The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-12
TODAY IN HISTORY
Elrst MeetIna OF Tammany.
THURSDAY. MAY Il, 1910.


Today is the birthday. Of Tammany-
ON May l.. 1889. William Mooney. an up
hclsterer. who previously had oeeh as-
tive as one of the Sons Of Liberty, touno-
ed In New York. ostensiDly as patrlotic
and social organization, the secret soctcV
OF Saint Tammany or Columbian Oraer; Sa,aG
which I'm 1906 was regularly Incorporated
as n fraternal aid society.
The society was divided into thirteen
tribes. each Of which had its scpatrate
totem. the year being divided into four
seasons. each month being called by some
distinguished characteristic, and the ofil-
Gers being known as TIE grand sacnem,
Fnchems the sycamore or master or
ceremonies, and the wisklnskie' or door
keeper. :,
In 1871 the society built its first hall,
and IN 1867 moved into It's present Tam
many Hall on Fourteenth street The
political organization Is nominally DIS
tinct from the society, but the two may
tually Identical, the leadership OF both
being largely in the same hands;
Though the society was ostensinly or
| ganIzcd for patriotic. social and heneyo-
| lent purposes. IL carly took an active In
terest in politics. Aaron Burr is sup
posed to have given the society undi-
| rectly) its first training in the devious
| ways or practical politics, and In 1900
| the society first took an active part In
| political campaign. being instrumehtsi
| in carrying New York for Thomas Jener-
The name Tammany is adapted from
| that OF an Indian chief Tamanend, ot the
| famous for his virtues and his wisdom.
| but about whom little Is definitely known
Tamanend died about iIio, ana "as wss
| buried i'll New Britain township, BUCKS
county, Pennsylvania.
Before and during the revolutionary
| war. societies. with Tamanend as their
tion, and, TO q certain extent. In ridi~
| cuo
Tammany was one Of the earliest clubs
| in America II supplied a favorable re-
| rite ,tN n those
genial spirits, either soGieally, p9llticsily
| or both. The members. In the carly days,
dress In the Indian costume. including
feathers. moccasns. legginss, painted
| their faces and carried war clubs, toma-
| hawks and scalping knives.
| At the old time meetings OF the So
cety il was customary after the regu :
lar business was dispensed with, to spend
the remainder OF the evening IN social
pleasures. or these occasions the poet.
Hallcck, wrote:
There's a barrel Of porter in Tammany
And the Bucktails are swigging 1t all
| the night long.
In the time OF my childhood twas pleas
| ant to call
For a seat and cigar mid the jovlal
| throng
day of Tammany was an occasion for
public celebration in New York The
| day opened with the discharge of can
non, flags were flying all over the city.
and early IN the morning the members
| Of the society set forth from their wig
wan and paraded the streets In pro-
cession. dressed In the Indian costume.
with paint and feathers. All citizens
were invited 10 accompany this process
sion In whatever costume suited them,
and after the principal streets had been
visited the entire gathering went to some
suburban grove, where the remainder Of
the day was given UP to patriotic and
| social enjoyment.
On May IL. 1775, Crown Point was
taken by the patriot army, The treaty
of peace was signed with the Sagamore
| Indians In 1878. Charleston was captured
by the British in 1880 It Is the birth
day Of Augustus IL Of Poland Gs7o); Of
James Sheridan Knowles. the dramatist
| Q7Si) Of William Howe. the inventor
| 0S03) Robert c. Winthrop, statesman
and orator Gso7. and Henry Cabot
| Lodge the Massachusetts statesman
| GS50). IT is the date upon which the
| Earl OF Stafford was beheaded In 1641,
and Christopher Smart, the poet. died in