The daily gazette., 1881-05-31
From the y. Z. star. .t4a
The Man About Town.

| The Man About Town.
"Why," said he, tssome of my
friends tell me that you must be un-
friendly to the Mayor, or else you
wouldn't have recalled the fact that he
was once waiter in the old restaurant
on the corner of Grand and Centre
streets, kept by Captain Bates"
show very absurd r. exclaimed,
warmly. "Why, have known Ger
man barons, French counts and Italian
dukes to become walters, and why
should not q waiter become q Mayor
and be none the worse for 1t? Many
of the most distinguished of our fell
low citizens have risen from lower be-
ginnings and are not ashamed of it.
John Hoey of Adams Express was a
street newsboy the late Barney Will
liams was q dock-rat. 1t is not neces-
sary to remind you that Lincoln was %
railsplitter and Garfield mule driver.
As a waiter, Mayor Grace had better
food to eat, and more of II, than thou
sands of boys who have started in life
as poorly. The only thing I ask Of
him is not to continue to be waiter
now and dance attendance upon Dono-
hue and Whitney instead of acting
like a true Democrat. Itisn't the man
who rises from a low position--it Is
the man who continues in it-who
ought to blush"
"Ah, yes,o he answered, "that's all
very fine philosophy, and just like
yonr odd ideas but you must rec0llect
everybody isn't Man About Town
like yourself, and, therefore, can't
take the rose -colored view of the
things"
s.Pray listen moment p and we
stopped short in our walk at Four
teenth street. 'sH you imagine that
had any idea whatever Of disparaging
the man, you are mistaken. But l
cannot take the same narrow, shoddys
aristocratic views of things as some
people do whom meet occasionally.
William r. Grace's early poverty, and
his honest efforts to make living are,
to my mind, the brightest page In his
career. Look a. Vanderbilt, who be.
gan as a boatman, running q small
sklff between the Battery and Staten
Island look at Daniel Drew, who was
at the start cattle drover, taking
stock from different parts of the coun-
try to New York to be slaughtered.
Then there's Tom Scott, dead now,
who was q poor mountain lad, and be-
gan life as o collector of tolls on
canal and a brakeman. Garrison was
a deckhand, and afterward rose to be
captain ofa big Mississippi steamboat.
Russell Sage was a cartman in the
City of Troy Andy Johnson worked
for many years as a common tailor to
earn his bread Peter Cooper, rich,
and who but lately ran for
President, commenced life as a halter,
and had severe struggle and repeated
failures before he obtained even foot
hold Abram 8. Hewitt was appren-
tice to an upholsterer, and was too
poor to pay for his schooling, which
he got free at Columbia College, pay
Ing for it later in life when he became
rich,"
"But, my dear fellow, could name
not dozeD, but hundred, Of cases in
illustration of this. Why, there's your
own acquintance,J j Judge Donohue-weil, |
he began life as an Ofice-boy In law |
office, which he had to sweep out every
John FL. Starin, who owns
more steamboats, and towboats than any
man In America, started out as bare
o0ted tow boy on q canal. Dean Rich |
nond used TO work as common laborer |
n the Syracuse Salt Works. My loqua
.ious old friend, Tom Dunlap, who draws
In income Of $15, 900 year, was an ap-
prentice in Al.sire's machine shops on
Monroe street. Judge Charles r. DAILY
was in his boyhood common sailor lad
,efore the mast on Liverpool packet
hip. Governor Cornell began as a tel
,graph operator. Ex-Governor Morgan
vas q clerk in downtown store on a
on got his first lessons In business as
lrrand boy In grocery store in Ailegany
County, in the western part of the State.
Judge John s. Freedman, too commenced +
lie In very humble way, and for mapy
Vears kept a small German saloon In
his city.
.But the argument OF illustration on
his subject Is universal.rI continued.
Il might name many of the ablest and
most distinguished men OF, the nation,all
II whom began life In manner as hum
,le as that Of our present Mayor-many
II them without friend In the world 10
rive them a lift. Now Grace, like the
y Dajority Of these men, came here q per-
'ect stranger--yonng. vigorous and will
ng to work; and he wisely took the first
that was offered. 1t is true,
10 was a waiter In Bates restaurant; but
le was an excellent walter, although /
lont know Of any rule that says that,
BECAUSE man has been good waiter,
10 should therefore be q good Mayor.
rhe result alone must prove that part Of
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