The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-06-09

MIR. Tllen smiled and glanced tovar
Mr. Nelly, who quickly exclaimed. with
much impresslveness:
And the people are going t. elect
you. Your great service to the Demo
cratic party will he recoSnlzed at the
polls by electing you to one of our high
est offices. and | will help"
The interlocutor felt as If he ha,l
stumbled ON a mine of political secrets.
MIR. Kelly whispered in his ear. in half
confidential sort of way. that he
would not be surprised To see MIR. Tilden
nominated for governor at the conven-
tion to be held in the fall. and find him
elected in November The following
day the writer sent hong dispatch to
the Graphic. in which an account was
given Of the interview with Mr.. Tilden,
and the probability uf his being nomi-
mated by the next democratic state con
first public intlmation of his candidacy
for governor. MIR. Tilden's triumphant
election verified the prediction. and fur
nishel another proof that John Kelly
always kept his word.
The reference To MIR. Tilien's love for
journalism recalls remark that MIR.
Kelly made when the writer met him in
1872. Ii was immediately after the fall
VI the Tweed ring. and few of the
older and more respectable members Of
the Tammany Society met in the com
mittee room ON tlls. inst iloor. To talk
over. for the first time. in an informal
way, the initial steps to le taken toward
resurreeting the old organization from
the wreck and ruin into which it had
been plunged by the ring thieves. There
were present MIR. Kelly. James u. Nlch-
olson. August E lmont. Isaac Bell, thas.
II. liaswell and Wilson Small. They
talked until nearly midnight before they
adjourned. As they wished as little
as possible made public at that time
about their plans. little information was
to be had from MIR. Kelly, who had acted
as chairman. AMI to whom inquiries
were referred by his companions. lie
WAS ready enough, however, to talk on
other subjects, which he did with tx
ceeding courtesy. lie chatted about
newspapers and the herculean task they
had just helped to perform in over
throwing the securely intr,nched ring
and he dilated upon their power for do.
ing good to mankind.
IL once started at the lower round of
the newspaper ladder myself he mus
ingly remarked. with a smile.
'llow was that he was asked
"Oh, it was many years ago, when !
was u mere lad. went to work in the
press vaults of the Herald to learn to
feed the presses. had an ambition
then to grow up into a newspaper man.
have always regretted in after years
that did not do 20, for | regard jour
nalism as the most honorable and useful
of professions.
An old friend of MIR. kelly's, who had
known him for thirty yearsor more, said
last evening: "When he was young
man. Mr.. Kelly could outlook almost
anyone of his size who lived in the Four.
tenth ward. He belonged to the En-
met Guards. and became its first lieuten-
ant, under the captaincy of James Me-
Grath. lie was also one Of the fire lad.
dies of the time. like David G.. l'roder-
lex. George Wilkes, Dan Slckles, Mat
Brennan. John Clancy and Harry How
ard. believe he was a runner with. il
not member of, No. 40 engine. which
lay in Elm street, near Broone. and was
known from end to end Of Gotham rs
the white Ghost which designation
sprlng from the prevailing color Of the
piano deck engine Of the famous com
pany. Moses Humphrey, a swell Center
Market butcher Of the period, who
belonged to this company. was the
original of thanfrau's Nose in
"A Glance at New York. which
was produced at MitchelI's Olympic,
and set the town all agog about 1910.
1t was while young Kelly was doing
lire duty with this company that he be-
came engaged in a quarrel with truck
man one day, when he struck such a
powerful blow that the man lay insensi-
bile for two hours, and II w,s thought
that he would die This incident gave
Kelly such fright that le walked the
floor Of his home at night wrlnglng his
hands in distress over the possible con
sequence Of having lost his temper.
What if this man. whom before his en-
coulter with him he had never met.
should die? He got such fright that he
resolved then and there never To strike
another person. And he never did.
Tweed and Kelly were always politi-
cal foes, but Tweed appreciated Kelly
because he knew he was honest. More
than once William NJ. Tweed swore
solemn oath that John Kelly should
never control Tamnanv Hall. How idle
proved that boast When "A reporter
asked Tweed in Ludlow street jail whom
he.regarded as the most successful New
York politician in the thirty years Of his
experience. he replied
John Kelly. He was always a plod-
der, always saving something and learn
ing something. | never did but one
thing for him. Twenty years ago ]
helped him beat Mike Walsh for con.
yress. New York politics were always
dishonest long before my time. There
never was time when You couldn't buy
the board Of aldermen except now. II
it wasn't for John kelly's severity yon
could buy them now.
What grim satire was iinconscioiiSly
conyevel in that remark As Kelly
grew up in politics he paid strict atten.
tion to business, saved his money and
cared well for those dependent upon
him. lie was sociable and popular. Dne
OF the forms Of diversion he sought was
by Joining an ametner dramatic compa.
nv. which in those days were all the rage
among the young men about town who
worked hard for their living, and dudes
we're a. vet an unblc ssomed bud. From
these embryotic schools the mimic stage
gained Billy Florence. barney Williams.
Forest. Coudock, Dan Bryant. Frank