New-York tribune., 1903-01-18

terest from which was increased by contributions
from Mr.. Gruber's pocket. Some years later
a sister of Mrs Page died and left her property TO
the amount of 100000 On the death of Mrs Page
was found that the bulk of the property had been
wiled to Mr.. Gruber. It had simply been done IN
remembrance of the kindness the lawyer had shown
her when she was poor.
It is said that the little leader Of the XXlst Dis
trict became poet much the same as certain Greek
warriors. who. the battlefield. with the enemy
just coming the horizon. were accustomed 10
break into song. The poems that Mr.. SFunef mas
written in times of peace and pastoral SUBJECTS
have been of a quality far inferior 10 thdC
of his battle songs. According to William Leary'
secretary of the Fire Department. who claims 10
have defeated Tammany Hall by his Spotted
Town verses and who is regarded by certain mem
bers of the Amen Corner eligible candidate
for poet laureate of this city should that ONCE ever
be created by the Department of membranes MI
Gruber is at his best when the offensive
Thus when attacking Bryan's PLATFORM as
adopted by the last Democratic National ConVen-
ton, the poet of Ninety-ffth-st wrote:
Ny platform is like Joseph's coat,
T The e's1f Sildest ST.. "hobby" 1 will mount,
If 1 call il paramount
Come We to me. who nurse
On 5nu only 81 one hing In intent,
I want TO be a President
Here are also some lines in blank verse on Bryan,
written after his second defeat. Mr.. Gruoer sald
he rhVrle
feelings too keenly:
This Bryan is unique in that he IS
The only citizen of this great land
Who in four years has not learned ne Is DEAD
seSf of Pe corn siued prophet who would lead
a downtrod people out Of servitude
Have fuller ston1achs than the. the IsTastes- o
He forced his party to its silver YOKE
That ca n hold up its head in every land
And say. II know that my redeemer nVeth.
The poems which Mr.. Gruber also hurled at the
head Of Croker are regarded by his admirers as
among his most effective efforts. 1t was these
noerns which alarmed Mr. Leary and led to the
controversy to which was the worse poet 'haI
the Amen Corner is still debating.
These poems written at the time OF the Low
Shepard campaign. were entitled; messages ol
Rfchard" ''Croker's Message to the Irish OF this
city for example, contained these lines;
let you push your shovels,
You fed from English terrors.
I the English races.
From the Parliament in London
So from my blessed Vantage
l love to run NeW-Iork
Mr. czr,1ber is as epigrammatc he is poetic
While he can spin out rhyme, he is also able
10 condense truth into extremely small compass
Here is an illustration When Bryan was speaking
in Tamnany Hall. he turned to Croker who sat
on the platform and said with a bow: Great is
Tammany. and Croker is its prophet" The next
night Mr. Cruber was addressing audience, ana
in repeating tke words Of Bryan, he said:
.'Mr Bryan made a mistake last night, which
7 will correct. What he meant to say was Great
ie Tammany. and Croker gets the profit Mr..
BRYAN and Mr. Croker are good allies. One stands
for free money the other for easy money.
Mr. Gruber has dropped so many political prov
erbs around town that of his friends is get
ting together a book entitled, THE Sayings OF