St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-07-03
Fitting Testimonial to a Life
Spent in the Public
Service.
Associates and Friends Com
bine to Honor the Grand
Old Man.
The Hero of a Thousand Fights
Is Overcome With
Emotion.


yesterday afternoon. William Pitt
Murray was bordering over the muta-
bility of human affairs in the lower cor
ridOr, where he was waited upon by a
messenger and informed that Acting
Mayor Yoerg wished to see him. Still
wondering what new and knotty
point of law the Sixth ward
alderman had found to wrestle with,
MI. Murray wended his way to the sec
ODd story of the court house and walked
into the mayors reception room. There
great surprise awaited him. The
room was filled with his old associates
in the management of city affairs, and
the subdued smiles disernible on the
faces of so many of his political
colleagues served to embarrass even
the veteran Democratic war-horse.
He was not kept long in suspense. for
he was no sooner seated than Thomas
D. O'Brien, his former assistant,
launched out on an address in behalf of
the co npany present.
A NIERITED EULoGY.
Mr.. O'Brien spoke with great force
and earnestness, complimenting the eX-
corporation attorney on his successful
conduct of the city's legal affairs, and
in the course of his remarks said:
SIT has been charged by your de-
tractors and may be proudly claimed by
your friends that for years you have
been the municipal government Of St.
Paul; and the citizens of this city have
you to thank for a carefully-drawn
charter and an exhaustive set of Or
dinances. The city which you have
loved and watched as parent does
his child, to-day boasts that its
credit stands at premium in
the financial world; that its GRIM
inal calendar is remarkably small. that
its death rate is comparatively the low
est in America, that its taxes and assess
ments of various sorts have been so
managed that though improvements
have been made on colossal scale the
poorest lot owner has been able to
meet his obligations; that our public
water system, while supplying water of
Equality and purity which is the envy
of nearly every city in the land, not
only is self-SuppOrting but is accumu-
lating large sinking fund with which
to pay off the original cost; that our ed
ucational facilities are unsurpassed,
and the city's interests in its relations
with railroads have been carefully
guarded, and perhaps in no city in the
Union has the public safety been so well
provided for by bridges and other means
as here. To your executive ability all
this is largely due. You have re-
ceived able and willing assistance from
the various departments of the city gov
eminent, from the gentlemen who sur
round you, and others; but only you
cOmprehended and supervised the en-
tire plan and system of building up this
pitv Vim q IOna baup TOa6p if tho Ctndv
of your life, and gave up to it the vigor
of your early manhood and the mature
thought of your riperyears."
NOT FORGOTTEN. '- = '---
At the close of his address Mr.. Muir
ray was presented with an elegant gold
gold watch. chain and CHARM valued at
over $500, which was accompanied by an
engroSSed testimonial bearing the fol-
lowing sentiment:
Hon. William P. Murray-Dear Sir: We
your associates in the municipal government
of the City of st. Panl, desire that you accept
from us this watch as token of our appre
citation of your services as public officer,
our respect for you as man. and our regard
for you as friend. We regret that our Of
fetal relations are to be severed, but trust
that the warm, friendly feeling which we
all have for you may never be diminished.
Loyal ever to the interests of st. Paul, your
name is indelibly written in her history and
posterity will reap the benefit of your good
and faithful professional work. We wish
you success In your future work. and health
and prosperity to the end of your days Very
truly, Your OLD FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES.
ST. Paul, July 2. 1889.
Robert A Smith, Anthony Yoerg, John W.
Roche Thomas A. Prendergast, George Refs,
r. L. German, E. c. Starkey. J. C. Quinby, j.
C. Horrigan, L. w. Rundlett, George L. Will
son, Gates A. Johnston. John j. Ahern, Fl.
" Cory, John Clark. John j. 0Connor,
p0rtn III
Phillips, Thomas d. OBrien, Henry Hoyt, A.
r. Starkey, Pat Conley, c. B. Stanley.
THANKS.
The hero of so many bard-fought po-
litical battles was nearer overcome with
establishment and embarrassment than
any. of those present had ever before
seen him; but he soon recovered and
came to the front with the battered silk
hat and ailapidated umbrella that have
weathered so many stormy political
conventions, and briefly thanked his
friends. for the great regard manifested
and the beautiful gifts bestowed upon
him, pricing their expressions of friend
ship and good will greater than all else.
THE WATCH.
The watch is a magnificent minute
repeater, the finest of the AudemarS
make, in a. plain, solid gold hunting
case. On it's face appears Mr.. Murray's
monograme. and on the cap the follow
ing inscription: presented to W. p.
Murray. city attorney from 1876 to 1889,
by his associates in the municipal gov
eminent, July 2, 1889" Attached to the
handsome cable chain is gold charm
representing the city charter, so much
of which was framed by Mr.. Murray.
On one side it bears his monogram, and
on the other side Charter, City of st.
Paul."