The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-02
Is Now Superintendent of the Water
works Department.
FUNNY STORY CIRCULATED
TAKEN GOOD NATUREDLY BY
THE NEW OFFICIAL.
Major Sells Get His Job As Fore
casted By the Herald-A Drive Up
the Canyon With Mr.. Wallace
Defective Fire Plugs.

John T. Game qualified as superin-
tendent of waterworks yesterday morn
ing by filing with City Recorder Back
man his official oath and bond in the
sum of $1,000 with w. S. Mccormick
and l. S. Hills as sureties. Immedi-
ately after this perfunctory duty was
performed AIr. Game walked down
stairs and presented himself to Super
intendent H. c. Wallace. After greet
ings We're exchanged, Mr.. Wallace de-
Iivered his keys to Superintendent
Game and preferred his services to his
successor. The tender was accepted.
and Mr.. Wallace was commended for
his generosity and patriotic prompt
ingS. 1t was then arranged that Mr..
Wallace's name should remain on the
payroll as temporary clerk and adviser
TO his successor. Some little time was
devoted to questions and answers on
matters pertaining to the superinten-
dency and at til conclusion of the con-
ference a trip up City Creek canyon
was arranged.
THAT QUEER CLOCK.
1t is related by the attaches of the
waterworks office that az Superinten-
dent Game was about TO leave the office
he spied a clock-like arrangement on
new official to be a clock, for it had
dial and moving hands. Superintendent
Game took out his watch, the boys
say, and attempted to regulate it with
that new-fangled time piece on the
wall" The office force repressed their
laughter until their new superior officer
had left the building. Notwithstanding
that all the boys in the superinten-
dents office have untarnished reputa-
tions and are known to have been
truthful always until yesterday, The
Herald comes to Superintendent Gaines
rescue and brands the statement that
he mistook the water pressure gauge
for a clock as a malicious falsehoOd.
THE BEST JOB FOR SELLS
Superintendent Game and Mr. Wal
lace stopped at the emergency station
on the way to City Creek canyon. The
storehouse is located at the station. 1t
took only minute to find BILLY" Sells
and install him as stOrekeeper and
timekeeper. The new man was given
a tab and a pencil and directed to take
an inventory of the supplies On hand.
The eX-justice went about his duty
with cheerful smile that would have
caused Joe Cottle great anguish. for
the new storekeeper has the job that
had been promised to Councilmen Rob
ertson and Buckle for the old-time
politician from the Fifth. But Joe's
fate will only be the reward of the
other Republicans who have been as
sured' positions in the department and
are unfortunate in not having infiuen-
tial nOn-partisan fathers-in-law 10 see
to the delivery of the promised places
in consideration of votes given to con-
firm Mayor Clark's appointee for su-
perintendent of waterworFs.
Superintendent Caine did not take
the time to again observe how much
Z no hes a clock
before resuming the canyon trip.
THE CANYON TRIP.
Driving up the canyon, Mr.. Wallace
explained how difficult ii was TO stop
the water running down and that it is
highly necessary to always secure
enough of the downward flow to keep
the tanks full. The new superintendent
caught On to the idea that water was
preferable to air in the mains and ser
vice pipes and that the only way to
expel the air is by sending more water
down from the tanks. Then the tanks
were inspected, and while the sensation
was calculated to make a beginner |
trifle dizzy. Superintendent Caina !
avoided falling into the big pools of |
cold water.
TECHNICAL TALK.
On the return trip Mr. Wallace told |
about the hydrants, valves, services, |
breaks, leaks, pressure, kicks, hammers, !
washers, gaskets, dead ends, Us, rs, |
sleeves, electrical action. corrosion, eX- |
tensions. removals, succession and sat |
isfaction, until Superintendent Game |
wondered whether his companion was |
making use of such language in the /
concrete or in an abstract sense.
Then the subject of leaky fire plugs !
was taken up. Then Mr.. Wallace /
again resorted to the use of technical |
l.
his memorandum book and marked |
down the words and their Specification, |
because he had not been used to hear
ing such queer language in congress
THE DEFECTIVE FIRE PLUGS.
He listened to the startling informa-
ton that several hundred hydrants |
were evidently out of repair so much |
so that they could not be relied upon
in case of fire. The men in the en-
ploy OF the street sprinkling contractor
had misused the plugs, so that at least
one out of every three was leaking a
steady stream of water from the bot
tom This tended to soak up and weaken
the foundations of the buildings, es-
pecially the business blocks. Suits for
damages might follow, and the new SUI
perintendent was told that the hydrants
should be repaired at the expense of
Mr. Griffin. according to his contract
superintendent Game was glad TO re-
ceive the information. but he said he
thought the ex-superintendent should
have attended to this matter before ne ]
stepped out Of office. Mr.. Wallace re
piled that he knew his successor would
be overioyed to know that he had a
big job on his hands at the outset.
THE END OF THE FIRST DAY.
Although it was a fatiguing day for
Superintendent Game and when his
eight hours We're up he went home. Be
fore leaving he promised Mr.. Wallace
he would show UP again in the morning
to learn something more about the ar
duous duties of the responsible Office.