The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-11-02
PREPARING
TO RECORD
THE VOTES

For the past two weeks the office Of
City Clerk Col William T. Clarke has
had the appearance OF either a station
cry store or a school purchasing agents
supply room for the ASSISTANTS have been
preparing the vast amount OF supplies
for the polling booths on election day.
This, when one stops TO consider is no
small task even for a city the size Of
Providence. when IL is considered the af-
fairs Of the office must be kept up and
the ballots prepared In season.
There is first. tin box that is sent to
each district in the city. necessitaing 50
in all and each is supplied with a strong
lock and is sent away and returned fast
ened.
In this strong box is PLACED among
other things copy OF the election laws
and record book. pages OF which will
be taken up with the names of the candi-
"
Some OF the articles included are. can
ceiling stamps. pad. ball twine, tacks.
defective stamps. lead pencils. supervi-
sor's report. blue and red pencils. stfckers
OF two sorts. rubber bands. various GER
tificates seven kinds OF wrappers Tor
returning votes and unused ballots ofii,
cial returns. instruction about unused
ballots. warrants, pens. Ink. olotters.
block OF tally sheets and bribery no.
tees.
The work Of making up various boxes
George Clinton who was locked up In
committee room yesterday afternoon
with his boxes covering nearly the whole
m the s,Tf eouS euS be pni inside @ one Of
the receptacles. though the boxes were
large enough at first, the list OF contents
is steadily increasing 80 that II Is only
a matter OF time when larger box VIII
have 10 be secured.
Once the boxes are prepared they are
locked up and the key placed In an en-
velope TO be delivered 10 the policeman on
the morning OF election day II will be
early I'm the morning too. for the supplies
must be at the respective voting booths
by sunrise which will necessitate an
To carry on the work properly on Tues
day morning a requisition Will be put ~
for 50 hacks at city hall at 5:l5 g. m, a'pi
50 police officers are instructed 70 report
az the hall at the same time or little
earlier
In order that there will be no slip In
the proceedings policemen will ring UP
the city clerk and his deputy. Col. A. B;
Sphinx at 800 n m. and hack Will caD
for them a half hour later as the cars
will not be running at that time In the
morning.
supervision of Deputy Chief Eagan and
a carriage will call for him at 4;SO at MS
home. IL is the custom To give the po-
AeeFaeH- -tAeiF- breakfast -at a nearby res
turant and when this interesting function
Il the boxes will ba given to the officers
assigned 10 the various districts with
orders 10 turn them over 10 the wardens
These officers will then ride In state TO
the ward rooms in the 50 hacks.
Then the election machinery viii be
set in motion and commencing at ON
the voters will proceed 20 wade through
the bulyk ballots for presidential cleo
tors. for state officers, general assembly
men and city officials. II will be an inter
esting task for the voter and unless the
general run OF them show up better
than common a large percentage OF
ballots will call for the defective
stamp
The voter Is not the only one that
makes errors wardens and clerks con-
tribute their share and as the duties OF
these officials is becoming more com
plicated, the results OF other years
returns would point TO some queer results
from a few districts, at least.