The sun., 1907-08-18


candidate. announced that his company
had 1872 men in line. and he got the place
OF honor the night before the parade. But
along came Foreman Bill Hennessey Of Al
Engine with l54 mn archers after the star
position had been taken by Shs ndley.
Marty Reese says that the resultant
argument was 30 momentous that no less
; ersonase than Boss Tweed had to be
q He'd in 10 bulyrag the fighters to be nice.
Boss Tweed was the most beautiful swea rer.
by the way. that ever swore. Marty main
tains; no mollycoddle oaths like by the
Big Boot OF Chatham street," for the czar.
Seated in Shandley's Oriental Club in East
Broadway Boss Tweed said with hnality
that the only thing to do was to have two
divisions. with Mike Shandley leading one
and ForsmsR Bill heading the other.
No. thousand times no. mutinied the Bill
HIennegsys. All the thunders Of the mighty
boss were unavailing. When the parade
got under way. therefore. the Mike Shand-
leyites started up town with shouts to the
Bill Hennessys to fall In at the head Of the
second division. The Hennessyites cried
HUH" aud stood stock still. Then when
the shandleyites rapidly we're fading away
IN tho back ground the Hennessyites got
own. They marched over the same route.
but with blocks separating them from the
Shandleyites. thus avoiding jealousy.
On the morning after election day the Hon.
Edward J. Shandley awoke to learn that his
opponent. the Hon. Big Judge Mike Con-
molly. had him sewed in a weighted bag
and going down for the last time But
that's neither here nor there.
n a 49,
up the social pace In old New York. Marty
Reese says. There were 30 many volun-
teer fire companies and they gave 80 many
rackets that often a young blood like Marty
Reese had to show himself at at least six
or seven functions In a single night. One
had TO make jumps like a campaign orator
in order to get from one ball in what 10 now
THE SUN building up to Apollo Hall in nBroad-
way opposite Lispensrd street. and from
Apollo Hall to heaven only knows how
many elaborate affairs elsewhere.
There was q simple but very important
code Of social ethics to be learned and OBJ
served also. says Marty Keese. IL one had
an ambition in the early days of Manhattan
to be a festive cutup at the rent raffies that
came into fashion shortly after the first
Of the great Irish immigration in the last
years of the 'iOs. In those days New York
was provincial enough to hear all about
the hard luck OF widow whose son per-
haps had been killed or who had met with
other misfortune.
Some one first went TO the widow and
limited delicately that IL she would place
her feather bed or stove at the disposal OF q
committee the committee would raffie IL on
and sell tickets for a dance for her greater
honor and financial glory.
Pat Garrick's Sixth Ward Hotel, which
stood at Duane and Centre streets until
the excavations for the ubway caused the
demolition not only OF the old hotel but Of
Aaron Burrs onetime Office at IL Reade
street az well, was q choice spot to hold the
raffies. The stove, the feather bed, the
wax flowers under the glass bell or what
not reposed in state against one wall when
the pipers arrived to make the music for
the dance. When one had danced jIgs
until exhausted, from the first cry OF Take
we're partners" until dawn was ready to
break, then one got a good position in the
centre OF the hall to see the lucky number
drawn from a hat and the winner OF the
rattle announced.
Here was where the nice ethics came
into play. II you won the feather bed
Immediately you handed back your prize
graciously 20 the widow. You could start
20 take the bed with you. on the other
hand, IL you thought your wife needed just
such a thing around the house. but you
could never hope to make getaway.
The minute the crowd realized that you
actually were trying to keep what you had
won you we're cleverly punched in the face.
Whether you survived the evening de-
pended entirely upon the height OF the
window from which you we're thrown by
the JUSTLY indignant crowd.
Steadily the target companies degener-
| ated, Marty Keese regrets; but what else
| could you expect he asks. W hen all the world
| has gone % sadly awry since the blessed
days Of his youth? There came a time
, finally when a W Use Manhattanite shouted
| the warning. IA the shooters marched back
TO town amid crashing bands and sizzing
] fireworks: Take the clothes from the line
and lock the doors, Mary Ann. Here come
the rowdies!" Wherefore the only joys
left to the youth of New York nowadays are
the whirligigs OF Coney. Maybe the amuse-
ments OF old New York we're not so elaborate
as the thrills OF Luna. Marty agrees with you
alf-heartedly. and perhaps it's fine thing
| to take your sweetheart there and ride
back late Sunday night with her head rest
ing on your shoulder. Perhaps it's
Oh. perhaps.