New-York tribune., 1901-08-25
lNNOCENCE AT ALBANY.
HOW AN HONEST BUT GREEN ASSEM-
BLYMAN FROM THE COUNTRY WAS
DUPED BY A TAMMANY
POLITICIAN.

was young, and I've seen many an interesting
thing, but about the most interesting dur
iEs the first term of Office i ever held OF
course, you know. lived In the country nearly
All the time i was a politician, and only
formed after moved TO the city.
II used 10 be solid with the boys at the mill
up home, and the crowd of us cut quite fig
ure, so when old man Nathan, who was a coun-
Try merchant and farmer across the creek, was
elected Assemblyman. if was easy to get him
to have me appointed the clerkship that he
controlled was green but he was more green,
and so he looked TO TO guide him around
Albany, and knew about all he did. That was
away back in the '70s, and the New-Yorker they
afterward called the Golden Lunged' had just
been elected TO his first term in the Assembly.
Well, the first day of the session the Golden
Lunged' made speech. 1t wasn't about any
Thing much. hut it gave him 4 chance TO exer-
else his lungs and exhibit his oratory. In fact.
The speech Was only made to show off Tam
inany's new orator, and he did show off good |
advantage My patron, old man Nathan. was |
charmed Although Of the opposite party, he |
concluded that if he could gain the friendship |
Of such a smart man the Golden Lunged he |
would be supremely happy. lie got introduced |
that night, and the Golden Lunged' seemed to |
like him. Some of the Tammany were ac- !
tually jealous of the attention their orator be- |
slowed obscure and simple Hudson River !
-
"In due time the Golden I-uaSed' WAS made a |
member Of the Railroad Committee and TWO
three other good committees-'gocd from the |
Tammany standpoint. 4 day two later. to |
my great amazement, old man Nathan intro
duced a bill relating 10 the street railways of
New-York City. The bill admirably drawn
and Of a character 20 enlist at once the support |
Of the iacipieEt yellow journalism Of that day. |
1t was a peoples biz, and that, if enacted |
into a law, would have COST the railroads large
sum- / didn't understand Il IT all.
Il knew old man Nathan couldn't have drawn |
that bin any other. l knew he didn't know |
single thing about the New-York street rail- |
roads and that he cared less. But he actually |
made a speech on that bill-a speech that went |
TO the point.
The bill went to the Railroad Committee, and |
after hearing two smothered there. In |
the mean time old man Nathan introduced more
bills Of similar nature, that were referred to !
the Railroad Committee or some other commit
tees that TIE Golden Lunged' was a member OF. |
only TO be smothered IN committee in like man
] could get information out of my
patron beyond statement that they good
bills. and he thought they should be enacted
into laws. People down home were wondering
how the old man had become great a man.
They read about his bills in the papers and
concluded that their Assemblyman just about
they wondered how he had found so much
about the wants Of New-York City, and why
he did not introduce some bills in the interests
OF his own district.
Finally, the legislature adjourned. That night
old Nathan and met the Golden Lunged'
ct a hotel in Albany, and had spread.
The Golden Lunged' insisted paying for
everything wouldn't let Us spend a cent. After
we had eaten-and drunk some, too-the Golden
Lunged' was bidding good night when he
said: See here. Nathan, | mean to DO some
thing for you. I suppose ought To divide even,
but that seems almost too much, for i made a
clear $1,000 off Of those bills got you in
troduce. and the other fellows the committee
cd pretty We'll. But ] tell you what | will do.
If you run again next fan I'll give you $1,000 To
run your campaign with
say you ought To have seen old man Nathan.
] really believe that the first he had
much as suspected he was being used a cats
paw by a striker He speechless. 1t hit
him so hard that he wouldn't the next fall.
and so the Golden Lunged' never had TO spend
that thousand dollars. For. you see, the old
MN was so honest that he had never supposed
any one else was dishonest
What's become OF the Golden Lunged? Dh,
he's still alive, and from the year he entered
the Assembly along with old man Nathan has
been successful politician He's had ipts of