The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-09-18

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
man of strength and discretion. The
stenographer, however, civil service
appointee, sent in to fill the place Of
the regular stenographer who was ap-
"star" at handling crowd. If 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 II 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 priv,
leges or in on city matters; all sorts
and conditions of people, by singles3
by twos, threes, delegations, mobss
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
if 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.
It was not absent by reason of sick.
ness during my term as secretary, and
looking back at the job, with unim.
passioned eyes, believe l made a
good secretary. The only real break"
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 to the
city council. A man from the east
called and presented a card as one
| of the supreme judges of an eastern
state. He backed this UP by docu.
ments proving his claim. He wanted
to see the mayor on matter so i'm.
portant that it could not possibly wait.
For once I weakened. The bridewell
clerk was going up to the house and
I sent this caller along. He was
dressed like duke. He was a most
imposing-looking specimen of man,
and his manners had Lord Chesterfield
going least by SOUTH" And when he
reached the house if he wasn't book
agent, then l hope to perish. And at
that, he was all he claimed to be! And
if that wouldn't send man hiking to
the nut and bolt factory" then don t
know what would! When l introduced
the next secretary of the mayor who
followed my chief into Office to the
heads of the various departments in
the city hall they all had a good word
for the way in which I had handled
the job. AS 1.-The bunk" under such
circumstances would have been q
waste of raw material, am under the
impression, that without setting the
Chicago river on fire, l had held up
my end of the log"
ERNEST M'GAFFEY.
Copyright, 1908. by Joseph B. Bowles)
How to Be Happy, Though Rich.
Having made your family happy,
your servants happy, Hodge happy,
you have right to all the appliances
of wealth to make yourself happy;
but you must always do this in such a
way that you do not render others
unhappy. If you enjoy motoring, have
your motor built, but stipulate that
the workmen who build it shall be
paid properly. If you prefer horses,
buy the best you can, and get the
best people to look after them, people
who are kind and understand animals.
If you see any one on your estate un-
necessarily cruel to an animal or q
little child, cast him out until he shall
have learned the lessons of humanity
When you have become a millionaire
you must, first of all, learn never to
blend your pleasure or tour pride
with sorrow of the meaness thing that
lives. Then you can go ahead by max.
ing all the things which you wish fo-
your own happiness a source of hap.
piness to those who produce them.
That is to say, although you are q
millionaire, you must remember that
it is but for a time. All this money
is yours for little while only. It
can purchase happiness if rightly ap.
piled; if wrongly applied it can be
made a cause of misery, to yourself
and every one around you C. B. Bur.
gin, in London P. T. o.
Not So.