The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-10
IN LIFE OF
 CANDIDATE BIRD s. COLER

From the New York World.
 Bird S. coler will commence his cam- palgn for the governorship this week.
 Since MT. Coler has been in public life he has been we'll advertised. This in large measure has been due to the keen appreciation he has of news" in the professional sense. When the fight against the great Ramapo grab of s2OO,OOO,0O0 was on several years ago, Coler was car tooned as the David hurling his sling at the mighty Goliath of Graft. When the movement for rapid transit began to take material shape it was Coler who cham pioned tunnels when Van Wyck, then mayor, tried to put all the surplus city funds into bridges. When disclosures were made as to the reckless way in which the Tammany corporation council was confessing judgments and allowing cases to be settled without trial 1t was Coler who went to Albany and secured the passage of a restraining act.
 When the fright over a water famine came, and the demand was made for a new source of supply for New York City, Coler paid $5OOo from his own pocket to John R. Freeman of Providence, R. l.. to make a survey of all available water sheds. When the West street "grab" was attempted by which private corpora tion would have encircled the water front with freight railroad, Coler, with h aic ,6o T,,5 T.g. F. Dillon to prepare an opinion for pre- sentation at the hearing before Governor Odell. During the four years of his term as a city official Coler spent about $40,- GOO from his own pocket for the benefit of the city.
 Coler made more money than any other official. His salary of s10,O0O was aug mented in one year sS5,OOO by the commis- sion allowed the comptroller from the state inheritance tax. On the Vanderbilt and Smith estates alone he received a small fortune. In 1901 he received only his salary. for a law was passed cutting off the allowance of per cent to the comp troller for all funds paid to the state from the transfer tax.
 Of the public doings of the young can didate for governor much has been said and written. There are other character istics, however, with which even those who know him very well are not fa- miliar. For instance, some of his best friends don't know that he is a horse faneier and that he has string of har- ness horses with record of blue ribbons at various county fairs He didn't enter them at the horse show for fear 1t would be said that he had turf ambitions and that some might think he was in the rac- ing business, of which he knows abso- lutely nothing. They will tell you at the American horse exchange. however, that as a horse swapper Coler can beat David Harum, and judges at exhibitions in New Jersey and on Long Island will attest to the quality of Coler's colts.
 Coler is also an art patron. He has a fancy for discovering things and has frequently been the first purchaser of the works of ambitious young artists. The upper stories of his residence, PA Han cock street. Brooklyn, are stocked with many valuable paintings. He has offered this home for sale and does not care to hang his pictures until he fits up his new home,
 He has also a library rarely equaled for unique volumes. He tried to attend all private book sales and is frequently seen haunting the old-book stores He has rare collection of the records of old New York.
 As an orator Coler has not made much headway. He hasn't learned the art of thinking on his feet; infact, he is slow thinker except on matters of finance. He is impusive and frequently impetuous' but the composition of a speech is ap- parently hard work for him.
 As a financier Coler is quick and for midable. As the floor member Of the firm of w. N. Coler & Go. on the stock exchange before he was elected comp troller he was known as one of the shrewdest men on the floor.
 During his term as comptroller only two days were spent by him on the stock exchange In fact he made no visits to his old haunts at all until the phenom- enal rise in Northern Pacific in 1901. Coler saw that the rise was coming. and on the day before it touched 1000 he was credited with getting a good number of shares from some source. On this day he was in the street with his coat off.
 MT. Coler. .has also figured to some ex- tent as writer. He has contributed numerous articles to the magazines. His most ambitious effort was a presentation of the trust problem as he viewed It.