The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-25
The Odd Correspondents
. Of San FranCisCo's
Mayor.
Girls That Want Pianos and Men
a.: and Women With MANY
Hobbies.
Written for The CALL.

written GALL.
If Mayor Sutro had ST. 900, 600 to spend in
Christmas presents for men and women
q unknown to him still great many people
@ in all parCs of the world who have applied
TO: him, for seasonabIe offerings would be
disappointed. a million dollars would not
be enough TO go around. 1t would fail
short by far OF satisfying the scores OF
begging letters that come to the Mayor of
san Francisco with each mail delivery the
year around. But about fortnight before
Christmas this year the letters increased
to an enormous extent, SO greatly, in fact,
that but to answer every one would re-
quire the Mayor to spend very neat sum
in clerk hire alone, and would eat big
hole into the City Hall stationery allow
ance.
The fame of Mayor Sutro's benevolence
and philanthropy has spread throughout
the world, for his correspondents are To-
Gated in almost every corner of the earth.
Letters come from England, Germany,
France, Russia-all Europe, in truth, and
from South America. Canada, the eastern
parts Of Asia, and often from China, Japan
and India.
When the Mayor first assumed office he
undertook the task OF answering most of
these begging letters himself and spent
some hours each day considering the ap-
plications and debating his replies. But
the labor soon became so great that he
was forced to turn over the work to Miss
Edna Gibson, the bright little woman who
makes funny crooked marks on paper that
no one can read but herself, and his clerk,
Taylor Rogers.
In accordance with the Mayors instruc-
tions they read each letter, hand him a
very brief synopsis of epistles that are
sometimes very long and write answers as
he directs. The volume OF correspond
ence has increased SO much of late. how
ever, that it has overtaxed the employees
of the Office and it has become imperative
that no begging letters from outside the
State shall be answered.
Aside from the astonishing number of
letters received the most astonishing thing
about the matter is, perhaps, the immense
variety OF gifts desired. Some women do
not hesitate to ask Mr.. Sutro to buy them
BICYCLES or pianos, sealskin sacques or COM
Portable homes. Others want their taxes
or mortgages paid and still others ask for
money without giving any particular rea-
son except that they desire to partake of
his bounty. The number of those who
wish funds to aid in gaining educations is
very great and all seem to feel that the
Mavor will look with favor upon their
applications. While most of the letters
are evidently from illiterate persons many
of them bear the imprint of having been
written by people of education and even
refinement. who have been driven by want
or misfortune to ask aid from the head of
q distant municipality.
In addition to those who ask pure
charity thousands write to request the
Mayor to buy their goods or merchandise
They offer to sell anything in the animal
kim dom from an eaglet or bull pup to
bull buffalo. This probably arises from
the accounts that have been published OF
the small mensgerie which the Mayor
formerly maintained at Sutro Heights.
Others have inventions, patents or real
estate to dispose OF and beg the Mayor to
invest and not only aid them, but to IN
crease his own wealth as well.
Perhaps the following article, published
originally in New York paper and copied |
widely throughout the country, has had
r. 1ch to do with the number OF begging
letters received, for scores Of epistles have
contained copies clipped from various
papers:
Mayor Sutro of San Francisco-reformer, oc-
togenarian, many-times millionaire and phil |
anthropst--is emphatic in his declaration |
thatit does not pay to get rich.
Effort" says he, sis the only source OF hap |
piness. 1t is not my intention to leave all my |
wealth to my children-the people shall bene-
fit by my effort SIS far as am able 10 confer
that benefit, and / shall leave as legacy to
those of my own family an incentive TO the
effort which contend is the source of happi-
ness. do not believe that man with q full
competence which precludes the necessity OF