The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-04-27
r. L. German Is the Dean
Of st. Paul Office
Holders
LONG PUBLIC SERVICE
Has Been an Attache of Department
of Public Works for Quarter
of a Century-His Inter-
esting story.

From one small minute book only par
TALLY filed to darkened vault of COM
modious size, whose grimy shelves almost
groan under their burden of dusty rec
ords and official tones is a far cry, yet
that is how r. L. German has seen the
st. Paul department of public works
grow.
If office holding can be termed a pro-
fession and uninterrupted service It's badge
>of honor, then Mr.. German is dean as
far as St. Paul is concerned. Mr.. Cor
man is now entering upon his twenty
fifth year as an attache of the depart
ment Of public works.
From one small minute book and a
dilapidated assessment roll have L seen
this department grow said Mr.. Cor
man, as he gazed reminiscently at the
rows of dusty volumes which lined the iron
sheeted vault in which he has his desk,
and attends to his duties as secretary to
the board.
but l wasn't always secretary" he
FASTENED to remark. This is my ff-
teenth year in this capacity, but for ten
years ] was member of the board Per-
haps the work was not as great then as
1t is now, but it was none the less ex-
acting.
man, when I became an attache of the
board of public works. That one book
I mentioned was our sole record, but it
didn't take long for the list to increase
AT that time there was not a sewer in
the city, unless some private tunnels in
the sand rock could be called such, while
as for paving and stone sidewalks we had
none. A few streets down town were
partially graded, and some of the side
h1lt
In street improvements. When work did
start, however it was with a rush. I
started as clerk to the board, and until my
term as member expired in 1885, over
$15,0C0000 worth of street improvements
were made. During my connection with
the board I was its clerk for fourteen
years, and for ten years a member. In
the last named capacity, my official ten
IRE was brought to a close in 1886 by
Mayor Doran, and for five years [ was a
private citizen. Here 1 am the boards
clerk again and it seems like old times"
LegfsIated Out of Office.
Perhaps no period in Mr. Gorman's Of
hclal history is more prolific in strenu-
oslty or interesting in "reminiscences than
when the board found itself one morn
Ing legislated out of office, and the city
administration then Republican. endeav-
oring to take from it the authority which
NAAS bOeilu ISIuSSQ TO f6llnQulSn.
That was in the summer of 1886" said
Mr. German, "and it was about the live
lest time in my history as a city Official
The fall previous the legislature abolish
ed our board of four members and pIac-
ed the business of the Office in the hands
of one man, who was to be known as the
commissioner of public of works. F. B.
Doran, the Republican candidate now,
was then mayor, and he fastened without
dpI9V Tnb
successor.
The legislatures act was clearly I'M
constitutional and we never bothered Jur
heads about the matter until one morning
We came down to our duties only to ind
Mr. Copeland in possession. The dilemma
was great but we finally solved it by
meeting in the rear of the Office, while
Mr.. Copeland had possession of our desks
and the records. This exasperated Mr.
Copeland and Mayor Doran greatly, and
when we again came to the office we
found big burly policeman on guard
and our way barred with a drawn re-
VolVer. One of the court rooms, how
ever, helped us out, and for two weeks
we held out there, doing business as if
nothing had happened, but this was de-
MED us by the court house commission
and we were compelled to vacate the city
hall entirely. From that time on we
had Quarters in the Frost building where
we remained until December, when the
supreme court decided that the legislative
act abolishing the board was unconstitu-
tional. Mr.. Dcran never forgave us the
trouble and annoyance we gave him, and
at the first opportunity myself and col
leagues were retired by him.
With the exception of Mayor Smith.
who has more offices to his credit and
possibly nearly as much uninterrupted
tenure, Mr.. German has more years Of
political service to his credit than any
man now in office in st. Paul. True, he
was out of office from 1897 until his ap-
pointment as SECRETARY of the present
board but during that five years he was
an active employee of the engineering de-
partment, overseeing much of the paw
ing laid during that period.