Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-14

propriations and contracts until the bids
and figures were readjusted. The legal
fight dragged on for nearly two years.
McNichol won. Discussing II some years
From the day the fight was started |
was confident that sooner or later would
win. knew this when the opposition made
the filtration question the basis for the
fight. was conscious that had n voucher
for every Item of expense. even though the
amount was no more than five cents. |
knew that had checks showing every pay
ment made knew that my payrolls and
bills showed the cost Of the work. I knew
that an honest examination OF my books
would clear me Of every charge was
confident Of my position because / knew
that sooner or later the case was one that
would go to the courts and there be fairly
tried.
"If It had been a straight-out political
Tight I shouldn't have cared 80 much. In
fact I rather enjoy a fight now and then.
But looked upon the fight as one to dis.
grace me. and my family through me. and
10 break me down financially. l had to
fight back / wouldn't have been much Of
n man had l surrendered. l started out
to secur2 a vindication. think have sue
ceeded."
UPHEAvAL OF 1905
In 1905 came the famous upheaval in
city politics In which the City Party over
threw the DurhamMcNichol organization.
The Tenth Ward, McNichofs, was the scene
Of excitement in it's Tenderloin division
which was not paralced until the outbreak
Of 1917 in the Bloody Fifth" McNichol
took the realignment Of political strength
with smiling cheerfulness and set to work
with Senator Penrose until the Penrose.Mc
Nichol organization once more gathered
strength.
To the building of the Torresdale fltra.
tion plants from 1902 TO 1908, Senator Nc
Nichol gave n tremendous amount Of per.
sonal attention. It was his greatest achieve.
ment. with II he pushed through to compile
tion. between 1905 and 1908, the Market
street subway, n s7250.o0o job. which pre-
sented enormous engineering problems.
In fifteen years the two carts and the
team of horses with which he had started
had grown to a business in which 1000 men
were employed.
Municipal contracts were far from being
the only work done by the McNichol con.
tracing S-ms ono piece of construction
for the Erie Railroad was completed at n
cost OF s4,500000.
Senator McNichols first speech In the
Pennsylvania Legislature-he was not a
speaker and seldom spoke In Councils. the
Legisll lture or in political campaigns--won
him the nickname of strawberry jim" He
had introduced a bill to amend the blue
laws" of 1894, forbiddng the sale of any
article on Sunday, so as to permit working
people to buy soft drinks. cigars and the
like on Sundays
themselves on any ether day in the week"
he said hotly. "a workingman gets home
at night and he's so tired that he can't do
anything but smoke his pipe and go to bed
Sunday Is his only day for recreation.
Can't he have n chapce to buy anything or,
that day in the line of harmless recreation?
He's not like the rich. He don't have straw
berries he has beans for breakfast"
The bill was passed.
But even more widely than as STRAW.
berry Jim" was Senator McNchol known as
sunny jim" He was a man of stalwart
frame, more than six feet in height with
out an ounce Of superhuous flesh upon him,
and his tall form was topped by face in
which n wide, humorous mouth was per-
petually spread in grin that made friends
everywhere. He grinned just as broadly
when he lost when he won. He
never n "quitter." always "a good loser
which means that he was bound to win
eventually.
Senator McNichors one recreation during
the last ten years was horse racing, and
he never got over his love for fine horses
of which he owned several. He owned the
trotters Dago. Roy Miller. Darrah and
Jacquelne p, and the PAGERS r. II. Brett,
Maxine Audubon and Beldon. r. H. Brett,
with record of 2:02h. was regarded as
champion Of the Grand Circuit In one
year the bay gelding brought in $4,000
in stakes.
Senator McNichol was twice married. He
is survived by twelve children, who are
Dunstan. William j., Harry A. Joseph p.
Frank j., Edward j., Daniel j. James j.
Jr., John F.. Robert, Helen and Agnes. Be-
sides the twelve living children there were
two who died. Mrs. McNichol before her
marriage to the Senator in 1909 was Miss
Margaret Donahoe. She was chief nurse at
the Philadelphia Hospital at the time of
her marriage. Two boys, Robert and Duns.
tan, are children of this marriage, while the
81.
Nichols first wife. who was Miss AnaStasia
Fasey. He married her early in life.
Senator McNichol's family was his chief
interest for to il he gave every possible
moment away from politics and business.
There is only one thing am working for
he once said. II want to give all my chill
dren good education and seq that they are
started in life. want to teach my boys
to be good business men that they will
be able to take care Of themselves after I
am gone. / want to give my family all
the comforts possible and help a few others
here and there to get a little sunshine out
of life"
That he succeeded in helping not "a few
others" but very many ito get little
sunshine" is well known, in spite of the
fact that Senator McNichol never referred
to his charities. There is a home for Or
phans In Sea Isle City whicn received nut.
of it's support from him. In the days of
the coal strikes of fifteen years ago he SUD-
piled coal to hundreds of poor families. One
Of his standing orders to division lieuten-
ants in the Tenth Ward was to see to It
that any needy family was helped. Many a
ragged youngster has been supplied with
new shoes, warm stockings and other cloth
ing by Senator McNichols orders
Several years ago Senator McNichUl built
a spacious residence of twenty-five rooms
at 222 West Logan square. a few doors
from the residence of his old political foe
eX-Mayor Blankenburg. The building was
appraised at $4,000 when the Parkway
plans called fer its demolition as well as
that of ex-Mayor Blankenburgs. 1t has
been demolished.