The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-17
GAYNOR WAS ONCE
 A BOSTON LAWYER
Began Career There and Lived
 in Humble Boarding House
FRIENDS REMEMBER HIM
As Energetic Young Man of Strong Per- sonality and Much AbiIity-He AL ways Talked of Big Things.
 Was Ambitious

From the Boston Post.
 That William J. Gaynor, mayor of New York city, and a man whose name is all ready strongly mentioned as a demo- cratic presidential possibility, was a res ident of Boston 37 years ago, and that he began his law practice here are the little known facts which have just been brought to light through a conversation between Mayor Gaynor and Mayor Fitz- gerald during the latter's recent visit to New York.
 Moreover there are in Boston two old friends, one of whom boarded at the same house with the present mayor of New York when he was then simply Will liam J. Gaynor, an energetic young law yer. These Bostonians, like MT. Gay nor himself have since distinguished themselves, for they are Sergt. Edwin D. Snow of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery company and J. O. Burdett, a well-known lawyer and former chairman of the republican state committee.
 It was at 90 Waltham street in a board ing house kept by Mrs. Harris that these men came together in 1873, and the memories they preserve of those associa- tions are still pleasantly clear. Indeed. when Mayor Fitzgerald was talking with Mayor Gaynor, the latter remarked: q have always been fond of Boston, and probably very few persons recall the fact that I once lived there for more than a year. I boarded at 90 Waltham street, and I remember with pleasure the home like comforts and the excellent New Eng land cooking of Mrs. Harris, the land lady. The associations there were cheer full and from my fellow boarders l gath cred a liking for Boston and Bostonians, that has never left me. Up to a few years ago I was accustomed to run over to Boston occasionally. and my only re- gret was that such familiar old land mark as the Boston museum, where I was a regular patron, had been torn down. :"
 He Was Just Past 21
 At the time to which Mayor Gaynor refers he was just past 21 years of age and had come to Boston from his fathers farm near Whitestown, Oneida county N. Y. There he had educated himself and had started teaching school when he was only 19 years old.
 Meanwhile he was studying law and he finished his law studies and passed
 Massachusetts bar examinations s.ag ter arriving in Boston. His off, f4rs 1873 was at s Pemberton square, and vas then that MT. Burdett and ss -easa Snow recollect him best.
 .e5#aa 1t Snow, who is a descend aul Nicholas Snow, who came over se u shin Anne in 1923 and who is se-,s ny of the Military Museum and ! sA,r5sf- of the Ancient and Honorables ..- s that time employed as a clerk, 4na remembers very well the even .ae hr spent talking of plans for the f.fare q'ith young Gaynor, the lawyer
 ember William J. Gaynor very -aiys Sergeant Snow, flor he st the third floor of the house at H am street, and my wife and I rooms on the same floor. At sfs H did not know where Gaynor
 la pm, but somehow l got the inn r.ss that he came either from n adss vania or Nova Scotia. He was
 student and often worked over Hia a)ks late into the night. Never
 a he was the sort who could, and .n take time from his studies to
 .uias in a social chat and many an featng I dropped into his room to
 .az, pipe and talk things over with
 Ills Strong Personality
 ra though he struck me as young man of strong personality and more than average abaility I never imagined of course. that some day he would be mayor of the greatest city on thls hemisphere But as l look back on it now. it seems that might have guessed something of the sort if l had been anything of a prophet. For ex- ample one thing that remains in my memory is the way in which young Gaynor always talked of big things, of great achievements He was then prac- ticing law and it seemed to me that he had a better clientele, more profitable business, than the average young law yer fresh from the country. Still he wasn't satisfied, and he seemed to think that his . energies were cramped and confined in Boston. He was always talking of New York and of the oppor- tunities he believed were there for a young man of energy and ability.
 "As we'll as I can remember 1t was the latter part of 1873 that the called me into his room one night and pointed 10 his trunk that fas already half packed. well. Ed he remarked with smile, Pm getting ready to leave Boston. I'm going to try my luck in New York or Brooklyn At first I could hardly be- lieye it. I wanted to know why be was going away when his affairs were begin ming to prospect. He waved 1t all aside airly and said, with certain tone Of resolution, that he felt sure he could make A greater success in New York, and that it was high time he should be going Every year was precious at his lime of life he told me, and he felt that if was then or never for him to make the change.
 well, we gave him send-off at the old boarding house on Waltham street and we wished him all the luck in the world None of us, guessed what he was going to accomplish.
 Of no less interest concerning this generally forgotten incident in Mayor GavnoAs life is the recollection of J. O.. Rurdett, a lawyer now practicing at 113 Dovenshire street. and formely chair man of the republican state committee for the years of 1889, 1890 and 1891. In speaking of Mayor Gaynor, Mir. Burdett says:
 He Could Tell Good Story
 q remember him well, for I was ad- mitted to the bar on April 19, 1873, and naturally I met MT. Gaynor in the
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