Bridgeton pioneer., 1902-01-09
MEN AS THEY
ARE EVERY DAY.
Something of the People Who
are Employed by the City
to Look After Their Inter-
eSts.


eSts.
The men who are servants of the
people are much in the public eye.
They have to be, and they have. a
large clientele to serve. It's no won
der that an occasional complaint or
criticism is passed.
This running the business of big
city is no small matter. Few people
fairly realize all of it's import. How
many people know the number of per-
sons engaged in city affairs. Why not
talk about them from time to time?
You know the Comptroller, Barton
f. Sharp. Ii you don't, it's your
fault. He is approachable enough and
certainly is not swelled up bit with
the dignity of his Office. That raise
of salary in Council the other day
was merited recognition of faithful
service, and it is creditable to the
dean of the body, man always op-
posed to extravaganza, Stacy w. Mat
thews, that he brought the matter to
the attention OF. Council.
Sharp is one of the young men OF
the city. When Council created the
office of Comptroller, a majority of
Council picked him out as the proper
fellow to do the work, and the judg-
ment of those men has many times
been endorsed.
Bart is tall slender fellow who
drives along under high pressure,
never idle for moment, and gener-
ally has his head filled with figures,
and thinking up some scheme to pay
the obligations of the city with the
usually little cash on hand. He has
an office on the second floor of the
Pioneer" building, No. 5, and it is
really quite original in it's appearance.
1t is occupied jointly by the Comp
troller and his brother, Walter Sharp,
the civil engineer. This room is
cleaned possibly every second full
moon, and no large amounts of money
have ever been expended for tidbits
of decoration or bric-a- brac Every
thing about the place looks as if it
might haveSseen hard winter. There
are couple of low desks and couple
of high ones. Both are piled high
with everything that only Sharp could
find. and disengage from the tangle.
There's safe there which is crammed
full of things dating back from the
year one
But in this blacksmith -shop-like
office, Sharp conducts the financial
affairs of the city in manner most
creditable. He knows everything in de-
tail concerning the finances of the
city, and can tell in short minute
just how every appropriation stands,
what it was originally, and for what
item the money has been spent.
Sharp looks after all these matters
In detail. He watches the water
office, the tax office and the Treasur-
ers books, and they are in better
shape now than ever before.
The Finance Committee of City
Council know something of the
value of this young fellow. They rely
upon him wholly and every month he
presents to the entire body a most
comprehensive statement of the city's
financial condition. Then he collects
rents from the houses bought in by
the city at tax sales, keeps the prop
erty in good repair, looks after the in
surance, draws all the pay warrants
for the salaried officers, scrutinizes
and approves every bill presented to
the city, and straightens out the books
and accounts of the five road over
seers.
If any one thinks that this is a lob
that is without work, he should have
a month while Sharp snatohes bit
of vacation. :. He is one of the city
officers who earns every cent he gets.
and is just little underpaid at that.