Worcester morning daily spy. (Worcester, Mass.) 1888-1898, 1898-01-02
VAN WICK is MAYOR
His Friends Almost Tire Him
Out Shaking Hands.
Croker and Tammany Officials in the
Height of Their Gory-End of Re-
form Administration.

New York, Jan. 1.-The Democratic
Club Of Fifth avenue held formal re-
ception this afternoon in honor of
Mayor Van Wyck, and those who were
with him today assumed control of the
various city departments.
Richard Croker, the leader of Tam
many Hall, and recently elected one of
the officials of the club, reached the
club house with a number of other
prominent men early in the afternoon.
Mr.. Croker himself held a reception in
the parlors Of the club before the ar
rival of the mayor. 1t was o'clock
before the latter arrived, accompanied
by John F. Carroll, clerk of general ses-
sions, and the Misunderstanding process
which had been going on at City Hall
for long time was resumed and kept
up for fully an hour The mayor found
1t necessary, at length, to give his left
hand, his right having tired. All
of the prominent politicians on the Tam
many side Of the democratic party were
present.
Mr.. Van Wyck was inaugurated
mayor at 70 o'clock. The new mayor
was received in the private office at the
city hall shortly before u o'clock, by
ex-Mayor Strong and most Of the retir-
ing heads of departments. ExCham-
berlain McCook, ex-Police Commission
ers Moss and Andrews, General Coils
and others were present to welcome the
new chief magistrate and present to
him their formal designations.
Mayor Van Wyck arrived at the city
hall at Ills o'clock, accompanied by
his brother Justice Augustus Van
Wyck. Ex-Mayors Wurster of Brook
Ign and Gleason of Long Island City,
were the first to shake hands with the
new chief magistrate after he was re-
ceived by ex-Mayor Strong. Ex-Mayor
Strong, in his speech, SAID that the peo-
pie of the city, composed now Of five
boroughs, had decided that Justice Van
Wyck should come down from the bench
and serve as it's first mayor. He then
gave lot Of figures about the size and
wealth of the city, and closed by ex-
tending his congratulations,
In reply, Mayor Van Wyck said: II re-
ceived this office from the people, ac-
cept it from them and to them I win an
swer."
The three retiring mayors, after a
few words of congratulations, departed
and then the handshaking began with
a rush and great confusion. The police
had considerable trouble in getting the
crowd moving in a regular line After
the reception was over, Mayor Van
Wyck began the work of swearing in
the new officeholders.
In the afternoon Mayor Van Wyck
officially announced the following ap-
pointments:
John Whalen, corporation COUNSEL
Thomas J. Brady, commissioner of
buildings; James P. Heating, commits
sioner of highways; Henry L. Kearney,
commissioner of public buildings, light
ing and supplies; William L. Dalton,
commissioner of water supply; James
Kanej commissioner of sewers; Thomas
]. Lanery, commissioner of corrections;
George G. Claussen, president of the
park board; August j. Moebus and
George L, Brewer, park commissioners;
Peter F. Meyer, j. Sargent Cram and
Charles F. Murphy members of the
dock board; Thomas l. Feitner, presi-
dent Of the tax board.
Bernard j. York, John B. Sexton,
Thomas L. Hamilton and William E.
Phillips were appointed police commits
sioners. York and Sexton are the
democratic members Of the board, while
Hamilton and Phillips represent the re-
publican party.
York and Phillips come from Brook
lyn; Sexton and Hamilton from New
York.
Maurice Holahan. president of the
board Of public improvements; James
Mccartney, commissioner of street
cleaning; John L. Shea. commissioner
of bridges; Daniel Campbell, commits
sioner of buildings in boroughs of Rich
mond and Queens; Daniel Ryan, COM
missioner of buildings in borough of
Brooklyn; John w. Keller, president of
the board Of charities in Manhattan