The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-10-05
MAY0RA[TY To
Be BATTLE
ROYAL
COMING FIGHT PROMISES TO BE
A SENSATIONAL ONE IN CITY
POLITICS - CHIEFS OF "ORE.
CON BUNCH" TO SCRAP.

uUN
OF all the fights that have been
made in city or country pOKtics the
coming fight for the mayoralty nomi-
nation promises to be the most SEN
sational.
In the days gone by John A. Gellat-
ly and Henry Grass. both old men,
bers of what is known as the Oregon
Bunch" played politics together. In
those days they thought and fought
as one 1t has been an open secret
however, that during the past two
years these men have become bitter
political enemies. It is surmised
by those who do politics in this
city that the declaration of can
didacy filed by Henry Grass yesterday
was actuated from desire to "even
up" some old political scores. Con-
sequently the battle promises to be
the kind that an old politician likes
1t is conceded by friends of both the
principals that Henry Grass made an
excellent record during his four years
incumbency of the county attorneys S
official and handled the Office with
great credit to himself and to the
county. 1t is on this record and on
his ability as lawyer that his friends
insist that he is the logical candidate
for mayor.
John A. Gellatly on the other hand
has forced the improvement of the
principal streets of the city. I'M
provements aggregating half a mil
lion dollars have been begun and
some of them completed. He has an
extensive scheme of civic development
outlined and his friends believe that
he should be given another term to
work out his plans for the city.
Both are good men and it is safe
to say that the city administration
would be properly looked after in the
hands Of either.
Many people here we'll remember
the original break between the men
who are leaders in this spectacular
campaign. John A. Gellatly was a
candidate for the legislature three
years ago this fall. Henry Grass,
through a combination with Leaven-
worth and Cashmere, is alleged by
Gellatly's friends to have framed a
deal by which Wenatchee was given
short representation in the county
convention and by which Gellatly was
defeated for the nomination. This
caused friction between the two men,
Gellatly and his followers have been
making unsuccessful efforts to read
Grass out of the republican party and
place him in the "Down-and-Out" fac
tion. When the latter was candi-
date for superior judge. Gellatly was
a prime factor in his defeat, throw
ing the endorsement first to A. NJ
Corbin and later to W. A. Grimshaw W
who was subsequently elected. Gel
latly himself last year would prob
ably have been a candidate for the
legislature had 1t not been that he
did not care to test his strength with
that of Grass at that time. Henry
Grass has strong following over the
county and is an implacable political
enemy, vindictive to the last degree.
and takes credit to himself (and
probably rightly for the defeat of
two of Gellatly's closest followers.
Sam R. Sumner, who was a candidate
for county attorney, and Walter NJ.
Olive, for joint senator. 1t is also
said that it is part of his game that
L. NJ. Hull shall retire to his Okano-
gan ranch rather than serve another
four years as postmaster of the city
of Wenatchee.
John A. Gellatly is supposedly at
the head of a pretty strong political
organization. Grass has no political
organization but has strong per-
sonal following and is himself one
of the best organizers in the county
1t is charged that Gellatly's political
organization has always taken upon
itself the duty" of Furnishing anyone
who dares to buck the game" F..
M. Scheble, candidate for mayor two
years ago, can testify to this and has
repeatedly gone down between the
Gellatly phalanxes.
It is this autocratic method that
will have a tendency to strengthen
the fight in Grass behalf, notwith-
standing Gellatly's excellent record
as mayor.
1t is expected that this battle be-
tween the candidates will eliminate
either John A. Gellatly or Henry
Grass from city politics and probably
the county. One of the leaders must
fall before the battle of ballots and
from present indications it looks as
though the chances are about even.
Both are strong men. Both are
clean men. And from the known
feud is it any wonder that Wenatchea
is looking forward to the fray with
intense interest?