United labor bulletin., 1914-12-05

man in leather apron as the sparks
flew and the hammer shot down upon
the pink-ho iron. He showed him hands
deep in his pockets.
Get them hexagonal nuts" ordered
Murphy. Say! What's going on back
| there?"
He turned to where two carriage MAX
4 ers were in close conversation. One OF
| them grinned.
Politics" came the answer. The arms
| of Murphy went into the air.
can me thinllin for the last 80 years
| that this was blacksmith shop! S'help
me, if it amt politics, politics, politics
] all the time. I'll get them hexagonal
nuts myself"
/ Whereupon the stubby, gray-haired
| little man with the half moon showing
I beneath his hat, where the bald spot ex-
[ tend below timber line. flounced out OF
/ the shop. But as he went there was Il
/ twinkle in his eyes and jovial some
thing in his face which belied the words
/ of his lips. One may appear to make
John Murphy angry when you talk poll
| tics, but the anger is only on the sur
face. For John Murphy has a political
I history.
Maker of Politicians.
Thirty years ago, down at l54s
| Wazee street, John Murphy opened a
/ blacksmith shop. His hair was not gray
/ then and the half moon did not extend
beneath the hat band. But the twinkle
| in the eyes, the shrewdness, all the
more developed now, was written in
every line of his countenance.
And so. with the horses which came
to be shod and the wagons which rolled
in for new hubs and spokes and tires,
/ there came politics. Not the active kind,
understand, but the politics of general
ship. the politics where things are dis
| cussed-and then done outside. For
/ there's no one in Denver who can say
| that John Murphy was ever really a
I politician, as politicians 60 But many
are the men who can remember the
time when they've gone to John Muir
ply and grasping him by the shoulder,
leaned close for the message.
John, I'm running at the election
It's kind Of hard picking. Could you
say wee bit of good word for an
old friend? 2"
For John Murphy, you know, is the
friend of practically everyone of influ-
ence in the state. In the 80 years he
has been here he has worked, he has
befriended, he has given many an OBJ
legation.
And as a result of it all, out of the
shop of John Murphy four men at least
have left the anvil to take their posi-
tion in high political offices. Roady
Kenehan was one. William Reed, state
license inspector, was another, Ed
Brake, commissioner of labor, was the
third, while down in Arizona William
Graham, who is the leader of the Legis-
lature there, traces his political ancc--
try TO the blacksmith shop of John
Murphy. 4
Shoves EN- Into Office.
Nor does the list end. On the ponc,
force, in city and state appointment Of
fices, are many men who can remember
days spent over the anvil in the shop OF
John Murphy. The reason for it all?
tried to drag it from Murphy himself.
But the failure of it all! John Muir
ply looked at me and roared. He swung
his hands high in the air. At the very
thought OF publicity sort OF ague
seemed to seize him; he shot here. and
there about the blacksmith shop. He
quivered; he chortled.
'Pm running blacksmith shop!r he
roared. There amt any politics here.
Honest" and the arms swung flail-like
''if you print anything about me I'll
blacksmith and I've never done any,
thing that wasn't right. L started out
shoeing horses and here I'm supposed to
be shooing persons into political of.
fices!" In his excitement he seized the
rope of hamstrung horse and began
leading it around in circles. 81 don't
know anything about it, honest" His
voice was appealing. 'T'm Just 4 man
who runs a blacksmith shop"
A sudden shoot and he had faded
from the shop and was scurrying down
| the street. The man at the front anvil
! laughed.
Welsh Gives "Boss" Away.
That's Murphy" he said. 'He doesn't
! like to talk about the politicians he's
made. But he's made 'em just the same.
| There's one of the smoothest little gen.
erals in this state" The man laughed.
| Hes got me on the political fire now"
''The whatf"
| w. r. Welsh, at present secretary of
the Denver Trades Assembly, pointed to
his anvil and forge.
That's what we call the political
fire." he answered. "That's where Roady
Kenehan and Bill Reed worked until the
day came for them to go into a State
House job. There's little saying
around here that whoever works on the
political fire will go into State House
job"
But what's the reasonf"
! Welsh smiled.
Didn't you ever notice the part that
blacksmith shops have played in poll.
ticsf" he asked. "Look at Ed Butler in
ST. Louis. He owned a whole string Of
blacksmith shops and every one of them
turned out politicians. Then there is
| Ed Graney in San Francisco. He's all