The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-18
The Kohinoor of the Brooklyn Ring

chreer OI W LILLIAN y. KINGSLEY, the cn1et
jewel in that cluster of brilliants, the
Brooklyn Ring. 1t is story so interest
Ing that we advise every one TO read IL
with care.
Coming TO Brooklyn eighteen or nine
teen years ago from western New York,
not exactly with his clothes in a handker-
chief but still not rich In this worlds
goods, KINGSLEY has now grown TO be n
millionaire. Meantime the debt of Brook
lyn has increased from six millions TO about
seven times that figure. The two things
are closely related. His FIRST tuiticn in
how to make ones fortune out of the pub
lie was got on the oanais--siu uuvuuallcd
school for teaching man the elementary
principles of Ring management. He was
only nineteen when he became an under
contractor on the canals Of western New
York. KEENEY, his partner then ne now,
sought his fortune in Brooklyn, and KINGS
LEY soon followed; and together they
mapped out their plans for making the
people Of Brooklys provide them not only
with rs,ing, but also with exceptional
"-siith. He was soon q hanger-on about
the City Hall.
The first job the partners got was on the
Nassau Water Works; then they worked
for the Health Boards then got some sewer
work and so in comparatively humble
ways these shifty men prepared the road
to the city treasury and to fortune. The
transfer OF the water works from the old
Commissioners, who managed them hon
estly and efficiently, to a water board am
bilious of other things than the public
good, gave KINGSLEY and KEENEY greater
opportunity, and they improved IL forth
with. AT first they worked for the Water
Board at fair price, and gathered only
justi6ablc profits. Iu 1868 the Commission
system, that patent device for generating
Rings, was introduced into our eighboring
city. These Commissions invariably attest
their presence by sending up the city debt.
Brooklyn was cursed with thirteen of
them, and they all went TO work might
and main to spend the money Of the peo-
pie. They opened new streets, widened
others. put down expensive pavemcnts,
built bridges, went ut the water works,
and wherever there was q chance they
made the greenbacks ny.
The worst and most grasping Commits
sion is always Of the bipartisan variety.
1t represents bargain, and means the
silencing Of criticism. Such Il one was that
appointed TO extend Washington avenue
across the United states land at Wallabout
Bay, TO improve the Wallabout canal, aud
build bridge over the WallabOut. KINGS
LEY was made the contractor. A Commits
sion of the knowing sort always begins
work on a small estimate OF the expense,
and then spends all it can get hold of.
| IuIs Commissions estimate WAS SluU.UVO.
II was soon eaten up, and was increased
from year to year, until in eight years over
81, 200 600 had been swallowed up. KINGS
LEY was approaching his big bonanza.
Mr.. WILLIAM A. FOWLER, n gentleman
OF luxurious habits and cynical views rs TO
the motives and capabilities of men, was III
the Water Board, and he and KINGSLEY
joined forces. They went TO work laying
water mains, advertised for contracts, got
very low bids, and gave the contract,
which, by previous arrangement the con-
tractors soon threw up; and then KINGS
LEY & KEENEY stepped in and did the
work at their own price. This is a familiar
Ring trick. Hence it was that thirteen
blocks OF sewerage in Hudson avenue cost
s39G.0 600. KISGsLEYs bank account swelled
famously. FOWLER became a Brooklyn
MKcENAs. KINGSLEY gave freely to the
party, and was soon high in the council
chamber of the unteTrihed.
Now came the paving mania. II opened
a pretty lode for the workers. The Guidei
pavement was put down at e. u yard
about three times its value. BY an ar.
rangoment with the Nicolson Company
KINGSLEY, in return for getting FowLET
to have that pavement laid, was TO receive
one-third of the gross receipts. KINGSLEY
got, from August 1862 10 January, 1870
tG5, $50 on this job. KINsEILA was on th'
Water Board, and he and FOWLER loved
each other like brothers. Street paving
now went on at n mad rate. Asphalt
Schan, concrete, Scrimshaw-all were pu
under contribution, and KINGSLEY ant
his friends were always flush. The proper
ty owners protested, but the Ring went OF
repaving far out into the suburbs, unit
there were in Brooklyn forty-four NOR,
miles Of paved streets than New York had
To stay the cutlery of the taxpayers
KINGSLEY put up the job of keeping tn
taxation the same, but increasing iii,
property valuation by one-quarter.
So great Ring ornament could not fai
to attract tho attention of TWEED, SwEE
NY, and Connolly. Thus KINGsLEY go
.. the New York Ring chieftains into tn
bridge company, they taking nominal.
$4,000 each, while he held $4,000 in hi
own name, and in those OF others 800, 90
more. The company was organized il
= 1867. In 1870 the famous resolution givin
KINGsLEY fifteen per cent. OF all the eX
= peuditures was passed. Meantime KINGS
, LEY was in everything that promise
= money-a trust company, gas companies
- banks, n lumber company; and the Rim
, had fitted up luxurious club house. d
e 1872 his lumber company had receive
t from the bridge Sli3, iO0.4. Hehad got hi
( $4,000 percentage under the TWEED resC
4 luton, and the prospects Of the future in
) dictated that he had his foot in Il very cav
= of MONTE CHRIsTO.
( II the Committee OF Fifty had not inter
I fered, the golden mine which the bridg
= covered might have been still worked b
= the Ring. Mr.. ADRIAN S. HEWITT discoV