The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-29

-. ~ the busiest spots in Seattle -
e. n.t,e soace Of forty BY sixty feet In
- in the county clerks Office. II Is
4. focai point toward which ali the for
., business az the superior court In
~sf4bfy concentrates. There the first
~rsrs IN every suit are put OF record.
"A there Is entered and filed the last
ezra order with which the suit IL
zresxsst 20 a close.
rhs general public seldom or never visits
- rlace although every morning the
~sssrs Of the Post-fntefiisencer CLEAN
.rasfhlng Of the contents Of the great
ass Of papers that daily pass in at the
nskser's window. Hence II may be OF In
~rrsf 20 people in general 10 know some
slns Of the men In the Office and Of the
.sthods by which the county court rec
rs are made and kept.
Egsrybody OF course knows that the
wan.y clerk In George ~. Holloway. He
ne responsible head OF all that goes on
! TIE ofnce which under his aduinistra-
snn ia well syrtemaslzed and well man
ma. OF course. Mr.. Holloway himself
ipss no clerical work. He has his hands
nj With the executive control Of the Of
ke To those who have business with
II he shows himself al all times cour-
<oes and attentive.
The man who occupies the next most
nportant position In the Office is the
1lrg deputy. John Wallace, who has gem
81 oversight of all the departments. and
d Mr. Holloways absence has virtual
Aarge OF the office.
Az one enters the room from the main
srridor he finds himself in a convenient
N ineioeed space on which front the desk
sndowa OF the various departments
vhich he may have occasion to reach.
i contains reading tables. on which tho
III tones Of record may rest securely,
landing desk. in which the courtesy OF
~ present administration has fitted keys
FER the Newspaper reporters. and a few
sabstaHtial chairs There are no foafers
sbont the ONCE. From O'Clock a m.
vhen the members Of the force report on
ssfy. until 5 o'clock .. m. everything goes
with \ rush An important point for pub
h convenience Is that the office. though
rot required by law. f. kept open for
tssiness from u 20 O'Clock.
The legal documents which form the
basis Of the vast amount OF work that
saes on within these four walls are care
tslly looked after. They first find their
way through the little grated window on
POUR right as you enter the office. All
sapers are filed here. and ras. first into
be hands of ths efficient cashier. Thomas
n. Pidduck. II there II fee TO be paid.
: must accompany tho paper. and Mr..
XPiddack gives receipt. The business At
his window ia done on strictly cash
basis No paper IL hied till the fee Is
paid. The moment the paper IL filed. Mr..
Pdduck stamps on the back of II In plain
red lettering the wors PILED" along with
he date. and to this he subscribes with
rn and Ink bis own Initials. and gives the
aper its proper court or case number. a
eost important feature for the indexes
had ffles. Ha IL always busy. bat never
haste. Sometimes the papers rils I'm
% him thick ss the leaves In Vailambrosa.
hut Pidduck takes them "a they come.
rying 10 each paper and each man just
as dae share Of attention. His flowing
handwriting. isgible and hussness-like
tad hss accurate and ready figures leave
scshing 10 be desired In the way or eier-
hal work. and his personal polltsness ard
Enod common sense so far toward
| Hralghtening out the tangles which fire.
eusntly threaten to weave themselves
about that little grated window.
50 much for the papers that come I'm.
| They may be divorce suits, suits for dam
sges. sfhdsyits- answers or what not.
The reporter, OF course. has 10 keep
ygilant watch over this window 10 see
hat no news item escapes him. He must
scaa each sfidayft. IL may be dry
eoeument swearing that service Of sum
mons has been duly made. in which case
tobody cares anything about IL and he
lets II alone. II may on the other hand
eantain big piece of news. Probably at
10 other point I'm Seattle. outside OF police
Aeadguarters. II so much news first given
70 the public as AT this window. or
course. the reporter must be somewhat OF
an adept IN handling the various docu-
ments that eihster here In ali possible
shapes lie may have dozen of bulky
manuscripts 20 digest In as many min
SITES he must learn 10 brush aside tho
hk1 tcchnicailties and verbosstiez and
ftPetltions. and drive straight 20 the
Fart OF the matter. In this work. 30 far
= access 20 tho papers is concerned no
nay Be greatly helped or hindered by tha
sAtSs IN charge OF the papers. In iris
'rsreCt Tire men now in the county clerks
s1es deserve vote OF thanks from the
aesspapers Of Seattle and their readers.
en leaving the cashiers hands. all pa
itfs are PASSED at once 20 the entry clerk
JEFFREY. The executions. judgments
sso the Ike are at once passed on 20 W
helsons. who presidcs over the esecu-
~ docket. IL would be hard e. find two
1tn who I'LL their positions better than
ssaFey ard peiong. and. indeed IL has
~ea matter OF general comment that
NJ Holloway has been 49, fortunate In &C.
s1rlng the force OF men under his charge
n the cfac~
N the evening all the papers come back
ENn 70 the cashier. who serrevates them.
&sktns complete llst 81 such as ara TO
10 the journal room for record. Next
sofntng 81 the psners fer the day Just
0sssl are placed On AIR. wallacs's desk
- Eces through them carefully checking
uch paper 20 see that & bears Pidduek's
- JeureY's mark on u. He then dis
1estes the papers. sending such papers
y ectes for trial sni others for which
1efN = no further use IN the office 90 the
sf9ii, where they are placed In TIE flies
Nhtch TREY belong, others 20 the Journal
~os4 and 50 on In the journal room
ssich Is separated from the rest 81 the
YVES. " =, Hsrhen and w. Goftsseln
~ TIE clerks. With Andrew r. Holloway
special 81 present In rlrce 90 Cor
@fan. who s. taking Walter Aliens place
sedEe MoOTe's courtroom, while Alien Is
@Sting g. 7. Dam in checking over the
s<f~rS 70 former administrative The
eeerter and the visitor 50 the orsce 80 not
y much % ere Journal clerks hidden t~A-
so tsr'r screen. bat be hears the steady
- AZ busz q their vcices IS they vert
TIE records. Rnd nov ard then be
- Tn Journals snd notes che care with
sAtch they are kept. In tire Journal RON
- rarvr IS marked with the number
re 3currsi sna the folio. The "execu-
PAPERS all caue hack aFatn -
.~soaS vho notes the Journal an3 folio
Aeers cu his docket aud index Tor ia
50 inference
y most matters about the afsre Ar
s@leWav snd hts stat have followed
- a~tacts marked cut FOR them BY their
%e'egsAseore Nut AZ ere or two points
- Hase Introduced rev eeps ~surcs. Far
seeicc. weer the iournsi clerks take
aFss - Ira order So an order q dis
ssA iheF make a note ~ IL On a list
1te- v'hea completed tNr TIRE tsv.
Ns 81 ~ -hst esy's papers With foar.
a7c tnto number This hst 81 sent