The herald., 1894-01-28
QUEER COURT HOUSE DO|NGS.
Some Inconvenience of a Legal
Holiday.
Severe Charges Made Against County
officials.
How One Man Was Excluded From =
Public ONCE, to tho Pref
erence of Ten
Others.

16stoIudy Was leBhl uOuuhJs Auole
is nothing particularly strange in the
simple statement alone, however. nor is
there anything strange in the fact that
Governor Markham chose to make it
such. The holiday was most certainly
appreciated in San Francisco, owing to
the opening of the midwinter fair, but
whether its appreciation extended this
far south is question, for by it more
than one person was inconvenienced.
The average observer, or even the
cynic-that despised of all creatures
might be heard to calculate that half
the commonwealth should be more than
Inconvenience, and feel themselves will
ling to be 30, rather than have no mid
winter fair and no opening.
The only apology that can be offered
for such Introductory remarks may be
found in the fact that the inconvenience
caused by the holiday existed at the
courthouse. There may be other coun-
ties to be heard from, but so far as
known the 'kick" was registered by
one firm, representative of which was
refused admittance to one of the coun-
tvs public offices.
When, in the course OF human events,
it becomes necessary to sell privileges OF
admittance to a public office-even on
a holiday-it is about time such Office
were turned over to the enemy. There's
been no detective detailed on the case
it is too open for that.
The whole thing happened in this
way: When those who visit the
county court house went there yester-
dav they found simple but imperative
notices pasted on the door of the clerks
Office, the recorders Office and the
auditors Office. These notices forbade
any but select few to enter on yester-
day-a holiday by order OF the guber-
material ruler in honor of San Fran
cisco's great exposition.
The following is copy of the order as
near as could be made out after being
transmitted to the HERALD Office by one
of the inconvenienced
1.-THE following parties are entitled to
admission to county clerks Office, ALEC
to recorders Office and tax collectors
Office:
Deputies in charge OF offices: Walter
S. Msrcnant, recorders office; Seaver,
county clerks office; Sam Hamilton,
tax collectors Office"
Then follows a list of 10 names, 8 or
10 of which are said to be searchers of
records for the Los Angeles Abstract
company. But the mystery of it is that
no other searchers of records for other
abstract companies we're sdmitted-they
weren't on the list Concluding the
holiday proclamation of the county
fathers thus posted on the doors is the
following authoritative statement:
Positively no others. By order OF
the board OF supervisors and officials of
the Offices of recorder, tax collector and
county clerk"
Now q representative of another alb
stract company went to the courthouse
and made q respectful request for ad-
mittance to the Offices. He was ad-
mitted to the auditors office. but was
informed that he could 60 into none OF
the others.
He telephoned to the recorders Of
fee, and asked if he could be admitted,
but was given decisive answer in the
negative. He appealed to Supervisor
Hanley, who informed him that the
order did not affect him-that he might
enter and look up whatever records he
chose.
He made personal application at the
recorders Office, but was refused admis.
sion. When he told what information
he had been given by the supervisor, he
was told that he could not enter, just the
same, as the 10 searchers of records
named on the list paid to 60 in.
THAT settled it, said he to HERALD
representative last night; II didn't 60
in. 1t strikes me, however, that if the
Office is closed to one it should be closed
to verybody. 1t looks rather strange
that there should be charges for admis-
sion to public office. II that is the
kind of service we get, there may be
some change one of these days. l helped
put some of those fellows in Office and
I'll help get 'em out"