New-York tribune., 1898-10-23
"BIM. THE BUTTON MAN."
AN ENERGETIC LEADER IN THE MAKING
OF POLITICAL. EMrLEMS.
HE CI.llMs THE CREDIT OF FIRST NAMING
ROOSEVELT FOR GOVERNOR, AND TELLS
/ HOW Ills pUcTONS DID IT.

/ HOW HIS pUTToNS DID IT.
In the van OF political organization one Is
sure TO find many picturesque and interesting
characters. In the ola -podrida that goes 10
make up the political life of the greater city one
OF the most astonishing pieces OF brio-a-br brac IS
"Bim, the button man" To every pol:icai
leader. ward hceler. district captain, candidate
and other Individual who takes more or less
remote interest In politics he is known, and OF
the hundreds who know him perhaps not one
GU, Of n thousand could tell you his full name,
and would satisfy himself by saying 'Bim, the
button man." il referring to him. and then be
greatly surprised If you did not know him.
In the first place, BIN" is a short, energetic
individual, with red hair. moonike face that
summer and winter is bathed In perspiration and
"a continuous performance Of nervous energy
He is well upholstered as 10 flesh. and his talk
recalls the animated conversations Of "Chimmie
Fadden" BIN takes himself seriously, and
"hustles' day and night in his profession. HIS
work a button man takes great sagacit!'
foresight and patience. He makes all the but
ions with few exceptions that are used IN the
campaign in this State. and he has no poitica
preferences. ITS the stuff ! am after, ne
says, and SO whether IL Is to make thousand
buttons with the picture Of Colonel Roosevelt OF
twice the number Of Augustus Van Wyck
makes no difference to him he turns UP at ali
political conventions State. county or city ana
often at district meetings. and usually gets
fat order from the candidates who arc success
fun enough to be nominated. He diverges and
makes autographs but buttons arc his faVorhe
line.
BIN" was at the Democratic state CcnVeh-
lion at Syracuse About midnight the night be-
fed wandered
into the Yates House, deposited his tired frame
an a soft chair and proceeded to wax ]oQuacious
Vie preceded his remarks with few bitter and
,austio recrlminations about the way the Demo
cratic State Convention was being run saying
lbat Croker was not giving an honest button
aan a chance to make his bread. Why, saiu
be- what am in politics for II it ism 10 kho"
what is going on? am up against II this tiine'
however circus tent wouldn ! cover III!
troubles Here have thousands OF Daniorlh
buttons Stanchfeld buttons. Ear buttons NC
CURE buttons. Herrick buttons Sulzer buttons
knd all the rest, and III be blowed II oon
lhink they are going 20 nominate rank OUTSIDER
and give me The merry ha-ha"' Bins iears
were realized and he had 10 telegraph 10 New
York and have buttons OF Justice Van "yck
struck off but II is tribute 10 his genius 'ha'
when the Tammany train reached New-York Oh
fhe return Bins agents were III 'he h'a'oi-
with Van Wyck buttons
Having eased his mind about tho situation ID
Syracuse, BIN" passed on 10 discuss pohUcs ah
related to the button business. he drew hlmse1
up and said gravely 10 the li,tje coterie sitting
around:
BIN" CLAIMS CREDIT.
who 90 you fellows think was first 10 proi "se
Theodore Roosevelt for Governor. and is re-
sponsible for his nomination." Some said Piatt
others Quigg and others named different per
sons but BIN" waved them ali aside and said
81 a ma;ter-of fact way:
1T wasn't any OF them. II was me.
This was a startling statement. and BIN
wac asked FOR an explanation. Like a true TO-
,nancor This maker Of buttons leaned back III
his chair anI, taking fresh cigar from ms
pocket he wheezed and stuck ii in ms mouth
Then he began like the stories in the Old fairy
hooks.
IT was hot niGh-eee whizz but i was
hot II was away back in July, and sunday
night. ! was sitting in the Amen Conner u
the Fifth Avenue Hotel with Harry Green and
Bin Leary. Harry Brown was down at san
1iago helping Shafter OUT. and Jersey Cham
beylain was cruising around on the kanapaha
no. thinking that the blooming boat would sink
with him On board before he got through ana
1hat he would float around for steen hours on
the ocean before a Swede would pick him up
and bv Tho way if | had been Swode would
have Jet him drown after all the gibhersh he
has attributed 20 them: bat that amt what
started GU: 70 talk about. Who arc We going 70
nominate for Governor This fall?' said Harry