xperience, whom I shall call
Wells, for the reason that it was not his name. Mr. Scott, a Democratic
member, and I were asked to report on the nomination. The superintendent
and the committee discussed the matter at a pleasant dinner at the
Pacific-Union Club, given by Chairman Scott. At its conclusion the
majority conceded that usage and courtesy entitled the superintendent to
the appointment. Feeling that civil service and the interest of the
school department were opposed to removal from position for mere
political differences, I demurred and brought in a minority report.
There were twelve members, and when the vote to concur in the
appointment came up there was a tie, and the matter went over for a
week. During the week one of the Beanston supporters was given the
privilege of naming a janitor, and the suspicion that a trade had been
made was justified when on roll-call he hung his head and murmured
"Wells." The cause seemed lost; but when later in the alphabetical roll
Scott's name was reached, he threw up his head and almost shouted
"Beanston," offsetting the loss of the turncoat and leaving the vote
still a tie. It was never called up again, and Beanston retained the
place for another two years.

Early in 1901 I was called up on the telephone and asked to come to
Mayor Phelan's office at once. I found there some of the most ardent
civil service supporters in the city. Richard J. Freud, a member of the
Civil Service Commission, had suddenly died the night before. The
vacancy was filled by the mayor's appointment. Eugene Schmitz had been
elected mayor and would take his seat the following day, and the friends
of civil service distrusted his integrity. They did not dare to allow
him to act. Haste seemed discourteous to the memory of Freud, but he
would want the best for the service. Persuaded of the gravity of the
matter, I accepted the appointment for a year and filed my commission
before returning to my place of business. I enjoyed the work and its
obvious advantage to the departments under its operation. The Police
Department especially was given an intelligent and well-equipped force.
An amusing incident of an examination for promotion to the position of
corporal concerned the hopes we entertained for the success of a popular
patrolman. But he did not apply. One day one of the board met him and
asked him if he was not to try for it. "I think not," he replied. "My
early education was very unlimited. What I know,