The San Francisco call., 1897-09-19

All was not smooth sailing for the new
Board of Supervisors yesterday. When
they returned to their cham bers after
partaking of lunch, they found that II
they desired to hold another meeting they
must either oust the old board literally
or find another room.
They took the latter horn of the dilemma
and met in the eommittee-room of the
board, while the solid eight, who are sup
posed to be private citizens now by court
decree, occupied the easy chairs in the
assembly room and went through the
semblance of transacting business for the
city.
Ex-Supervisor Britt started the ball roll
ing by taking forcible possession of the
poll.list in the clerks office. Armed with
this document he proceeded to the assem-
bly, chamber, followed by ex-Supervisors
Devany, Haskins, Sheehan. Morton.
Smith and Rivers. These gentlemen took
formal posses sion of the cham Der, and
John A. Scott was appointed baillff.
Shortly afterward ex-Supervisor Delany
entered and pumped down in his old seat.
For while it looked as If there would
be a semi ance of the old game OF pussy
wants a corner" as it was supposed by
the old board that their seats would be in
demand by the mem bers who had re-
placed them. II any member desired 10
speak to colleague he moved cautiously
from his seat and kept an eye on the
chair, ready to make run for it if neces-
sary.
There was every indication of fight
showing in their set faces and it was the
expressed Determination of every one OF
them to hold his seat against all comers,
policemen with clubs excepted. They had
been advised by their attorneys to hold to
their seats, as they were the legal and
only Supervisors OF the city of San Fran
CISCO, and they said they would not get
out for any body.
But with all the assumption of dignity
and indifference there was an air of nerv-
business which showed plainly in all the
actions of the men who had been custed
by law.
After sitting quietly for an hour waiting
for an attempt to eject them, Devany
moved that ex-Supervisor Britt should
occupy the chair, and as there was no
objection the motion was carried out
without being put. The gavel gave a
double rap on the desk and then ratified to
the floor from the nervous hand of Britt,
who recovered his composure under cover
of Joke at the expense of the new board.
Devany, who seemed to be master of
cere emonies, then moved to appoint
Robert Barton, an ex-janitor of the City
Hall, as clerk. The board was now
ready for business and set to work to make
a tax levy. Secretary Godchaux of the
Board of Health was called upon TO give
the board an estimate of the REQUIRE
ments of his department for the ensuing
year, and it then developed that in order
to be on the safe side the estimates were
given to both boards.
Godchaux asked for $135o00, but he
made grave error. He referred to the
body sitting before him as "the old
board" Then arose Devany, in all his
statuesque dignity, and demanded that he
explain what and whom he meant by ''the
old board" The trem bling secretary had
scarcely extricated himself from this
dilemma when he made another faux pas
by incidentally saying that he "had pre-
.ented his estimates to the Board of Super
visors last night"
Now Britt maintained the dignity of the
eight by demanding, in tones that sent a
chill through the frame of the secretary,
what he meant by speaking OF any other
body as being the "Board of Supervisors" J"
In the excitement following this demand
Godchaux cleared himself of contempt
and then proceeded with his details.
After an hour of this the solid eight, Oh
motion of the master of cerem opies, took
it under advisement."
Devany now asked if any one was pres
ent representing the Board of Education,
and was told by Chsirman Britt that
Director Waller would be there in short
time. As nothing further appeared a re-
cess was taken, during which none of the
eight left their seats, until the school
board could be heard from.
Waller kept the august body waiting
about fifteen minutes and then started a
flow of oratory reoiting the needs and re-
ouirements of The school system, that bid
fair 10 emulate the brook famed in verse
as going on forever. As he expressed it,
ne "dilated" freely.
In the course of his remarks Waller said
to Britt: 'The gen tleman that sat in the
seat that you now occupy agreed with
me-"
-o, x,oor hon.;I,, sfrad