The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-17
.IsGREAT FATHER
Of METROPOLIS.
Mayor GaynOr Makes Himself
Literally Servant of the
People.
BESEIGED DAILY BY
MANY CONSTITUENTS
ALI Those Who Have Legitimate
Reason for Seeing Him
Are Admitted.
BY RALPH JOHNSON.
.eased Wire to The Tribune.

'By Leased Wire to The Tribune.
NEW YORK, July 16.-Mayor GAY.
nor whatever may be said in criticism
is most interesting personality He
takes his position most seriously and
makes himself literally the servant of
tine people. One result Of this is that
nearly every day sees at the city hall
from fifteen to twenty people with
blind faith in his ability and willing
ness to take up their troubles. Their
appearance at first amused old-time
city officers, who had been accustomed
to seeing "cranks" turned away by
other mayors; but within short time
Gaynor established the fact that he
would receive anyone who had legiti-
mate reason for seeing him, provided
be was not otherwise engaged.
Mayor Has Guardian.
Outside the mayors office all visitors
are met by Police Lieut.. Kennel, a
polyglot guardian of thee law, who
Yiddish, Kennel has been there since
the time of Mayor Strong, and his ex-
perience would more than qualify him
for difficult diplomatic service. In
other days the politicians were more
obstreperous and commanding visitors
than they are now at city hall, but
even then Kennel gave to the poor,
complaining immigrant an apparently
heartfelt sympathy.
Many See Mayor.
Probably 80 per cent of the people
who bring their troubles to the MAYOR
are taken care of by Kennel who is
20 iSf',r ko4 ha
commissioner. the district attorney, the
charities department, etc, will answer
the purpose Just as well OF the 20
per cent remaining Mr.. Adamson, the
mayor S secretary, is able to take care
Of about half, leaving the mayor him
self to receive and handle about 80
per cent of his curious and troubled
visitors.
Helped Collect Debt.
For more than week one little Ger
nan woman kept calling at the hall.
Ii WAS at time when the MAYOR was
still considering and making appoint
ments and was receiving only persons
whose business was important. Neither
10 Kennel nor to Adamson would she
tell her business. insisting that the only
person she would talk TO was the mayor
himself, Eventually Adamson, who is
a suave Southerner with an abundance
of tact. got her to confide in him 10
the extent Of learning that she ex-
some money that a city office holder
owed her.
Believed in Mayors Honesty.
He suggested that she employ q law,
yer. but She vehemeutly declared that
she would never have anything more
to do with lawyers.
But Mayor Gaynor is a lawyer
exclaimed Adamson.
eyes - was tho reply, F'but that is
different. He is honest"
When the mayor heard of this he
smiled in his grim way and declared
be would see her. For almost an hour
really n sad one. and then carefully
explained TO her that her money could
only be recovered by process Of law,
and that he was unable TO take the
ease himself, IF she would trnst him
he would get her n LAWYER whom he
knew 10 be honest Trust him, OF
course, she would trust him, and sew
eral weeks ago the young lawyer sue
ceeded in making collection for her.
Was in Real Distress
A week ago a woman from small
town in Alabama wrote TO the mayor
and asked him If he would not please
call on the head Of one Of the largest
dry goods firms in the city and ask if
she was going 10 get the $18 that the
store had owed her for n year-she
needed the money very badly. The dire
necessity of her case was stated with
quaint simplicity, and the mayor. who
has, an unerring instinct for detecting
' real distress. sent a letter to the dry
goods firm, asking them to look into
the matter A long letter came bnck
the next day apologeticallv admitting