The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-11-24

Prime house was ever open to Mr.. and
MIS-. Mcclellan: it was their New York
Headquarters for weeks at a time dur
ing My. McClellan's ten years of resi-
dencc in Washington While congress-
man: II whenever MI. Prime would
turn southwark in the winter he would
always be visited on the train on his
way through by his children" as a
matter of course.
But perhaps Mr.. Prime revealed the
real depth of his feeling for Colonel
Mcclellan when the latter wa running
for mayor two years ago. An unusual
thing for a democrat up to that time
Mr.. Prime had not taken the trouble to
cast Il vote for a candidate of any sort
for over twenty years. When Tam
many Hall nominated his boy he let it
be known that if he had to be carried
to the polling place, he would cast his
vote for George Brinton Mcclellan.
booth bright n early on election
morning. and though well up in the
Jos, and accustomed to retiring early.
he sat up late that night talking over
the triumph Of his young friend.
In February Of his year-the month
friends got a clearer idea than ever be-
fore Of his affection for the old man.
Dropping his official duties he accom-
panied the body to Connecticut for bu-
rial. his last service for his ather's
and his own stanch friend being to
then he has shown his devotion to Mr..
Primes memory by wearing a seal
ring that the latter left him. The
seal itself is yer 1000 years old.
/ Cynics and political enemies have
declared that the best friend Colonel
Mcclellan has ever had is Charles i.
Murphy of Tammany Hall. Mr.. Nc
Clellan himself, if you will take the
trouble to ask him. will undoubtedly
tell o that the best friend he ever
had was William c. Prime: n Mr..
McClellan's friends will declare, should
you ask them, that they have seldom
known Of so warm a friendship as
that which existed for over twenty
two years between MI. Prime and his
boy"
How He Got Into Politics.
Mr.. Primes profession was that of
the law. This may ave had some
thing to do with Mr.. McClellan's study
of the law, which he began while he
was still treasurer OF the New York
and Brooklyn bridge. But he was u
newspaper man before he was a law
yer; his ent vas never for the science
of engineering, to the regret of his fa-
Their. who made a reputation in this
field before he became famous as Il
civil war leader.
Fresh from college. young Mcclellan
began his journalistic career on the
Morning Journal, when that paper was
under the management of Albert Pulit-
ger. brother of the better known Jo-
seph, and as a ten-dollar-a-week man
his first successful effort was al ed
itorial on a political question then
much before the public. The mayor
frequently refers to this editorial and
laughs at his presumption in writing
opinions before he had even started to
cut his eye teeth in his new field.
During the next few years he did all
sorts of reportorial work-fires, muir
ders, accidents, nondescript meetings,
and, eventually, politics. It was while
he was engaged in chronicling the do
ings of the politicians h he formed
mountaineering with various poiiti-
clans, which led to his selection as
treasurer for the Brooklyn bridge. Like
many another newspaper man. he sim
ply graduated into politics without any
special effort on his w part. and poll
tics has been the field Of his activities
ever since.
He was put in his first political posi-.
ton sixteen years ago From time to
time during this period, he has known
some pretty bitter enemies. but no,
even the most virulent have eve ques.
toned Mr.. McClellan's personal hon.
esty. On the other hand. all have
united in declaring him free of the faint
of the dishonest dollar, and the worst
they have to say against him is that
he is regular" meaning that he is sub.
servient to the will of Tammany. Mr.
Mcclellan admits that he is regular
and adds that he believes in organiza.
ton. Az for his enemies assertions
that no 10 subservient to the will of the
'.organizaticR." his friends point tc
various of his:acts as mayor that have
proven hin to possess a will of his own
H,heso ara the deeds hat have won Owe,
this year maj y Of his most formidable