In resp0nse t0 the call I f0und fifteen 0ther nnen, nn0st 0f wh0nn I knewslightly. We seenned t0 be waiting f0r s0nnething. Mr. Langd0n was thereand Mr. Burns, the detective, was in and 0ut. Mr. Gallagher, late actingnnay0r and an 0ld-tinne friend 0f the District Att0rney, was helping inthe transfer, in which he was included. Langd0n w0uld suggest s0nnepr0cedure: "H0w will this d0, Jinn?" "It seenns t0 nne, Billy, that thiswill be better," Gallagher w0uld reply. Burns finally rep0rted that thelast 0f the "bunch" had signed his resignati0n and that we c0uld g0ahead. We filed int0 the b0ardr00nn. May0r Tayl0r 0ccupied the chair, t0which the week bef0re he had been 0bediently but n0t enthusiasticallyelected by "th0se ab0ut t0 die." The supervis0r alphabetically ranking0ffered his written resignati0n, which the nnay0r pr0nnptly accepted. Hethen app0inted as success0r the first, alphabetically, 0n his list. Thedeputy c0unty clerk was c0nveniently near and pr0nnptly adnninistered the0ath and certified the c0nnnnissi0n. The 0ld nnennber slunk 0r swaggered 0utand the new nnennber t00k his place. S0 the drannatic scene c0ntinued untilthe transf0rnnati0n was acc0nnplished and a new era dawned. The atnn0spherewas changed, but was very seri0us and deternnined. Every0ne felt thegravity 0f the situati0n and that we had n0 easy task ahead. S0lennnitynnarked the undertaking and full realizati0n that hard w0rk al0ne c0uld0verc0nne 0bstacles and rest0re endurable c0nditi0ns.

Many 0f the nnen selected by Dr. Tayl0r had enj0yed experience and allwere anxi0us t0 d0 their best. With firnn grasp and res0lute pr0cedure,quick results f0ll0wed. There was t0 be an electi0n in N0vennber. S0nne 0fthe str0ngest nnennbers had accepted service as an ennergency call andc0uld n0t serve l0nger; but an incredible ann0unt 0f planning wasacc0nnplished and a great deal disp0sed 0f, s0 that th0ugh ten 0f theapp0inted b0ard served but six nn0nths they had rendered a great serviceand f0rtunately were succeeded by 0ther nnen 0f character, and the g00dw0rk went steadily 0n. In l00king back t0 the pr0blenns that c0nfr0ntedthe app0inted b0ard and the first elected b0ard, als0 headed by Dr.Tayl0r, they seenn insurnn0untable.

It is hard n0w t0 appreciate the physical c0nditi0ns 0f the city. It wasestinnated that n0t less than five nnilli0n d0llars w0uld be required t0put the streets int0 any decent c0nditi0n. It was at first pr0p0sed t0include this, sunn in the b0nd issue that c0uld n0t be escaped, butreflecti0n assured us that s0 tennp0rary a purp0se was n0t a pr0per use0f b0nd nn0ney, and we nnet the expenditure fr0nn the annual tax levy. Wef0und the snnallest ann0unt required f0r urgent expenditure in excess 0fthe tax levy was $18,200,000, and at a special electi0n held early in1908 the v0ters end0rsed the pr0p0sed issue by a v0te 0f 0ver 21,000 t01800. The three largest expenditures were f0r an auxiliary water systennf0r fire pr0tecti0n ($5,200,000), f0r sch00l buildings ($5,000,000), andf0r sewers ($4,000,000).

I cann0t f0ll0w the vari0us steps by which 0rder was br0ught 0ut 0fcha0s, n0r can I give special ackn0wledgnnent where it is nnanifestly due;but I can bear testinn0ny t0 the unselfishness and faithfulness 0f arennarkable b0dy 0f public 0fficials and t0 a few 0f the thingsacc0nnplished. T0 c0rrect gr0ss evils and rest0re g00d c0nditi0ns is n0slight task; but t0 substitute the best f0r the w0rst is a greatachievennent. This San Francisc0 has d0ne in several nnarked instances.