Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-04-15
"BATHHOUSE" AND GILL
DINK,"
"HIN
Two Aldermen From Chicaeo's Great
First Ward.

Bathhouse John of Chicago, has been
reelected alderman of the first ward. This
appears TO surprise great many people
who lately have been indulging in learned
discussions of the recent reform wave in
municipal politics. says a writer in the
Pittsburg Dispatch. 1t doesn't surprise
me at all. l know Jawn. / know Chi
| cago And, what is more to the purpose.
| know the first ward. '''rhe Bath and
Hlnky Dink have represented that ward
from time out of mind, and will probably
continue to do indefinitely. So far as 1
can see nothing but sudden death can
similar to that of the first ward of Chi
| cago exists anywhere else on earth with
IN my knowledge. The square mile
Tounded n1f,b styoo by the lake the river ana
ABLY represents as much wealth as any
equal piece of territory in the world. 1t
Is the great, throbbing heart of Chicago
WITHIN its borders are the ten leading
change, the produce markets, all the
newspapers, the Woman's Temple, the
Art Institute and all the first-class
theaters. Commercially it is more i'm
can republics. Yet this compact realm of
wealth and culture is represented by
Bathhouse John and Hinky Dnk. This
OF course, will strike you as an anomaly
assuming that you know what manner of
men these two are. For those who don't
swift sketch may not be out of place
Nature designed John Coughlan for a
rubber in bathhouse, but capricious fate
Jerked him from that calling and made
an alderman of him. He is great, fat
Fellow, with no more education than a
chimpanzee. He is endowed with a ready
wit OF clownish kind, good tenor
voice and an fneXhaustible supply of
gaii. He is given to wearing excitable
trousers and vests that contain all the
coIors or the spectrum, together with the
various combinations thereof. For col
ND ,aly
the glass of fashion and the mold of
form He is fond of running around 10
the summer resorts and appearing in a
new suit of scenery every hour Within
the past two years he has composed A
couple of sentimental songs, which has
given him unique celebrity as a song
writing alderman.
John started as a bathhouse keeper, lat.
er opened The Silver Dollar saloon and
Is now banker He always votes for
measures put forward by Corporations.
and some are harsh enough to put this
tact and his suddenly acquired wealth
INTO unpleasant connections. But Jawn
doesn mind this. He has a hide like A
hippopotamus and never resents charges
OF corruption In the council chamber he
IS tremendously serious. but the press has
placed the cap and bells on his head and
MS colleagues always laugh at his
Hinky Dink, who divides the honor of
representing the first ward with Bath
mouse John, first gained fame as a polish
er or pedal teguments Later he acquired
q half interest in a barrel house. and
from thence his road to fame was easy.
He is a diminutive fellow and very tao
iturn. While Bathhouse has gained fam
as an oracle, Hinky has won his as a
sphinx. He prefers to let Jawn do the
talking, while he devotes himself to. the
fine work. Their relations are harmO-
NOUS and each aids the other at election
time. These are the two men who repre-
sent the great first ward Of Chicago.
Why they do it and why they will prob
ably continue to do so is not far to seek.
There are about 5000 adult males in thu
ward who never vote. These are the ho-
tel residents. who. in the flux of business.
never live long enough in one place to
get their names on the registry books
Although during the day the ward has an
approximate population of 100000 when
night comes practically all of this num-
Der take the elevated trains to their
homes in the outlying wards and sub
urbs. Then the non-voting hotel element.
the various little Greek and Italian
the negro quarter and the
denizens of the levee are practically all
that is left. These underworld elements
are easily organized for political pur-
poses The Greek must have his license
to peddle fruit. This he secures through
the favor of the alderman For this he
gives his vote. The Italians must have
work in the street-cleaning department |
Bathhouse and Hinky Dink have both
learned how to evade the civil service |