New-York tribune., 1901-05-21

pany.
Mr. Gleason had been widower for number
of years and his daughter. Jessie. Tho IS six
teen years old survive him. She will receive the
bulk Of his estate He became involved in
TO collect a judgment for sander caused him 20
go through bankruptcy. His year after adJudg
nlent expired or May >, ard ne had-begun 70
recover his fortunes
SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.
Patrick Jerome Gleason was born in Ireland
: and came 10 this country when he was boy
He twin and the smallest in height Of
eight brothers. His twin brother. Philip. was
C feet : inches in height. Gleason always said
that he was much older than he looked. He was
thought TO be under seventy years of age. He
began his political career when he in the
. LIQUOR business in the Fourteenth Ward of
Brooklyn, in 1872. He for Assembly on
the Greeley ticket. and elected. he
claimed. but counted out by fifteen votes
He went West, and in San Francisco accumu-
lated about S20.Oo0 serving beef under contract
TO institutions.
When he settled in Long Island City he
cured a contract TO build the first railroad be-
tween the Hunters Point Ferry and Calvary
Cemetery He worked with a pick and
with a gang Of men building the road, and
when it was completed he drove the first car
over it, and continued TO do this until he could
afford to put more on the road. He acted
not only as driver. but as conductor, starter,
cashier treasurer president and repairer for
the line He had and three horses.
Afterward he became president of the com
pany. He continued to extend his railroad en-
terprises until he owned several lines in Long
Island City. Later he sold a portion of his rail
| road to the Steinway syndicate.
In 1876 he was a member Of the Board of AL
dermen of Long Island City. At that time Henry
S Debevoise who was Mayor, was lodged in
Jail on a charge Of msarpropriating $4,000 of
the citys funds, made by Mr.. Gleason who then
became president of the Board of Aldermen, and
took an active part in getting Long Island City
of its financial troubles. In 1881 he was
elected Mayor for the first time, defeating
| George Petrie He continued to be Mayor until
1893, when Horatio s Sanford loomed up as his
opponent This was one of the hottest elections
in the history of Long Island City. Mr.. Gleason
| claimed the election up to the last moment, and
had to be elected from the City Hall by the
police when Sanford went to take possession Of
the office, after the courts had decided against
! Gleason
When the next election for Mayor occurred in
1896 Mr.. Gleason again successful after
another bitter fight. He would have remained
in office until 1899 had he not been legisated
by the act creating greater New-York
He was however one OF the hrst Mayors 10
sign the greater New-York charter, and he
served as a member of the greater New-York
Commission.
During his term as Mayor he built five
schoolhouses. a paid Fire Department was es-
tablished and also an electric Hght WORKS. lie
7
of the CITY Hall building. He was instrumental
in reducing the fares on the Thirty-fourth-s st
ferry. and caused a sensation when he cut down
the sheds of the Long Island Railroad IN front
ST. because, as he alleged, they were obstruc-
tions to the highway. For TINS act MS con-
stituents presented him with battle axe and
organized what known as the Battle Axe
Club He used the battleaxe as an emblem IN
( all his campaigns afterward.
Mr.. Gleason served five days IN the queens
County Jail for slapping the face OF political
opponent He was then Mayor, and while he
remained in iail he was visited by delegation
OF school children, who presented him with
flowers His last candidacy for public once
vas for Navor of Greater New-York, when he
ran on the independent ticket In the fall OF
1897 He held his political power in Long Island
CITY until the Consolidation act went into ef-
feet He then for the first time. threw down
his hattie axe and realized that his political
career ended. ,,
Mr. Gleason said that the nrst Joo ne optaihso
when he landed was in a brewery. he received
* month and his board He said he cid not
,flxe the liouor business. He next entered the
army 70 serve in the Civil War. All his orothers
fought in that struggle. Patrick's twin fought
on the Confederate side All his orothers came
out with commissions At the lose OF the war
Mr. Gleason opened a distery at Flushlng HIS
foreman was named Fleischman. "no is now
wealthy distiller. When Mr.. Gleason vent 10
san Francisco he had no money aId had 10
borou his passage money. Arriving IN the gold
country he met q dstiler, TO whom ne sold
dis4tIIere' secret receiving $1,000 IN gold. This
a oas III, a rew start and he East with
$1,000. Always a fighter he ronen' 20 the END