9.County Officers.In each county there are also of ricers whose duty it is to see that the laws are carried out.The county has no president or governor.The county legislature，whether county board or board of supervisors ，besides making laws，also sees to more or less administrative business.Then，there is a treasurer，who takes care of the county money，just as the state treasurer does of the state money；and a sheriff，who is really the chief policeman of the county.It is the sheriff ’s deputies who usually arrest criminals in the county，and the county jail is in the sheriff ‘s care.So we see that the sheriff is quite important to the good order of the community.There is a county attorney，too，who is the lawyer for the county，as the attorneygeneral is for the state.All these officers are in most states elected by the people of the county，although in some states，as in Maryland，the county board chooses the treasurer.
10.The County Seat.We remember that the city in which the state legislature meets and the governor lives is called the capital .The county，too，has a capital，but it is usually called the county seat .Quite often the county seat is rather a small town.But it generally has one or more county buildingsthe courthouse，jail，and perhaps others.The county board generally meets in the courthouse，and there also are the offices of most of the other county officers.
11.The Mayor.If your home is in a city you have heard many times of the “mayor.”He is the city’s governor，whose duty it is to see that the laws are obeyed.The mayor is chosen by the people，just as is the governor of the state.
12.The name “mayor”was applied to the chief officer of the first cities which were organized in our country，for the reason that that was the name used in the English cities.In England the mayor，on official occasions，wears an elaborate costume.The lord mayor of the city of London is elected annually.His inauguration，on the ninth of November，“lord mayor‘s day，”is made the occasion of a gorgeous parade through the streets.The lord mayor’s robe is on some occasions of black silk，on others of violet silk，or of scarlet cloth，or of crimson velvet.
13.The London Lord Mayor‘s Banquet.On the evening of lord mayor’s day a banquet is given by the mayor at the London guildhall （the city hall，we should call it）a banquet which is famous for its luxury.A few years ago one of the guests at this banquet made a curious list of the articles of food provided.Provision was made for a thousand guests，and this is what was set before them：
Two hundred fifty tureens of turtle soup，6great dishes of fish，80roast turkeys，60roast pullets，60dishes of fowl，40dishes ofcapons，80pheasants，24geese，40dishes of partridges，15dishes of wild fowl，2barons①of beef，3rounds of beef，2stewed rumps of beef，12sirloins and ribs of beef，2quarters of lamb，50French pies，60pigeon pies，53ornamental hams，43tongues，60dishes of potatoes，6dishes of asparagus，50dishes of shellfish，60mince pies，50dishes of blancmange，①A baron of beef is two sirloins not cut apart.
40dishes of cream tarts，400jellies and icecreams，100pineapples，120dishes of cake，200dishes of hothouse grapes，350dishes of other fruits.With each course there was a different kind of wine also.
One would think that even a thousand guests might find enough to eat in this profusion.Our American mayors are not in the habit of hospitality on so large a scale.Perhaps they might do as well if they had the salary of the London lord mayor50，000a year！
14.American Mayors.The mayors of American cities differ somewhat as to the powers they possess，depending on the state in which the city is situated.In some cities the mayors are allowed to appoint or to remove nearly all the public officers，and in this way the mayor can really control the way in which the city business is done.But in other cities many officers are quite independent of the mayor，so that things go on without his having much to say about them.
15.City Departments.The administrative departments in a city are in some respects like those in the counties，the states，and the nation.
16.There is a treasurer，who keeps the money of the city and pays it out as directed by law.There is an auditor，who examines all bills against the city and approves those which he finds correct.The treasurer pays no bills unless the auditor has approved them.Then，there is a department of police，which keeps order in the city.The policemen arrest people who break the laws，like thieves and robbers，and also keep watch to prevent the laws from being broken，as far as possible.Policemen wear a uniform，customarily of blue with brass buttons，and carry a club.The department of police is in some cities managed by a single person，the chief .But in other cities there is a group of persons，called a board ，which appoints the chief of police and manages all the affairs of the department.
17.The Fire Department.Another very important department in a city is that which is intended to prevent or to put out fires.City houses are so many and so crowded together that a fire catching in one is very apt to spread to many others.
18.In London，in the year 1666，a fire broke out which spread on allsides.The buildings were mostly of wood and were dry as tinder.Andpeople then knew little about the quick and effective ways of putting out fires which we have.For three days the conflagration raged，destroying thirteen hundred houses and ninety churches，besides other property of enormous value.A similar fire occurred in Chicago in 1871，and other cities have had disasters of the same kind，like Boston，Massachusetts，and Troy，New York.So much fear is there of fire that the law in all large cities now forbids wooden buildings to be put up except in the suburbs.