The morning call., 1891-11-12
HOW BOSSES GROW.
An Outline of the Careers of Buck.
ley and Rainey.
From Saloon to opulence, and Now Fugi-
tive From Justice - The Fight in
the Fire Department.


With the indictment, which has Just been
found by the pi eSent Grand Jury, against
Christopher A. Buckley and Sam Kaiuey
there is every reason to believe closes the
political careers of two of the most unique
figures in the politics of the city of San
Francisco.
Both have been prominently identified
with some of the most disGraceful chapters
of municipal corruption. and for number
of years their names have stood as syno
nyms for all that was vile in politics.
OF the two the more prominent character
is Buckley the "blinI boss" who Is known
from New York to San Francisco as the
'bllnd white devil" an appellation which
was first given him by Little Pete, China
man, some years ago.
The first that was known of him in poll
tics was some fifteen years ago, when he
figured more or less conspicuOusly IN VALLEJO.
This field, 1t seems however. Was too
limited for his oYrrweenlnS ambition. and
in 1876 or thtreaboutS he came tn this city
and purchased ali interest in the Alhambra
Saloon, on Bush street, between kearny
and Montgomery. As a PARTNER lie took IN
Mat Fallon. man we'll known in those days
in local politics. and who from first TO last
WAS lhIllluI 10 DuChISS.
HE WAS A REPUBLICAN.
At that time the latter was a Republican,
and soon attracted the attention of the late
William I. Higgins, who found in HIM EVIL
IDENTITY an apt pupil, and soon entrusted him
with important commissions. In the mean
time the pupil seems 10 have outrun the
master, and as the city was at that period
overwhelmingly Democratic, Buckley grew
ambitious, and. cutting awav from his old
affiliations, went over to the Democrats.
Associated with him in the latter party
were John {. Murphy, well known TO the
old-timers Of the city, who occupied seat
at one time in the State Senate, and carried
things with high hand in the old Ninth
District. He controlled the North Beach
end of the party, aud divided the patronage
with Al Fritz, who ran the old Eighth Dis
trict, south OF Market street In 1881 Fritz
died, leaving Buckley and Murphy in con-
troll of the machinery OF the party, and q
little later the latter, who had been drinking
heavily, became incapacitated for active
service, and as a result Buckley became the
controlling spirit
In the interim, however, Mannix and
Brady had been prominent in Democratic
politics. bat they had been overtlrown, and
in 1873 buckley was on top.
THE wORKINGMEN on TOP.
Then came the disinleGration Of the party
In tits city. 4 tidal wave carried the Work
ingmens party into office. ana Tor nearly
four years the Democrats were out. lu 1882
tie WOrkingmen's excitement had to Il great
degree subsidized, and the Democratic party
was reOrganiZed with Buckley as boss. This
proved the turning point in his career, and
when the State convention met at San Jose
he was able to secure the nomination of
William p. Humphrey for Railroad Com.
missioner. At the same time he slrove tC
place the late George Hearst at the head Of
tie ticket, but in This he was unsUccesS fHl
$oneman was nominated instead, and in
the campaign which followed be was electe1
by a large majority over Morris NJ. Estee
The Legislature. too, was Democratic.
Thea followed the municipal campaign
of 1884, and in that election the Tax payers
ticket was so lar successful that BUCKLEY
found that he had elected but two men Il
office-J. j. Flynn for COunsy Clerk and
Peter Hopkins for Sheriff Bartlett was
chosen for Mayor, but was known TO be an
tag0nistic to the boss.
PATRONAGE HIS POWER.
Buckley, however, clung to the Sheriff
and County Clerks offices, and by using the
patronage at his disposal gthened him
self and reached out for further c0nquests
He saw chance 10 name License Col
lector. and now he showed himself the con
summate politician. HE appointment lay
with Mayor Bartlett, Fleet f. Strother anC
j. a. Bauer. The latter was a Republican
He named for the COllect0rship NJ. c. Con-
roy, a member OF his own party and
Strother voted with him. The agreement
ronage of the office. Here he added greatly
TO his power and the result vas that when
the Legislature met 10 1885 he was enabled
to elect George Hearst TO a seat in The
United States Senate. This brought 10 hin
both power aud money, and as his eyesisht
was gone he retired from the saloon bust
ness and devoted himself entirely to politics
The rest is known.
SAM RAINEY.
The career of Rainey is longer, but no
so eventful. Back In the COS he was
conspicuous figure on Dupont street. lie be
came popular with a certain class of hi
associates. and in 1868 had SO far built him.
self up politically that he was nominated by
the Democrats for Fire Commissioner Ii
the board was James II. Reynolds, ex
Supervisor of the Tenth Ward. Rainey
joined Reynolds in the board, coiuciding
with him, and they were known as the mi
nOrity, Torrey, Freeman and Merrill being
the other Commissioners. Rainey anC
Reynolds bent all their energies in the cam.
paign Of 1869 20 secure the nomination and
election Of Commissioner who would join
them in obtaining the control of the depart
ment in the Interests of the Democratic
party machine Ben Freeman was nOmi
mated by the Taxpayers party for re-elec
ton, while James Farrell got the Demo
cratic nomination. The contest was warn
and exciting one, but on the ballots beini
counted it was found that although tn
city went strongly democratic, Ben Free
man, the Taxpayers nominee, had beer
elected by few hundred votes.
LEGIsLATED OUT.
1t was also found that the Legislator
was two-thhds Democratic, and bill wa
Immediately introduced to legislate out th
appoiutees Of the Fire Underwriters
Torrey and MerriIl-and appoint Frank G
Edwards and j. Fl. Wise as their sue
cessorS, to serve until the general city cleo
ton in 1870. This was afterward anne ndet
by leaving the names Of Ed wards and Wis
out and authorizing the Gov ernor to fill III
Va"ancies.
Then followed the long battle which
after many ups and downs, resulted in 1871
In the election of David Scannell for Chie
of the department. From that time OIL
Rainey. vino Joined forces with Buckle,
later on, managed to control the member
of the department, and used it as a machine
to control the primary elections. In thi
way his power grew, and lie was enabled t
become rich and arrogant at the expense 0
the public.
His downfall is a matter of recent know
edge.