The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-09-27
Drink Drives New Jersey Mayor To
 Give Up Office
William A. Sanford of Dunellen Declares He Was Swamped
 by Fellow Citizens Hospitality
 and Now They Are Angry


 Wrecked on the rock of rum. the town administration of Dunellen, N. J., slight interruption on the Jersey Central Railroad, went to smash yes- terday when Mayor William A. San ford announced his retirement from of flee on the ground that his limited capacity was unable to cope with the invitations to drink that have been hurled at him from all sides. Few statesmen have been confronted with such serious problem. but be it said to His Honors credit he did not finch in the face of duty. Finding that drinking interfered with his official career, he has decided to retire to pri- vate life.
 .Tm through with the job.'' said MT. Sanford, more in sorrow than in an- ger. "A man can't be Mayor of this town and be sober. I've tried it for nearly year. and I know. It start ed on New Years Day when I was inaugl1rated. I can't go down the street without hearing, Mayor, let's go have a little drink from all sides. If I didn't accept I'd lose votes, and well, have not lost a friend that I know of. But now I'm done There are too many srummies' in this town. I'm going to move to Westfeld. T wish my successor good luck and "a good thirst"
 That was Mayor Sanford's liquid valedictory, and to say that 1t caused a sensation in Dunellen would be put ting it lightly. When the two thou sand residents of the place learned what His Honor had said they started out to make him prove his statements. The men of the town determined to find out if they were on his stagger list. Not finding him in the first sa- loon, they tried the other, there being only two coaling stations in the town. but they failed to locate him. h. quiry at |flis home in Washington ave- nue disclosed the fact that he had gone to Westfield
 Naturally the other town officials were boiling over with indignation and a movement was started to call spe- ciai meeting of the six Councilmen to present him with a copy ofssthe time table. One of these Councilmen is John Schneider, formerly "a New York policeman. who was outspoken in his denunciation of the charge against Dunellen. Others who did not spare Mayor Sanford were John Henry Law renee Peters, village barber and town assessor; Henry s. Garretson, the vil- lage postmaster, and John F. Fender, the leading hardware merchant of the place, all of them lifelong friends of Mayor Sanford-up to yesterday. MT. Peters blaming mill, opposite the rail- road station, is the place where most of the weighty questions are discussed, and ten minutes after Mr. Sanford s statement reached the public an in d1gnation meeting was in full blast tfcipants permitted MT. Peters to shave them three or four times.
 Called us .rumMies,' eh?" repeated MT. Peters as he swung the brush against MT. Tenders face "He's got a fine nerve. And we wouldn't mind, but he's been the bummest' Mayor we've ever had and when it comes to 'bum' Mayors, DuneHen has had a few"
 In his eagerness to denounce the Mayor, MT. Penner swallowed bunch of suds and blew up soap bubbles for the next few minutes. "FIim above all men calling us rummies," he re- stunned between coughsA ''I never al- low him to go in the room where I keep the turpentine.''
 m sorry in one way,'' sobbed MT. Garretson. He's the first Republican Mayor we've had in years and in a way his conduct reflects on President Tafts administration.
 Mayor Sandford returned to Dun ellen last night, but denied that he had purposely delayed his return un- til it was dark. He is a jovial, well spoken man of sixty-five or there abouts and laughed until his teeth rattled when he heard of the fndig- nation his statement had aroused. He stood by every word of it, and by way of proving that he was not a prohibitionist invited the reporters to split bottle of wine with him. He lives in fine old house and is said to have plenty of money. He was humming bit of song and swing ing cane in carefree fashion when he hove in sight. He carried a white paper box under one arm
 What have you got in the box?" asked the reporter
 An aibi," he replied with wink. "It's bonbons. So the bunch are all disturbed about their being called rummies,' eh? Ha, Ina, ha! That's pretty good.''
 ''Is it true there is a lot of drinking in this stown?"
 Just take the office of Mayor if you don't believe me- he said with a laugh. They've had me on one run ner since I took office.''
 They say you're hard drinker."
 Don't believe it,'' chuckled the old man. It's the easiest thing I do, What else did they say?'
 Peters says he never saw you re- fuse drink in your 1ife.'
 That's right, and I never saw him buy one, either. Just slip that into him on your way to the train.''
 Did you know they were going to oust you from officer
 There're too late. I've busted my self. I'm getting ready to move to- Westfield"
 But there's only one saloon in Westfeld'
 One will do me. laughed the May