The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-10-19
From Car Conductor
To Tammany Chief

New York Letter.
Charles Francis Murphy. now leader o.
Tammany Hall. has an individualit,
which has won him distinction, first II
athletic contests and now in political life
He has fought, wrestled, rowed and swan
his way to popularity. as 1t were, ant
from the driver of street car has final
ly become the dictator of a political ma
chine SO vast in its proportions that n
who controls it mus Unnecessarily stant
within the glare Of publicity
There is nothing of distinctive nature
in regard to the new leader of Tamma
ny's personality out of the ordinary, 9th
er than that he has at all times during
his life displayed quality of eventual,
winning. Even in his boyish days ant
in the confines of the playground, as i
were, he brooked no opposition. His say
so had to be supreme. Any one disputint
it was invited by the boy to fight 1t ou
for supremacy. He was successful ever
in small undertakings. and when it came
to a question of strength In contest. thu
greater the struggle the more vigorously
the boy put forth effort to win.
Won Associates Admiration.
Rough and uncouth though his early
life was. yet his personality was sue!
as to engender a feeling Of admiration
and all during his career from Roach,s
his defeat of Devery the other day, he
has been fortunate in holding the ad-
miration Of those who gave credit to his
pluck, energy and determination.
family of eight Dennis Murphy. his
father, an Irishman. who died recently
at the age of IS, and whose strong boast
was that he had never spent an idle
moment in his life, had transmitted to
this son a character and physical bear.
ing which have contributed much toward
the latter's success. Dennis Murphy was
a poor man, but, nevertheless, he re-
Al aida hn
he might be able to permit his children
to obtain a fair education.
The present leader of Tammany Han,
after enjoying what benefit could be de-
rived from common school course, went
to work in Roach's shipyard. His phys
ical strength was great, and at that time
his ambition was to obtain distinction
as a ship caulker. This shipyard has
been famous by reason Of the fact that 1t
was a training school where many boy
who afterwards became famous in poll
tics in New York obtained his first en-
ployment. Murphy soon became leader
in the shipyard, even as he has obtained
Fought His Way Forward.
He fought his way to success as boy
and he has been fighting in political
sense during the years Of his manhood.
He is an athlete and his physical
and agility probably had much
to do with his success In later years.
Al the axe VI ~ nc ioiinoN WA.
known as the SYLVAN Social Club"
which was actually the nucleus of the
Tammany Hall organization in the dis
trict in which he lives, and as 1t stands
today. Within that club Murphy organ
ICED a baseball team called the Senn-
tors" he being catcher and captain and
the best player on the team. One OF
the members of the team was Edward
Hagan, afterwards Tammany leader for
the Eighteenth Assembly District, and
the man who on his deathbed, bestowed
upon his lifelong friend CMurphyl, the
position he had so long held. Within
this organization, both In a social and
athletic sense, Murphy's word was law.
He became hero in the eyes of the boys
of the neighberhood, owing to the PROV
ess he exhibited. Whatever he under
took he did we'll and even in the base
ball field he won distinction which was
of more than passing moment.
Learned to Listen.
Finally he abandoned the shipyard and
through political influence got a job on
the front platform of a Blue Line car
running from Twenty-third Street ferry
down Avenue A, across Eighteenth Street.
across Broadway to Heboken ferry.
While engaged in this occupation he was
known as "Silent Charlie" He listened
as other men talked, and from what he
heard, he reasoned. He was true in the
interest he displayed toward his employ
er, never missing a trip, sober in his
habits and always on good terms with
his associates.
In 1879 the man who was destined to