leeds has been somewhat more approach
able. All the newspaper men like him, but
they say he is the hardest man in town TO
reach.
Another very tall persimmon is j. L.
Flood. Mr.. Flood is affable and courteous
enough when you get inside his private
Office; the only trouble is that you don't get
inside. You are always held up by Secre-
tary Walsh, who wants to know what you
want TO see Mr. Flood for and all about it.
One hundred to one you go away without
seeing Mr.. Flood Supervisor Burling had
an odd experience with Mr.. Flood once
upon a time Burling was in the broker
age business. Flood wanted to see him
very particularly" and sent note to him
to come around next day. Burling expected
office and was astonished when Secretary
Walsh said ''Mr. Flood is not seeing any,
body to-day, sir.
"Wen, can't send in my card?"
mo, I'll tend to the business. What
is it ?" -,
'Never you mind. Ny business is with
Mr.. Flood"
well, he can't be seem"
every well. It's OF more importance to
him than it is TO me. You can tell him
that when he wants to see me, he knows
my address. | shan't come around here
again if he sends for me dozen times"
James &. Fair is very apprOaeha0le man,
and is always courteous TO those seeking
an interview, whether it be on business or
ANYTHING else. While he is ALWAYS ready
with his beaming smile when a reporter
goes to see him, he is by no means easily
pumped. Mr. Fair has a good many visi-
tors in the course of day. but if he is in be
generally manages to see them all. Some
times clerk asks new conner what his
business is but as q rule the visitor goes un-
challenged.
Irving NJ Scott is hard man to see and
a hard man to talk with. if you are not on
the kind of business in which he is inter
ested.
Henry T. Scott is decidedly unapproach-
able.
John Rosenfeld is easy to see and easy to
talk with.
1t is like boarding the lion in his den to
pass through the portals of the private office
of Lloyd Teyis. While you are talking
with him and another visitors card is
handed in, it is always, Tell him I'll see
him in half a minute" Which is an invita-
ton for you to depart. The next man gets
the same sort of an invitation
William Alvord is not so carefully
screened off from the public gaze as are
some other bank presidents, but he inter-
poses an icy barrier between himself and
unwelceme visitors.
j. b. otetson. president of the California
street Railway system, is an affable man,
who is not hard 10 see.
William l.. Merry is also on the list Of the
approachable.
NJ, NJ. Estee always says, SHOW the gen.
tleman in.
George w. McNear is ready to see any
body who comes on reasonable errand.
General Ruger, who commands the De-
partment of California, sits i'll state in his
big Office upstairs in the peak of the Phe- |
Ian building. To get into that office you
must first be challenged by an orderly in
sort of a who goes-there?" style, and if it
be your good fortune to be ushered into the
awful presence, you will be two inches
shorter by the time you get ready 10 leave,
or rather, when the General gets ready 10
have you leave.
President L. j. Tobin Of the Police Com
miSSioners is easy to see, and not abrupt in |
conversation.
Fred Sharon pays little attention TO |
card sent in to him unless he takes particu- |
lar interest in the sender. The average man |
finds it hard to see him or talk with him.
James Phelan greets visitors pleasantly, |
and IL is no hard matter to reach him.
James V. Coleman can readily be met |
and interviewed.
Timothy Hopkins visitors have no reason
to complain of lack of courtesy. III there
is no one " holding down" the young capt.
Jallst In his office the seeker for an inter-
view can easily find him.
j. w. Mackay is not an approachable
man. When be is in town he has so many
visitors that he has to run away from many
of them.
No one ever complains of E. 3. Ponds
lack Of "approachabiity,"