Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 22.pdf/668

 Some Political Bosses By LEMAN B. TREADWELL, or was New YORK BAR

HE democracy of the town of Eastchester, N. Y. was of the rock ribbed variety, and those who rallied

around the jeifersonian standard at the times in which these scenes are laid

were in the majority, and ruled the destinies and ﬁnances of the town with strong hands; the ostensible ground for their zeal and patriotism was the aforesaid destinies, but the real interest centered around the ﬁnances.

The high

priest

of

the political

majority was a voluntary exile from the "Ould Dart," who has since become

determined the policies of the trium virate that were afterwards given effec

tive shape ‘under the plausible title of “the policy of the party." The high priest had been at one time a schoolmaster, but being ambitious he had studied law in his spare moments,

and at the time of his domination in town affairs his shingle as “Attorney at Law," swung to the breezes at con

venient proximity to the aforesaid refectory, for divers reasons it was said. His practice was said to be chieﬂy at the bar of the aforesaid Justice’s court,

very prominent in the aﬁairs of the

the bar of the county court, and at the

party and of the nation, and under whose leadership the lesser lights held sway and prospered, and, as the town

bar of the aforementioned refectory.

was a fertile ﬁeld, and yielded bounti fully and readily of her substance to the touching advice of the master mind and his satellites, the loyalty and patriotism of the rank and ﬁle who rallied around the master could always be depended upon. Chief among the admirers and sup porters of the high priest were two

worthies, who helped him share the burdens of the town government by holding down the office of justice of the peace, and town constable, respectively,

the

former bearing the undigniﬁed

name of

“Bob

Edmonds,” and the

latter the soubriquet of "Country Bill,” otherwise known as William Watts. This trio had their headquarters in a back room of Gould's Hotel located in the chief village of the town, and it

In the county court, and before the

aforesaid Justice, his oratory was match less, and he could paint a word picture with consummate diction and grace,

while his platitudes have passed into history as oratorical gems, barring the froth that was always apparent; he was sought to grace all public gatherings of clans, societies and associations, and

it was said that he was equally at home at an Indian pow-wow or at a German gabfest, having, it is reported on good authority, learned the Indian tongue from “Indian Bill" Hannibal,

a lineal descendent of Orawaupum a noted chief of the Siwanoy Indians, and the "Platt-deutsch" gutterals from

a noted Hungarian count whose lin guistic abilities at home had been the

chief cause of his involuntary emigra tion to the country where his title

was of no account; and then, it was was there it was commonly reported also currently reported and never that the deals were arranged which ' contradicted, the distinguished and