St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-05-22
PONTHAN is CHOSEN.
The ComptrolIer's Chief Clerk
Nominated by the Demo-
cratic Caucus.
Nineteen Ballots to Settle the
Fight Between Him and
Rhodes.
Aid. Dobner's Vote Finally
Breaks the Ice in Pom
than's Favor.
Sketch Of the Man Soon to
Succeed the Late John w.
Roche.

The Gght for the Office of city comp
troller was settled last evening at a
caucus of the Democratic members of
the city council, and Swan A. Ponthan,
chief clerk under the late Mr. Roche,
was selected to be his successor, but it
took nearly. three hours of fierce dis
cuSSlon before the necessary number of
uoteS were secured. At7:30 the MEM
berS of the assembly aud board of alder
men met in the private rooms of
Mayor Smith in the city hall, and
soon after settled down to business.
Fourteen members OF the council were
present, those absent being Aldermen
Flandreau, Minea and McNamee.
Mayor Smith, Clerk of Courts Il. T.
O'COnnor, City Clerk Prendergast and
City Engineer Rundlett sat in the
mayors office, and discussed every
topic under tue sun except that of the
struggle going OH in the adjoining
room. 1t was known before the caucus
began that the choice lay between Mr..
Ponthan and William Rhodes, of the
ScrIDner-Llbby company, who was put
forward at the last minute as
candidate for the comptrollerShip.
The claims of Mr.. Rhodes for the office
were summed up by high city official
last evening in the statement that she
was the son Of his father, and his father
was once an alderman of the city, that's
all.''
The ever alert reporter was allowed
but very little chance to find out what
was going Oh behind closed doors. for
Chief Clark was on watch, and when any
of the pencil pushers wandered close
to the door the chief was on
his track and drew his attention
away by asking where flies went in
winter" But the chiefs diplomacy
could not prevent the loud voices of the
speakers from being heard, and it was
known that the fight lay between Pom
than and Rhodes, Alderman John Gehan
being leader of the faction for Ponthan,
and Hon. W. =. Murray leading the CO.
horts who wore the Rhodes colorS. But
the Murray faction were at a disadyan-
tage for all that their leader could do
Oh the ground that he had
seen the light of day under an alien
government. They could not point to
any great qualities of their candidate
for the position. Aid. Gehan, however,
had his forces well in hand. and insisted
that this great and glorious country
knew no such thing as an alien candi-
date, and that no matter where a man
was born, providing he became
citizen of the greatest country
on earth, and did his duty. he was an
American, and he would fight to the
death for his man. Besides that, he re-
minded the opposition that Mr.. Ponthan
had served for six years under Mr..
Roche, and was fully acquainted with
the work of the office, and on his merits
GQlapfnn
Then followed series of eighteen
ballots, and it was found in each case
that the members of the council pres
ent were evenly divided, seven for each
candidate. Those for Mr.. Ponthan were
Messrs. Banholzer, McCafferty, Bott,
COnley, Beilenberg, Gehan and Dorni-
den, and those for Mr.. Rhodes being
Messsrs. Oppenheim, Murray. Costello.
Van Slyke, Cullen, Dobner and Melady.
Before the nineteenth ballot slight
discussion took place, and when the roll
was called it was found thai Aid. Dob
ner had left the Rhodes forces and
Joined the clan led by Aid: Gehan.
The announcement of majority in
favor of Mr.. Ponthan was hailed with
cheers, and the vote was then made
unanimous in favor of that gen'l man,
who was waiting outside with his
friends. He received the news i'll
most unaSSumlng manner, and was the
recipient of hearty congratulations
Sketch of the Nominee.
Swan A. Ponthan, to be the new city
comptroller, was born in Stockholm,
Sweden, in 1859, and is therefore thirty
two years old. In 1888 he determined to
come to the United States, and located
in Boston, Mass, accepting a position
with Bryant & King, the well known
leather dealers. In the fall of 1888 he
came West, and arrived in st. Paul, but
not finding the position he desired, went
to Steele county, Dakota, where he soon
secured. berth as deputy register of
deeds. He filled that position until 1885,
when he returned to st. Paul and en-
tered the office Of the late Mr.. Roche,
taking a subordinate position at a
monthly salary of S75. But he was not
destined long TO remain in that obscur-
ity, for Honest John Roche recognized
the sterling ability, integrity and devo-
ton to duty displayed by his assistant,
and rapidly advanced him from one
post to another until he reached the
highest rung on the ladder and was
appointed chief clerk by Mr.. Roche.
The late comptroller. before his death,
in speaking of his Office, said that he
did not intend to seek reelection, but
hoped that Mr.. Ponthan would be select
ed as his successor, as he had every
faith in his ahilitV and oOncidprnd hi m