The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-10-03

uASSiiSt ne lives H. ICf iuSlduCe, q
dead animal may be lying in the
streets, and some wrathy citizen
posts to the mayors Office, presumably
to have the mayor come out and take
1t away. A little pleasant questioning
reveals the object of his visit. He is
most politely informed that the matter
is one for the health department, and
he can be escorted personally to that
department or a note given him for
use there, and he can be very fairly
commended for his public spirit, and
sent away feeling that the matter Will
be looked after and that he has re
ceived fair treatment. Isn't that bet
ter than saying: "Ah. G'wan, you lob
ster, don't you know enough TO 80 tc
the health department with thxt?"
AS for the men and women who are
actually crazy, nothing but diplomacy
with them. / remember one day while
was particularly busy with some
thing which had been intrusted to me
by my chief, and was carefully map
ping out my action with pen and ink.
that / was suddenly surprised by the
apparition of richly-dressed woman
who sat down in chair close beside
me and began hurriedly: Il must see
the mayor at once: Rockefeller and
Carnegie are In conspiracy to rob me
of $40,000,0 900 worth of stocks and
bonds. The delay Of single hour will
ruin me-"
ALIAS, poor soul possessed" There
was nothing to do but to acquiesce in
her distorted dream and take her kind
ly and pityingly to the Office Of the
chief Of police and place her IN Gus
tody until 1t was ascertained who her
people were.
There were always a number Of
women callers, and to their credit It
can be said that they were the most
persistent and ingenious of visitors.
or course, it was necessary to defer
to them with the utmost care, unless
they were entirely crazy. Sometimes
the outside room, a huge affair, would
be crowded to the doors by a swarm
of delegations and by horde of in
dividuals who were bound to get in
side. To handle 4 crowd like that
and to get order out of confusion was
no small job for the Office force, con-
sisting of myself, the police officer at
the door, the stenographer and the
bridewell clerk. The bridewell clerk,
by the way. had about seven different
positions to fill, and he filled them
well. The officer, during my time, was
a man of strength and discretion. The
stenographer, however, civil service
appointee, sent in to fill the place Of
the regular stenographer who was ap-
pointed justice of the peace. was not
a star" at handling crowd. II you
ever get into politics you will find out
what civil service" sometimes means.
Day in and day out the politicians
came in. Many of them alderman.
coming in to consult on prospective
ordinances, or on city business of va
rious kinds. Some of them ex-alder.
men, some members of the legislature.
From IL until each day, excepting
Monday and Saturday, the doors were
open to the public, and never such a
motley throng poured in as did then.
Children who wanted to get dogs out
of the pound; women who were seek
ing to have husbands or relatives par
doned from the bridewell; men after
jobs; aldermen after special privi-
leges or in on city matters; all sorts
and conditions of people. by singles.
by twos, threes. delegations. mobs.
they churned in and out Of the Office
and the air was thick with the scent
Of tobacco and the varying dialects
and patois Of the different nationali
ties.
Before this hour the newspaper
men had their innings" An hour,
usually from 10 to II, was given them.
l believe l got along fairly well with
the newspaper boys. / never gave out
any. news to any of them which they
had not previously been informed Of,
and certainly played no favorites."
They were there to get the news, and
II possible get scoops" for their vari.
Gus papers. All they cared for was
to get an "even start" and never by
any hint nor inference interfered with
their getting away" together. And
not once during my time did any news
paper man ask me to give him any ad.
vantage over any others of the clan
although scoop" over the rest al
ways filled their souls with Joy.
1t was not absent by reason of sick
ness during my term as secretary, and
looking back at the job, with unim
FASHIONED eyes, l believe l made a
good secretary. The only real "break"
l can think of, was once when was
told to keep all inquirers away from
the chiefs residence while he was get
ting out his annual message tc the
city council. A man from the east
called and presented card as one
of the supreme judges of an eastern
state. He backed this up by docu
ments proving his claim. He wanted