Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-01-28

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THOMAS O'BRIEN. JR.. FOR
CLERK - THE FIGHT FOR
BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS.
THE BIG CAUCUS CALLED FOR
TONIGHT.
The centre of interest in things
politically was at the City Hall and
Court House. last night,
Every available office in both de-
| partments of the Public Building, with
the single exception of the Board of
Commissioners. was thrown open to
City Hall politicians, candidates,
heelers and strikers. and it was a
merry dance from eight o'clock until
half-past eleven.
The net result was that some pro-
gress was made in Strengthening out
snarls, the First Branch caucus for
Clerk IA held with the anticipated
result, and the big caucus was called
for this evening. Several attempted
combinations against r~ing-leaders
were nipped in the bud, so to speak,
and some threatened dissensions were
| patched up, temporarily, at least.
The proceedings opened with a gem
eral gathering of the clans. They
came from the four corners and all
eight wards of the city, and they
came in force. The big guns and the
pop guns were there, likewise the cam
didates for the offices within the gift
of Council, and incidentally a few peo-
pie who had not received the price of
laborers in the ring vineyard. Some
of these latter were white; tie major
ity were colored, and some of the COLI
ored hired men were not a bit back
ward about stating their business. One
colored brother approached a great
big boss and said: Here. I want to
see you!" Don't bother me, now;
I'm busy" was the reply. THAT don't
go; I've jess got to see you. This
amt no funny business, it's the real
thing" The consultation was held.
At least one hundred Republicans
were in the building at eight o'clock.
Among them were f. P. Wheat, Z.
Buchanan, Charley VanKeuren, John
Shellhase, Col. Horkheimer, Charley
Bachman, VIII Hornish, Tom
| O'Brien. j. K, Hall. Sheriff Richards,
| sGChnrIjnv IJonninn JJaNpu Gahnn4fY-
bach, Frank Nesbitt. G. A. Robinson,
al. White, Mayor Butts, Will Clator,
DR.. Etzler, and a long list of lesser
lights, together with all the Republic
can Councilmen-elect. The small fry
were beyond computation.
The proceedings opened with little
ward c~aucusses, these being held in
the offices of the Water Board, the City
Collector, the Mayor, the Sheriff, the
Clerk of the Circuit Court. the Prose-
cutting Attorney, the City Engineer,
the Board Of Public Work, and the
Committee rooms. There was a group
Of anxious souls about each door, and
a plentiful supply Of bottled beer and
more substantial beverages in some OF
the apartments. The idea was to as
certain just what each ward wished,
and how 1t felt towards the wants Of
other wards, in the matter of offices,
and thus to arrange some basis for
subsequent proceedings. 1t was nat
urally discovered that nearly every
ward carried by the Republicans want
ed about everything in sight, and there
was a resulting conflict Of interests
which for a time BODIED disaster.
One of the big obstacles to harmony
was the City Collectorship. Mr.. Hall
naturally claimed this as his very own,
but Mr.. Z. P. Wheat, Of the South Side,
also coveted Mr.. Halls personal prop
erty, and a deal was attempted which
would result in dropping Mr.. Hall out
Of sight. In fact, there were two deals
of this sort under way, during the af-
ternOOn and evening, but both natur-
ally failed, because Mr.. Hall knows his
business. One a~sseyeration, in this re-
gard, was that a proposition was en-
tertained to throw the job Of collecting
the taxes to Mr.. NJ. A. Chew If Mr.,
Chew could line up five Republican
votes to cooperate with the Demo
Gratis. Mr.. Chew disclaimed any active
sympathy with the enterprise, and the
thing died a natural death. Their
came the more formidable combination
which, for a time. threatened to be sue.
c~essful. The Eighth ward Councilmen
five in number, made the interesting
discovery that they held the balanct
Of power between the two parties, and
that they could control the situation
They got together, in the interests o
Mr.. Wheat, and resolved that they
would demand his election or they
would take their doll rags and e
home. This looked ugly, and for /
time there was a certain amount d
anxiety in the Hall camp. When thu
deal appeared to be in some substan.
tial shape a Register reporter asked
an Eighth ward Second Branch mem.
4 her about - II HasI.