The Irish standard., 1903-05-16

remarkable man. He couldn't be
otherwise and attain the influence and
the power he now holds in a city and
society in which politics is science
a,id the strongest man is sure to win.
He is a typical New York politician,
and knows every trick of the trade,
says William e. Curtis in the Chicago
Record-Herald.
The absolute autocrat of the most
powerful political organization in the
world is only A years old and has
spent his entire life in what Is known
as the Gashouse district, or the eight
eenth assembly district, Of the City Of
New York. He now lives in a narrow
four-story brown-stone house in Seven
teenth street within ten minutes walk
Of the place where he was born and
about the same distance from the only
school he ever attended His father
was Dennis Murphy, shipwright,
who died a few months ago at the age
of So. The old gentleman was men,
ber Of Tammany society for fifty years,
and was always a power in his district,
although he never held office. Mrs.
Murphy, the mother of the new "boss,"
was born in Ireland, and was pious,
intelligent, active woman who bore
eight children, five Of them sons.
Charles Francis Murphy was the
second.
AS soon as he was old enough he was
sent to the primary school in Nine.
teenth street, near Third avenue, and
was advanced from grade to grade un.
til he was about Is, when he got a job
in John Reaches shipyard at the foot
of Ninth street on East River, and re.
mained there two years, until the
works shut down from lack Of bust
ness. He was muscular, active boy
fond Of sports and natural leader. He
organized a baseball team known az
1.-THE Senator's" and during the sum.
tner of 1876, when he was out Of work
he took it on tour throughout the
state, playing in all of the principal
cities and winning many trophies
which are now still on exhibition in
The Senate saloon at the corner of
Second avenue and Twentieth street
of which Murphy was afterward pro.
prietor.
Upon his return from his baseball
tour young Murphy got job as driver
of cross-town car from Twentythird
street on East River to the Hoboken
ferry on the Hudson. Saving his money
ard living at home at little expense, in
1879 he had accumulated 5000, which
he invested in saloon in Nineteenth
street, a few doors from Avenue A. II
was humble place, with only one
window and one door, but it was well
kept, orderly, and gave no trouble 1c
the police. AS soon as he was firmly
established young Murphy rented the
upper stories of the building and made
them the headquarters Of three clubs
which he organized among his friends
and acquaintances in the neighborhood
One of them was the Senators baseball
club, the second was rowing club anG
the third was known as "The Sylvan
Social Club" which was composed OF
the members of the other two anG
many others. 1t gave dances in the
winter and picnics in the summer
brought great deal of patronage Il
the saloon and increased Murphy's in
fiuence among the people. He was al
ways the leader of whatever he wen1
into. the captai1i of his baseball clut
and his rowing crew and Of the politi
cal club, which he soon after organized
and made a power in local politics.
In 1884 he bought another saloon al
the corner of Twenty third street and
avenue T, which was fitted up in 8
most luxurious manner, and was the
finest ever seen in that part Of town
He soon after opened other salons i1
different parts of the ward until he was
the proprietor of five of the best pat
rOnized and most prosperous drinking
places in that part of the city, which
were always orderly and we'll kept