The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-10-19

William Murchell was a distinguish ed member of a class whose climbing proc1ivities are not subdued by the in cident of 1owly start. He was born in the obscure hill town of New CheI- sea soon after Andrew Jackson and his contemporaries promulgated and il- 1ustrated the immortal doctrine, E'To 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.
 About 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 a certain gold medal struck in his honor, by special act of congress, for gallant conduct on the field of battle. The in- vidious have made much of this deco ration. However, it probably required finer courage to resign from the colo ne1cy of his home guard regiment on the eve Of Gettysburg this indeed was the fact-to accept the less exposed of fee of aid to the governor at the capi tai than to face the hail of rebel bull lets. There are many ways of express Sng 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 ob- jected to the term boss"
 William Murchell's creed was that of a respectable but practical man. He was a teetotaler and a Presbyte- rian elder and believed in the doc urine of Generalization and in literal scriptural hell for those not numbered among the elect. He believed devout- ly in the avowed and tacit principles of his party, although he was not big oted and would on occasion take se- cret hand in the affairs of the opposi- ton. He had more than once read out of the party foolhardy 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, I0EGG A1llCS west, Wu&CA AS 10t OA shares New Chelsea was a quaint, old fashioned town lying at the head of the Weehannock valley, quite con tent with it's population of 5000 and with the honor of being the county seat, which SMurchelIs influence had prevented from being moved to Plum vile, that thriving little factory city fifteen miles away.
 norrvv, Main cfroo% ono fpo 1uno af ernoon he was walking with that air of abstraction which sits so well on the great.
 "He has big possibilities Bncon- sciously the senator spoke aloud.
 His companion seemed to under stand the reference He's all right" he answered. State Senator Jim Sheehan was big, fat gentleman with furtive, twinkling eyes. modfcum of coarse good looks and rolling. cock sure gait bred of no misfortune. He was son of power. Fifteen years be- fore he had gone to Plumville to work in the mills, an uncouth. unlettered Irishman, who could tell a good story. hold unlimited quantities of liquor and was not unwilling to work when mon ey could not be had otherwise.
 But not long for him had been the grime and roar and muscle racking of the mills. Money could be had more easily. Plumville 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 a cer- tain rough talent for the game acquir- ed power. He opened a saloon and ac-1 quired more power. He became a con- tractor and secured many contracts. One day the city awoke to the fact that Jim Sheehan owned its govern ment The citizens cried out in pro- test-and, with the habit of American cities, little and big, submitted. He became, by virtue of his alliance with Murchell, state senator from Benton county and leader-we cling to the euphemism-of the county organiza- ton.
 Gro Be Continued.)