The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-06-27
CITY CLERKS ARE COURTEOUS.
They Are Tested by 'CaIl" Reporter.

in big blank book. / c0ughed to attrac
MS attention and then Shutf1ed my feet
about and made various movements, but
all to no purpose Once in while his
eyes would wander up from his book to the
stranger at the window, but be lowered
them again immediately. only delgnlng to
Hash lofty glance at nv tImld face, and
look that said very plainly:
Il am high and mighty clerk OF the
great wealth of San francisco,
while You are only common citizen.
Don't you wish you were born as intelli-
gent AID as worthy as l was? ?"
Ten minutes more | waited. Clerks and
officials passed me by, some OF them very
busy and thus eXcuSable perhaps, but
others with plenty of time on their hands.
One and all of them passed me by in con-
temptuous silence, totally Ignoring my eX-
istence. though | placed myself in front of
them and wore an inquiring look
Suddenly a black-bearded gentleman
came in. He noticed me at once and
asked what he could do for me. l told
him about a fictitious case of Long VS..
Murchison and asked whether an attach
ment had been issued and placed in the
hands of the Sheriff.
He went TO a great deal of trouble to
find ont what | wanted to know, and when
he had gone through several books and
some memoranda and made some inquiries
of the clerks he said there was no record
in that Office of such case
Then ne went on to ask me all about it
with view of helping me in some way or
telling me where l cOnld 90 to get the re-
CURED information, and for while he
kept me pretty busy devising fictitious cir
cumstanceS in order to answer his we'll
intentioned but troublesome inquiries.
he tod me that attachment suits were
sometimes got out. but not served or given
to the Sheriff. He explained the differ
ence between an attachment and an eject
ment suit, and about everything else [
wanted to know. He seemed to realize
that he was paid his salary for doing the
work that private citizens are too busy TO
do for themselves. He was not at ali
ObseQuious, but agTeeably polite. He wore
luminous diamond in his shirt front, but
il did not sparkle nor please as did his
black eyes | afterward learned that they
call him GIs in the Sheriff's Office, and
that he occupies the position Of Chief
Deputy.
If you ever have business at the Sheriff's
office commend your troubles to Gus.
The Pension Claims office is in a room
with the records of the Criminal Court. |
found two clerks there. One OF them
louuged about near the door reading a
newspaper. He was too busy to notice
me, though | brushed by him in entering
The other was bending low over a long
blank book at the farther emf of the ROOM
Being busy doing the work for which his
salary Is, at least theoretically, paid him,
he had time TO raise mis- head and call out:
"What is ii. sir?"
"How do 60 about getting pension ?"
l asked.
you must go to an attorney first. We
have nothing to do with that here. We
only administer oaths when the claims are
made out"
Still The other clerk read the paper. or
slumbered. l rather think il was the lat
ter, for he gave no sign when | stumbled
Df tSt afah l.
ing an exit.
In the office of the Secretary of the Board
oil Education | was politely treated, though
| inquired about host of foolish things
that the average citizen knows without
asking.
Chief Clerk Russell himself asked me
what l wanted when | went to the clerks
office Of the Board of Supervisors. | in
CURED about some street ordinances that
were considered by the last board. He
obllgingly hunted up all the information
he could for me and then directed me to
the Street Superintendent Office in the
basement.
At that department / was treated alto
gether too civilly, though l had to wait a
long time on the convenience of young
man who was discussing the Senatorial
succession question at the farther end of
the room.
Nearly every Office in the new City Hall
| visited, and upon the whole did not meet
with bad treatment. Most of the clerks
were polite and obiging, all of them in
truth, except the few instances already de-
scribed.
Over in the Hall of Records | found
things about the same. No one wanted to
abuse me there, and a short or grabbed
answer could not get without treating
the clerks in an offensive manner. To do so
would not have been fair test. And | was
considerably relieved when the city editor
Thought it would make as good a story tn
tell how polite the clerks were as 10 show
how arrogant and disoblging they were
if they had been.