New Ulm review., 1912-11-20

'Tha vanity Of men: I read. Mr..
Dunmeade will undoubtedly make q
strong candidate. The entire county
wants him. It will have him. It reads
like patent medicine advertisement
doesn't It: How does It feel to b
wanted by an entire county. Mr.. Dun.
tneade:"
"lt is.'' he confessed. rather pleas
ant-if true. Who ,are you p
And suddenly. with laugh. she was
gone. amid clatter of hoofs.
Alone he addressed the morning.
''She said am strong. wonder. am
I strong strong enougb?" And. search
ing his soul for the answer. he heard
no negative
This chronicle. we neglected to state
begins at the beginning of the end Of
an epoch. The epoch has been vari-
ously styled golden age. q period Of
prosperity. an era of expansion. 1t was
all of that-to q few For others.
though they did not see It. 1t was
recession. truce in the struggle. old
as life itself. between the many and
the strong.
William Murchell was a distinguish
ed member of a class whose climbing
proclivities are not subdued by the In
cident Of iowly start He was born
In the obscure hill town of New Chel.
sea soon after Andrew Jackson and
his contemporaries promulgated and IL.
lustrated the immortal doctrine. ITO
the victor belong the spoils In the
fashion made popular by Abraham Lin
coin and other great men he secured
an education and on the day he attain
ed his majOrity was admitted to the
practice Of law in Benton county
AnScut the same time he entered the
broader profession of politics. being
then lukewarm Whig.
His military services are perhaps
best dismissed with the mention Of
certain gold medal struck In his honor.
by special act of congress. for gallant
conduct on the field Of battle. The in
ration. However. 1t probably required
q finer courage to resign from the colo
nelcy of his home guard regiment on
the eve of Gettysburg this indeed was
the fact-to accept the less exposed Of
flce of aid to the governor at the capi
tai than to face the hail of rebel bul.
let's. There are many ways at express
ing ones patriotism. Later he served
his country as prothonotary for Benton
county. Afterward he passed through
many gradations Of political prefer,
ment. as representative in the general
assembly Of his state. as state sena-
tor. as state treasurer and finally as:
United States senator. which exalted
office he held until-but we anticipate
our history He became In addition
leader Of his party organization. an
euphemism employed by those who OBJ
jected to the term boss.
william Murchell's creed was that
Of a respectable but practical man.
He was a teetotaler and Presbyte-
rian elder and believed In the doc
trine of Generalization and In literal
scripturai hell for those not numbered
among the elect he believed devolt.
" In the avowed and tacit principles
Of his party. although he was not big
oted and would OF, occasion take q sc,
cret hand in the affairs of the opposl
ton. He had more than once read
out of the party foolhardS young men
who ventured to oppose his leadership
He lived during at least two months
Of every year in the town Of his birth
either in the square. white frame
house on Maple street or at the farm.
three miles west. which he let ION
shares" New Chelsea was a quaint. |
old fashioned town lying at the head
Of the Weehannock valley. quite con,
tent with its population Of 5000 and
with the honor of being the county
seat. which Murchell's influence had
prevented from being moved to Plum.
willie. that thriving little factory city
fifteen miles away.
Down Main street one fne June aft.
ernoon be was walking with that air
of abstraction which sits so well on |
the great
HE has big possibilities" UncoD
sciously the senator spoke aloud.
His companion seemed to under.
stand the reference Hes all right"
be answered. State Senator Jim
Sheehan was a big. fat gentleman with
furtive. twinkling eyes. q modicnm OF
coarse good looks and rolling. cock
sure gait bred of 40 misfortune. He
was son of power. Fifteen years he.
fore he had gone to Plnmville to work
In the mills. an uncOuth. unlettered
[rishman. who could tell good story.
bold unlimited quantities of liquor and
was not unwilling to work when mon.
ey could not he had otherwise.
But not long for him had been the
CRIME and roar and muscle racking OF
the mills. Money could be had more
easily. lblumvtlle was booming. There
were streets to be graded and paved
public buildings to be constructed. Jim
went into politics and because he was
a good vote getter" and had q Ger
tain rough talent for the game acquir.