The San Francisco call., 1896-10-27
CONTRACTOR FAY
FROM SAN JOSE.
Deserts Santa Clara'S Me-
tropolis to Fight for
Phelan.
Men Who Do Business With
the Street Department
Apprehensive.
THEY FEAR HIS INFLUENCE.
Arrival of Shrewd Man Who Al.
ways Gets Contract When
He Goes for It.

Street contractors, graders, dealers in
crushed rock (red or blue), asphaltum
cookers, and all who hope to make live
lihood out of the prospective improve
ment of San Francisco thoroughfares, are
feeling uneasy because they scent danger
to their interests in the event OF James D.
Phelan being elected Mayor of this City.
The cause of this apprehension lies in
the fact that very shrewd young man
has come ali the way from San Jose to
help make Mr.. Phelan' fight for the may
orally. The name of this new champion
in local politics is Charles W. Fay. and he
is known in the metropolis of Santa Clara
County as the smoothest catcher and
manager OF municipal contracts to be
found in the State. To illustrate his abil-
ity in this direction it may be recalled that
he has paved all the streets of San Jose
that have been paved in the last three
years. He never went for a job but that
he got it, and all his opponents in the
street contracting business soon learned
that he possessed some mysterious but
most potent influence that invariably
gave MIN pull with the officials who had
the letting of contracts for that work.
taking with Mr.. Fay. He gathered in alI
that was in sight, and whatever profits
accrued from the business of smoothing
the thoroughfares of San Jose were added
to his bank account. Like Richelieu he
could exclaim, Rivals! / have nonem
for he drove them from the field discom-
flied il ever they dared to show their ven-
tureSOme heads.
Frequently those on the outside won
dered how Fay could accumulate any
the time he appeared to prosper while
other contractors were absolutely left in
the cold.
Now local contractors are fearing that
Mr.. Fay is seeking other worlds to con-
quer and that he has cast his baleful
glances upon the plethoric Street Depart
ment fund of the City and County of San
francisco. They augur the most disas-
irons results to themselves from the fact
that he is so close to Mr.. Phelan, who has
been nominated for Mayor by the Jnnta
Democrats, and imagine that Mr.. Fay
would have q pull with Mr.. Phelan in
the event of his election 10 the mayoralty.
Mr.. Pnelan, when informed of this state
Of feeling among San Francisco contract
ors, smiled indulgently and remarked that
this supposed menace to the contractors
has no foundation in fact.
"Mr. Fay is good friend Of mine,
said Mr.. Phelan. He read of my nomi-
nation and at once came to this City and
offered his services in the campaign be-
cause business is slack with him in San
Jose just now.
"Tnev have q committee at work over in
the Flood building, / understand, though
l am supposed to know nothing about it,"
us there any truth in the suggestion
that you and Mr.. Fay are partners in the
street paving business and that he il con-
templating a removal to this City," was
asked.
Mr.. Phelan replied: .'Mr. Fay and are
not partners and never have been. His
father was ein ployed by my father years
ago, and when he wanted 10 go into the
slreet-paving business in San Jose |
backed him in his undertaking. He has
been successful, am pleased to say, and
is showing his appreciation of my friend
ship BIZ dong what he can 10 forward nv
canvass. l do not know whether he in
tends to move from San Jose to San Fran
cisco or not, but don't think he has any
such plan in contemp plation."
Mr.. Phelan smiled again when asked
his opinion in regard TO Mr.. Fay as po-
litical manipulation. Il never heard of
Mr.. Fay as an organizer of voters" he re-
piled, "and l suppose l might have
much shrewder political manager; but I
am sure that he will do his best to help
me win, and / am satisfied with that"
No words seem to reassure the San
Francisco contractors, however They can
not help thinking that the friendship
which Mr.. Phelan has for Mr.. Fay will
insensIbly sway him if he should be
called on to perform the duties of Mayor,
and so they look askance at the prospect
OF having s'pet of the administration" in
the field against them when com peting
for municipal contracts They shudder
at the power that could be welded in
favor of such q pet, and in the event of
the adoption of the proposed new charter