The Evening World

CITY PAYS $250 TO GET ONE VOTE.

Election Board and Two Police Spend Five Days to Register Thomas, Receive His Ballot and Count It:

If all votes were as costly to the city as that of James Thomas, Superintendent of the William J. Young lumber yard, bounded by Thirty-fifth and Thirty-sixth streets and First and Second avenues, the expenses of to-day's election would be in the neighborhood of $100,000,000.

James Thomas enjoys the distinction of being the only voter in the Nineteenth Election District of the Twentieth Assembly District, and his vote entails a cost of $250. The polling place usually has a quota of clerks. Election inspectors, and two patrolmen, eight officials in all, whose sole duty is to corral the Thomas vote and count it. All of these eight are compelled to be on hand promptly at 6 o'clock in the morning and remain there until 5 o'clock in the afternoon. There is but one name in the four duplicate registry ledgers—that of James Thomas, sixty-three years old, of First avenue and Thirty-first street.

Mr. Thomas, being possessed of a genial humor, never lets it be known just when he is going to vote. Early in the morning he will hasten in the direction of the polling place, whereupon there is a stir in the booth. "Here he comes," chorus the two policemen, two poll clerks, two ballot clerks and two election inspectors, but Mr. Thomas suddenly turns round and disappears.

Now and then he walks up to the door of the polling place and winks at the eight expectant officials, asking: "How is the vote coming out?" Then he will go off about his affairs, chuckling.

Generally he waits until almost the last moment before casting his ballot, making of the act a ceremony which he performs with the greatest gravity.

This election district was once populous until the houses between First and Second avenues were torn down to make room for St. Gabriel's Park. After this was done the only dwelling left in the district was that of Mr. Thomas, on the corner of Thirty-first street and First avenue. This is the last year he will have an entire election district to himself, as there will be a reapportionment before the next election.

The election board had to meet four days as a board of registration to get Mr. Thomas's name on the registry list.