Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-03-19
he PIQnting of q Boss
By ARTHUR HOOVER.
e seee . . sss
Copyright, 1903. by Daily Story Pub. coo

Copyright, 1903. by Daily Story Pub. Coo "DIG JOHN" HEPWORTH had
 ID ruled the politics of his district and the state for many years and tA the time Alexander Hannibal Spike decided to seek political preferment. That is to say "B3g John" was the controlling per sonality of the machine which ruled the dominant party. Hew the great est power in the state, made and un- made governors, senators and con- gressmen, and dictated legislation with all the power of a czar-not open ly, but from the obscurity of his un- pretentious office. The great mass of the people heard of him only occasion ally during bitter political fights when he was sometimes excoriated by the press as "boss," but those on the in- side of the great political game knew him we'll and bowed before his power whether they loved or hated him.
 He had not gained his power and held 1t all these years without some tre- mendous struggles. It had been long series of fierce battles, but he had won one after another, emerging each time with added prestige. He had finally become to be regarded as invincible and was accorded the leadership of the party without question. Even the ''re- form" and 'sindepe endent" clements had ceased to attack him because expert ence had taught them that they always went down in defeat and they had tired of it. They now contented them selves with shaking their heads sol ennly and prognosticating sad things for society in general when it would tolerate such man for 8 political leader.
 All this was before Alexander Hanni- bal Spike bobbed up. "Alex," as he was generally called, lived in Brush ford, which was the home town of Hepworth. He had grown up lanky, peculiar boy with thin light hair, thin legs, thin chest, thin lips, thin nose, pale blue eyes and remarkable head, long and narrow and covered with odd looking bumps. Added to all this he had a voice which may we'll be de- gcribed as thin-high, shrill and orig mating, apparently in the top of his head rather than in his chest. He had always been regarded somewhat in the light of a joke, but this did not squelch his soaring am- bitions. The son of dreaming shoemaker who has always pre- ferred to talk impractical philosophy on the street corner rather than drive pegs in his shop, Alex early an- nounced that he was going to be lawyer and was going ~to congress- and maybe to the white house.
 It certainly was funny and people had some excuse for laughing, but the queer little chap was never daunted. No, siree. He had mapped out his course and he hewed to the line. His father died penniless and Alex had to carve out his career from an early age. He did it with his eyes on the shining stars and his shrill voice ever pro- claiming that by hook or crook he would "get there."e He struggled through the city schools, worked his way through college, and starved his way through the law books. In all his studies he stood well-but was joke.
 Then He hung out shingle and be- gan to practice. The odds were fear ful, because ridicule is the worst handicap any man ever lived down, but young Spike never paused to get dis couraged. He grabbed hold and kept everlastingly at it. He was always in evidence and rushed in "where angels feared to tread" He was forever up and doing and to the surprise of those sensitive souls who sat in their de- serted offices and pitied him for the ass he was making of himself, he began to do considerable practice business And also he was nearly always success ful-always, where tire1ess energy and sleepless vigilance could win the day, his practice increased until he felt se- cure in the possession of a very decent living income.
 Then he went after politics. He went straight to John Hepworth and said:
 T want. to go to the legislature.
 Hepworth treated it as a joke. The slate was made up for years to come.
 "There is no joke about this, MT. Hepworth," remarked Spike. "I am going into politics. I want to go in regularly with your aid and counsel If I can. If cannot will have to break in as have broken into everything else against all the opposition of the established order of things"
 "Oh, come now," replied Hepworth, laughing. Don't get on your high horse and feel hurt. You're young yet and there's plenty of time. Better let us put you on the county committee and get your hand into the game"
 "No, legislature or nothing,' replied Spike shrilly as he awkwardly backed out.
 There was a guffaw from the poli- ticians who had been listeners, but there was grave light in the ''old mans" eyes.
 ''I don't like to have that fellow against us," he remarked uneasily. ''He is one of those persistent, fighty cusses that nobody can guess what