The Brookhaven leader., 1884-07-31
TAldMArJY.
John Kelly the Best Wire Fuller on
Record--How the Famous Soci-
ETY. Was Organized and
is Conducted at the
Present Day.

| FreSSut LAY.
In 1889 was organized the "Socie
ty of Tammapy or Columbian Or
der" and the men who stood spon.
ser for it were Aaron Barr and the
other ardent republicans of whom
Jefferson was the head, and who op-
posed the plots of the f.deralists
to pervert the new republic into q
limited monarchy. These latter
had already founded the aristocrat-
ic society of the "Cincinnsti," and
to this the new Tammany was an
Offset.
1t was named Tammany after the
we'll known and talented chief who
federated the thirteen Indian tribes
of the State of New York under one
government. and on this basis Tam
many's organization was made to
consist Of council of thirteen
Sachems, the number of original
States as we'll as of the New York
tribes. ..t.
Tammany is and always has been
a secret society as much as the ma
sons, having its grips, signs, pass
words and other mysterious tokens.
1t is a benevolent society for mutual
assistance, and was organized under
the charitable society act of the
State of New York
The organization of the Tamma-
ny Society is made up of over 1,lC0
members, representing "a assembly
districts, and has one member for
each 100 democratic votes cast in
the several. districts. The society
thus stands fairly for the democrat
ic vote of the city. It's executive
business is transacted by a commit
tee of organization, which consists
of 16 members from each district.
Each district, moreover, has lead
er, self constituted or recognized by
tacit consent, and these leaders
are +''...-
THE REAL MANAGERS OF TAMMANY,
anil responsible to it. for affairs in
their respective districts.
John Kelly is not, as is generally
supposed, the nominal chief of Tam
mlny;she is merely the actual chief,
and IS numbered among the thir
teen subordinate Sachems.
The present Grand Sachem is
Charles Fl. Haswell, now in his S3rd
year-a famous civil engineer, who,
fifty years ago was chief engineer of
the United States navy under Jack
son. lie is still very vigorous, pre-
sides with dignity, and looks mar
velou>ly like an old Indian strayed
from his native wigwam.
The most difficult office in Tam
many is that of Wiskinskie (some-
times irreverently called whisky
skim. John d. Newman holds
the office, and has held it for a
quarter of q century, to the terror
of all financial dellnquents and
dead beats. His duties include the
collection of. political assessments,
as we'll as dues and other tribute,
and when he shoulders his toma
hawk and strikes the trail of a.
member who is in arrears there is
sure to be fun, except for the fugi-
tive. AS he gets for his own trouble
ten per cent. of all he collects, he
has rather a fat thing, and swears
with an awful Mohawk oath that he
will never give it up till he is taken
to the happy hunting grounds.
Wiskinskie Newman, a cousin of the
Rev. John p, is familiarly called
"Old Ten Per Cent" He lives in a
handsome brown stone castle up
the avenue and is worth 100000
JohnsKelly is looked upon by his
followers with a respect and admi-
ration akin to reverence; and !
doubt if such feeling could be in
spired in so many men by anything
short of sterling qualities.
In appearance John Kelly is
NOT UNLIKE GEN. GRANT.
Like Grant he has square face,
a square chin, a square, broad head,
square shoulders, and he crops close
his hair and beard like Grant, and
-