The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1872-01-06
1oualosonbille Gbief.
Biography of VIM. M. Tweed.

The story of Boss TWeed's life
would fill book if told III detail
And vet it may. be told in single
sentence He began at the bottom
with nothing; he joined an engine
company and worked into ward poll
tics; he wanted power and office, ana
got both 10y diligence in political jug
glery he was ambitious for wealth
and position, and he won them by
good use of political opportunity.
THAT is an epitome of the full story.
IF the man has ever promoted any
public interest, if he has ever done
ANYTHING except from purely selfish
motives, if he has ever illustrated
even one OF the virtues which adorn
human character-if he has ever been
other than a low-minded, coarse
grained official cormorant and specu-
lator, then all contemporaneous MS
tory has done him injustice.
He is of Irish descent and was born
in the eastern part of New York city.
In boyhood he worked for a while as
an apprentice at the trade OF chair
making, but work in the legitimate
sense has never been to his taste OF
liking. He mixed with fellows OF the
baser sort who congregated in corner
grogeeries, and used to "run with
the masheen;" spent his days in loaf
ing and learning blackguardism, and
his nights at random, or sleeping on
the floor of the engine-house; even
tually joined the toughest fire COM
pany in the city, and punctualiy per-
formed his duty as a bruiser and
shoulder hitter; and finally became
foreman of " Big Six" otherwise
known as cold Tiger" from which
the American Club took its badge.
Efficient service at primaries ana
among the bullies of his section OF the
city soon attracted the attention OF
the Democratic politicians of the time,
and it was not long beforern they al
lowed him to receive a small office,
from which vantage ground he went
into the old board of supervisors,
thence to the State Senate, and ultl-
mately to the position he now holds
commissioner of the department OF
public works. Fifteen or sixteen
years ago he was in the chair business,
in which he failed, and from which he
retired much in debt. He is unques-
tionably man of great executive
ability, with little education, and re-
tanning much of the speech and man
ner of his early associations. IL
March of last year the World sketcheo
his portrait as follows:
/" Mr.. Tweed was worth less than
nothing when he took the trade o.
politics. Now he has great posses
sions, estimated all the way from
$4,000, 900 to twice that much. We
are sorry not to be able to give hi:
own estimate, but, unluckily, he re-
turns no income. But at least he l!
rich enough to own gorgeous house
in town and sumptuous seat III the
country, stud of horses, and a set o
palatial stables. His native modesty
prevents him from blazoning abroad
the extent of his present wealth o.
the exact means by which it was ac
quired. His sensitive soul revolt
even at the partial publicity in thu
income list. We are tossed upon thu
ocean of conjecture. But we d.
know from his own reluctant lips tina
this public servant, who entered tn
public service a bankrupt, has becom
by an entire abandonment of himsel
to the public good, zone of the larges
tax payers in New York His inhene
is co-extensive with cash. The docil
legislature sits as his feet, as Saul a
the feet of Gamaliel, and waits, il
reverent inactivity for his signal be
fore proceeding to action. He thrive
on the percentages of pilfering, grow
rich on the distributed dividends G
rascality. His extortions are a
boundless in their sum as their inge
nuity. Streets unopened profit him
streets opened put money in his purse
Paving an avenue with poultice in
creases his wealth. His rapacity Xix
the trunk of an elephant, with equa
skill twists a fortune out of tn
Broadway widening and picks u
dishonest pennies in the Bowery."