New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-10
THE CANAL PLUNDERERS.
PERSONNEL OF THE SYRACUSE RING.
THE IEADERs--THEIR ALIJEs-THfIR sER'ANiS-
THEIR uABITS-TIIEIR POLITICS.
rrpo,, , sr1rr ooEREsrovDENr OF TnE TRIBUNEI

SyRAcUsr n Y. April 9.-Thc geography OF the
Ring is simple to the last degree. The main Hngs
within the Ring the Syracuse Ring, the hoche'-
fer Ring, and tho Oswcgo King Inc Rochester
Ring il q veteran organization winch mas Oh laIo
ve,r, rested from its labors II is q close corpora
lion. and a small one Jarvis Lord Il Son would be
the appropriaie firm name. The Oswego Ring Is a
sort of a side show, in which Asscmblyman Willard
Johnson. Charles j. De Graw, and Charles Case are
TN, principal performers. The Syracuse Ring is at
present or was up to within fortnight, the really
active and popuous branch of the Ring The
Rochester chapter has retired from contracts and
zone to work covering up its footprints well as 1t
knows how The Oswego branch is a minor affair,
but Syracuse is full of contractors, and OF the KID
that Gov Tilden is pursuing.
Some account of tie personnel of this Ring ought
to be interesting, and now is the time to give 1t.
Hereafter such biography will be in tho nature of
Obi uary.
Perhaps the most striking Characteristic Of the
Syracuse Ring is its peculiarly Republican member
ship. 1t is so largely Republican that it may fairly
claim that epithct. There only four leading con-
tractors in il WHO are DcmOcrats-Henry ID. DeniSon
Thomas Gale, Charles Nichols and Henry j. Mowry.
All the otheIs-the Beldens, the Ceres the CANDIES,
Van Duseus &c. are Republicans so far as members
of the Ring have any politics beyond CON
tracts But the balance of the whole Ring rs
Democratic organization is preserved by the lnYari-
able Democra 10 opinions of the Rochester and
Oswego branches. And it may as well he said fur
cher while the political complexion Of the Ring is
under discussion, that its Republican members
stand for nothing represent nothing, while on The
other hand this fight has torn a wide breach in the
Democratic ranks. Bcden is an influential Repub-
lean but it is mostly "a subscriber, and he stands
alone. while Jarvis Lord is a State Senator with
large following and willard Johnson is IN Assem-
blyman.
The chief the brains of the Syracuse Ring, sJamcs
J. Bclden. whose fortune largely derived from canal
contracts is said TO mount up more Than Two NH
lions. lie is a man OF ability, and though none OF
the Canal Ring have more than a common school
culture, he is a gentleman OF refined bearing. But
canal contracts make strange partners, aDd tins
patron of churches and sponsor OF charitable sOcle-
ties is Il partner OF an ncoulh man who can neither
read nor write. Mr.. Beden has been prominent iii
good works. He has given literally to churches,
and his example HIS been followed in this by one or
two other members of the Ring. He has thrown all
his influence on the side of temperance. One can
imagine how strange it sounded 10 hear IA church
announcement Of an exhibition oi the "b'ldrn Coid
Water Temple tread closely upon Tie heels OF the
minister's GcnuIoiatiOn of Canal Rings and tbeftS 10y
contract. Sir. Bo,den became interested in o'lc.a-
ton too just before he wanted to run for Mayor,
and gave largo sums TO tho syracuse University.
How poorly the investment repaid nun readers OF
TIE TRIBUNE already know. In one respect, how
ever ho was u poor citizen. Though from the time
he married into the family Of Robert Gcrc, the head
OF the present Gcro family and the father Of the
Syracuse Ring, lie rapidly III wealth and iriiu-
ence. He always scOiitd at buyers OF real estate
until within siX years He said lie wanted some
thing lac could take home with HIM, and from that
chance saying has arisen the common remark
in Syracuse thit he keeps two millions of
dollars in a box. There is not much absuIdity
about this as might DO supposed. IL has always
boon the policy of his firm to Keep immense sums OF
money hand 10 use a. eNIgcnclcs arose. Ihcy arc
said by citizens here to have paid out 100000 to
the rival bidders ia the SnwiX Hall letting Of loCG,
ofwhich Horace Candec is credited by popular report
with $4,000, Nelson Gcro with $1,000, and Charles
Nichols with ~, 900. Boldon is said at time to
have taken to his house the whole circulation OF n
National bank in uncut sheets, and kept it there,
giving ont n sheet or two IA he needed money. The
amount deposited by the firm guarantee for the
pe Torrance of their contract on the Wciland Canal
Is $500 900. This contract, by the way, was made
before the grand explosion took place, aud old bust
ness men here say tdt the worn Val be 80 closely
watched and the contractors Will be subjected 10 50
many cxactions, that the contract bids far 10 be
rlinOus one. lir. Bcden is u Republican. In 1872
ment, but he took active part in it, aud reapsed
next year into Republcanism and contracts. His
brothers. S. Caldwell Bc,len and Mead Bcldcn. are
his shadows both in contracts and politics. Both
are Republicans and prosperous men, though their
mansions 90 not rival in elegance the Italian villa of
the Great Belden The latter is 4 former business
partner as we'll as relative of Mr.. Page, Chairman of
the Assembly Canal Committee.
The Canal Ring is careful however, TO balance its
politics. and "Doc" DcnisOn, Beidcn's partner is
therefore Democrat, and 80 j. Thomas Gale, the
third and floating member of the firm. Dcnison has
been put forward almost entirely of late years rs
the holder of contracts Belden's name not being
openly connected with single peldinG contract
Dcnson is one of those shTcwd, practical mon who
can estimate with their eyes closely than tho
wly-lodgcd engineers with their instruments and
figures. lie is said 10 be unwearied III lis attention
to work while he has contract under way, and
never rcaxes his careful supervision He and his
firm have the reputation OF doing mich work that
il really good. He is also very rich, and lives in
one of the Land.0mest houses the handsomcst
street in the city. Both Belden and Denison are
bank direciOls
Tho most interesting Iiemb Of this firm is Thomas
Gale, homciy, gaod-:aur.i ian, VINO began work
thirty years ago at IS mo Ia on the very farm
which is covered with his vast salt yard. He
was ali English dicher, who came 10 this couHtry at
that time, and by shrewd and careful mana cement
and diligence in contracts has TO be so wealthy
that he il repued to be at least single millionaire.
He cannot read at all and barely write his name,
but he is the owner of - miles of salt-yats in addi-
ton to his gains from contracts. Iio could not
multiply three sums together TO get the amount Of
stone in q wall, but he could estimate with his shrcwd
blue eye, that constantly avoids yours, so closely
that probably your calculations wonld be unncces-