The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-11-03


as anything In opera bouffe. We quote
few items from II. The following VIII give
an idea OF President Grams views OF MS
duties. On June q. 1875. one DENNIS
O'Brien being under discussion. the recoru
reads:
President cram-Denn.s O'Brien Is my
man. Why should you put on anyDooy'
Engfneer-He ~ n very Dan man. III,
President Cram-'ren GAYS Is all ne VIII
get; don't care IL he Is the devi.
Engineer-Suppose we give hirl twenty
days? , -, To-.
on the same day similar question
arose about one Tracy. ana the feo"i"
proceeds. .,~ oo,x. 70
slmplifics the account. 49,,
T,ngincer-A good for nothing fellow; i
| want TO get rid of him as soon as can:
He is one Of the poorest men nave OUT
President Grant, appointed him for
| Fox. Shall we lay II over week?
Commissioner White-fes.
On January 81 1898. the chief engineer
recommended the discharge Of one Patrick
Mccain for general inefficiency and
worthlessness." The record for Feb
ruary 9th reads:
Commissioner Phelan--What about Pat
McCannY
President Cram-Reinstate him.
Fneineer-There isn't any place for him.
President Cram-Tnen YOU nave got 10
| find one.
Engineer-He Is the most useless whelp
there is on the waterfront
And at the executive session or No'eiH-
Der sd following Mccain reappeared as
follows:
Secretary-You won't forget McCann?
Commissioner Phelan-McCanny That
in flln 4nraf r.
Commissioner White-What Is the mat
ter with him?
| long: he does everything.
Commissioner White-What did he do!
Commissioner Phelan-He is a laborer in
the Eleventh district.
Engineer-He used to get drunk and
leave his gang. go up street, ana play
policy; then you would have TO hunt
for him. We got 80 We could find nm
quick in the policy shops up street.
Commissioner Phelan-He used 10 nave
an association and compel all OF ms men men
to Join and pay nifty cents week TO MS
association: levied assessments on MS
men.
Engineer-Mr. Cram has kept him In
here for years against everybody's pro
test and everybody's request, except MI
Cram could always be relied on to stand
by whoever had a pull" When ques-
ton arose on June %, 1893. as to why an
unsatisfactory man was retained, Cram
answered: He was appointed by Michael
DAILY" and added that he had pull,
and a VERY good pull" because "Daly Is
personally interested in him, and he IL
also in Dalton's district" At the same
TIME VSram announced frankly that
"Sulzer has brought into my room about
five hundred laborers," and added: Il
MI I)0nnllls
SIS a week. He writes beautifully" The
notorious murderer. Scannell, was an au-
thority to whom Cram paid the greatest
Differences. The record for August I, 1873,
reads as follows:
President Grant, think we Will have 70
dismiss all OF the employees OF the Depart
ment from the Eleventh Assembly dlstrlGi
unless they bring letters from Scaiheil.
Hereafter you must have letter from
Scannell before 1 will appoint ANYBODY.
| don't know whether he wants Johh
OBrien-he wants two or three men dis
| charged. | hate TO discharge laborers,
except for cause; but ne says that Jon, Jonil
O'Brien who is very decent Ola Hiah'
was appointed without his request.
President Cram-Hereafter won't ap-
point any one unless he brings a letter
from Scannen. You can pun MiViiAei
O'Keefe In place Of John OBrlen.
Senator Plunkitt. already referred TO-
was another authority to whom the board
could refuse nothing. On october %
1892, he appeared before Ii 10 ask that IL
nav $4,000 for some property to be
bought by the city. The record reads:
President Grant, move that the of1er
TO sell be amended 10y making IT Slio,~O,
and then he accepted.
Senator Plunkitt--I think IL Is very
cheap for the city offNew YORK az sleo,e
90 / do. | have been In ms secuoH Oh
the city all my life.
romnissioner - What offer has
been made by the department for that
Senator Senator Plunkitt-No offer has been
Commissioner Phelan-The matter was
referred 10 you and me. SO far as l am
CONCERNED, am WILING aly TO reI reler II oaeA
President Grant, move that the oner
be accepted. with that amendment, max
ing IL $4,000. T.. 49,
| the boundaries of the property, knowing
| exactly what and where IL Is.
Senator Plunktt--There is map here,
sir, which shows all OF that grant l
President Cram-Wn you take $4,000?
Senator Plunktt-I think they ought TO
get $4,000 upon my word ! don't tnlilk
| your people ought TO crowd them, gentle
President Cram-There is no use in ask
| ing more than the Sinking fund VIII ap,
|
| sum | will have to go before the Sink
tng Fund and explain this, and where
| VIII we put the 5000 in?
on June /, 1893. the following specimen
coloquy took place between President
| Cram and Judge" Andy White
| President Grant, tell you really Judge.
| as | told Croker the other day, we have
| got about eight or ten masters VINO are
| neglecting their work-at least two-thirds,
| Commissioner White-I don't think we
| have got but two or three of them in the
| whole lot that are worth cent.
a similar conversation occurred on July
| Goth Of the same year:
President CTam-Peter Snedden is very
good man.
Engineer-He won't stay on his work.
| Mr.. Cram.
| Commissioner White-I think you have
| got more statesmen in this department
| than anywhere l ever saw.
| President Cranl-Snedden Is a very Inc
man.
Commissioner WhteI gave you very
| good man the other day. Foley
President Grant put him in place OF
| one of my men, / got the man in for
| Charles Dayton; Snedden put him back.
| Engineer-He only watches sunday; he
| Is not Waterman.
| President Cram-rhere is no objection
| 70 that: he will stay on You Will have to
! try him. Put him back. He is one OF the
| very best statesmen.
We will close our extracts with the
following samples OF the general tone