▁the ▁newsp apers . ▁He ▁was ▁guard ian ▁of ▁the ▁corpor ate ▁se al ▁and ▁applied ▁the ▁o ath ▁of ▁corpor ate ▁office . ▁As ▁elect oral ▁officer , ▁he ▁managed ▁vot er ▁registr ations ▁and ▁elections . ▁He ▁prepared ▁the ▁tax ▁led gers ▁and ▁adj ud ic ated ▁tax ▁claims . ▁He ▁was ▁registr ar ▁of ▁birth s , ▁mar ri ages ▁and ▁death s . ▁He ▁managed ▁the ▁initial ▁selector ▁of ▁jur ors ▁to ▁be ▁referred ▁to ▁the ▁Crown ▁Att orney . ▁ ▁City ▁C ler ks ▁in ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁colonial ▁Canada ▁controlled ▁small , ▁but ▁powerful ▁b ureau cra cies ▁and ▁were ▁a ▁well - network ed ▁community . ▁In ▁his ▁poem ▁Ex ch anging ▁Com pl iments ▁and ▁in ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁the ▁King ston ▁Daily ▁News , ▁L ett ▁paid ▁t ribute ▁to ▁" my ▁friend , ▁Michael ▁Fl an agan , ▁City ▁C ler k ▁of ▁King ston , ▁Ontario ▁on ▁completion ▁of ▁his ▁thirty - e ighth ▁year ▁of ▁official ▁life " ▁... ▁" the ▁patri arch ▁of ▁our ▁band ". ▁ ▁L ett ▁held ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁the ▁civ ic ▁pen ▁and ▁had ▁the ▁ear ▁of ▁nin ete en ▁May ors ▁of ▁Ott awa . ▁According ▁to ▁his ▁ob itu ary ▁in ▁the ▁Ott awa ▁Even ing ▁Journal , ▁he ▁proved ▁an ▁ind isp ens able ▁civ ic ▁speech writer , ▁" To ▁speak ▁of ▁Mr . ▁L ett ' s ▁mer its ▁without ▁mention ing ▁his ▁useful ness ▁outside ▁of ▁his