The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-24
NOTED CITY FAMILIES.
fTMOTHY DRY DOLLAR SULLIVAN'S
RISE TO POWER.
He Regain Life - . Newsboy at s-Origin OF
His Nickname-Methods That Made Him .
Political Leader-Personal Characteristic
The Sullivans who Follow Him.

He Regau lII6 - y NeWbDVy
His Observation-Disclosures That Made Him .
Political Leader-Personal characteristics
The suilivans who Follow Him.
Among the old New York families whose
success In politics has been phenomenal the
name Of Sullivan stands high on the list. The
family has spread out to every part OF the
city and any one who takes the trouble to LOOK
over the city blue book will find the name OF
Sullivan In every department OF the munich
pallty. The original political Sullivan 10
settle In New York was Jeremiah lhomas'
who came here long before the American rev
lutlon and who was q distant relative Of John
Sullivan, the patriot and member OF the FIRST
Continental Congress. jeremiah bore the name
OF O'Sullivan for several years after coming
here from his native place. County Tipperary.
Ireland. He resided for a time on Staten Island
later removed 10 New York and began his
political career az q delegate To a Colonial
convention held at Albany in 1854. The con-
yention was held for the purpose oil devlslns
A plan Of union. Ever since then at almost
every convention held In this State a Sulli-
van from New York city has been a delegate.
The political Sullivans came here from Cork.
Kerry and Limerick. To-day they are found
In every election district in town.
The particular branch Of the family to which
Senator Timothy Dry Dollar Sullivan belongs
settled here In the early <0e. Tim father.
Daniel Sullivan. got into politics about ls%5.
Daniel Sullivan had to work hard to support
his family. He had had very little chance
of obtaining an education In his childhood.
90 he made IL q practice to do q heap OF read
ing after his days toll. Every night It was
his custom TO spsnd two or three hours study
ing school books hs had picked up and in this
way he made progress In reading and writ
ing. These branches, with arithmetic. he was
In the habit Of saying. were all that q man
needed to get along In tho world. Finally
he turned his attention to taking part In city
elections and soon gathered about him men
who swore allegiance to him for the reason
that he had taught them the strength that
might be found In banding themselves to-
gether. He organized Q political club in the
old Fourth Ward. and while he never held a
political ofice he succeeded IN getting Jobs
for his friends. Many Of the Jobs consisted
In work along shore. Being In . position TO
influence many votes he found many men
in public onlce willing to give his friends the
preference of the Jobs that were to be found
along the docks. Daniel Sullivan died o poor
HlHn. It I'll q WhoW WhA &hVO ySeAAD 49,
dren. The Oldest of these. Patrick. "a now
u man Of 70 years, engaged in the liquor BUSH
ness az a salesman. The youngest . baby
then. Is now a young woman and keeps house
for her brother Tim. the Senator.
Timothy Daniel Sullivan was 4 years old
at the time OF his fathers death. For a while
his mother sent him to school In the old school,
house in city Hall place. 1t was only for .
little while. however. for Tim openly declared
on various occasions that he intended 70 go
70 work as soon as he was 8 years old. He
often said that he would earn a living for his
mother. At the age Of 8 years he carried out
hs programme. He left school and went
out ~ look for a job. About that time the
boys in the ncighborhood dubbed him DRY
Dollar" The story Of how he got the nick
name has had many versions and Tim has
admitted the truth OF them all. The accepted
story. though. is that he brought to school
a revenue stamp which he had found plsstered
on the head of an ale barrel. He thought
It was money. It was wet and he was seen
holding II against the stovepipe.
Sullivan said the teacher. what are you
doin.?"
Drying a dollar answered Tim.
After that his schoolmates and the boys
Of the neighborhood called him Dry Dollar.
When playing baseball In the street, they would
yell: Cheese It, Dry Dollar. here comes Q
cor"
Upon leaving school and finding himself un-
able to obtain employment. Tim became Q
newSboy. He sold newspapers at Fulton Ferry.
HI, occupation brought hin into contact with
the men who distribute the papers to the
newsdealers. Every time he went 10 get q
new supply Of papers he made inquiries as to
whether there was any chance or getting q
job in the distributing room. He finally found
employment in the distributing room OF the
Comm rci1i Adv rtis =. To get a larger salary
he left that job and went to work In the dis
trlbuting room of the Ddilu Graphic. From
the newspaper distributing room he drifted
TO the pressroom. lie went from tho Gruphic
10 the standard and then TO the Dial. papers
published no longer. Soon, like his father.
he began to take an active interest In the poll
tics of the district. But he did not put on any
frHls On account Of the superior knowledge OF
affairs which he had obtained from working
In a newspaper Office. hen the County Do
mocracy organization wanted an Assembly
Candidate In the Second Assembly district Tim
sulllyan's friends suggested that he be NOM
mated. Tim was willing. lie went into the
hkht against Tammany. His election followed
and surprised even his most intimate friends.
After that, on six different occasions, the voters
Of the Second Assembly district sent him to
the Assembly. He was only Is years old at
the time OF his first election. Each year after
that he was elected by q larger plurality than
the previous year. In the meantime he opened
q saloon on Centre street. purchased an In
terest In an undertaking establishment on
Leonard street, and had laid the foundation
o. his career as a political leader.
AT this time he had grown TO DO Q tall. slender.
suons fellow, quick and skilful with his fists.
he convinced his friends that he had q gen.
erous heart In the sense that be cared nothing
kf money except to spend It. Still he did not
sV>ad q EVat deal Of u On hiupselS, 10 does