The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-09-19
WATCH NIGHR SERVICES
All the Booms On Exhibition
Real RoWdy Time --Figur-
ing up the Chances.
Bu cabls 20 the United Press.

TRENTON, Sept 10, 1S95.--There never
was a situation on the eve of a gubernatorial
convention so badly mixed up as was the
aspect here last night. Old timers who have
been to all the conventions since Marcus
Ward and Theodore Runyon's time
and have the reputation Of being able to
size up a situation as accurately as any poll
tical prophecy can be were at an utter loss to
make any prediction upon which they were
willing to risk their regulations as political
prophets sit looks like Griggs hut its
Kean,n was all they would say.
It is very long time since Trenton
has been SO lively the night before a con-
vention The trouble began early. The
sun had hardly passed the meridian when
delegates and supporters began to straggle
into town. As the afternoon advanced the
stragglers developed into companies which
soon became regiments until by nightfall the
hotel corridors were packed with throng
the like of which has not been seen III the
capital i'll many year and which filled the
hearts OF the hotel proprietors with glee.
John Kean was the first OF the candidates
to arrive upon the field He came before
noon and opened up headquarters in the two
parlors of the Trenton House Tom Belknap
of Union was placed in charge of the refec-
ton department, and was soon hard at work
removing the dust of travel from the throats
of the visitors.
ESSEX'S CHOICE.
Elias Ward of Newark was good second
"a the race for popularity, and soon had
headquarters in full blast under the direction
of Judge Wilbur Mott in one of the big
rooms on the second floor. Mr.. Ward was
quickly followed by large crowd of en-
thusastic Essex men, all decked out in
badges consisting of red, white and blue
ribbon, from which depended fine likeness
of Mr.. Ward Next Foster VOORHEES,, as
smiling and amiable as ever, appeared under
the escort of Mayor John Rankin and Con-
gresham Fowler of Elizabeth. They quick
ly conveyed him to suite of rooms adjoin-
ing those CT Mr. Ward, and in a few minutes
all the requisites for fully equipped head
quarters were standing on the big round
table in the middle Of the room, to the great
scandalof Fosters good Presbyterian friends.
While this was going on Garry Hobart
loomed up with John Griggs on his arm, and
it was not long before the weary could find
rest in the Passaic mans headquarters.
While this was going on Senator Rogers
arrived at the Windsor and placed his boom
on exhibition in two capacious rooms. It
was about four O'Clock when Senator Sewell
with William BEETLE, ex-MarshaIl Budd
Deacon, Major Anderson and other leaders
took possession Of Old Hundred. The Sena-
tor seemed to feel the heat greatly for he
threw off his coat, sanklinto chair and be-
gan to fan himself vigorously.
HOMAGE TO SEWELL.
Then began the grand round of the head
quarters All the leading men called on
Senator Sewell and rendered the homage due
his greatness in the Republican party. Sew
eral of his callers had the temerity to at
tempt to sound him as to his preference
among the candidates, but the silence of the
Sphinx was not a marker to the reticence of
the big boss on that subject Among his
first callers were Mr.. Keans and Mr.. Ward,
but if he favored one of these gentlemen
above the other he gave no sign of it, and
said as nice things to one as be did to the
other. Major Carl LEM, puffed out consid-
erably with the Importance of being the
keeper of the majority OF the Essex delega-
ton, came in and said that after the usual
complimentary vote had been given to Mr.
Ward the Essex men would go over to Kean.
This did not please the Grlggs men who
heard it, and some of them Immediately de-
clared war on Kean. Some of the Ward
ssn also resented the Majors statement and
I'D movement to keep the Ward men
sol. >or their candidate until there was
skatin where bad people go when they die.
GRIGGS ENTHUSIASM.
All the early part Of the evening the ut
most confidence prevailed at the Griggs
headquarters Men wearing Griggs badges
were seen everywhere, and everything
seemed to be for Griggs. The enthusiasm