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May 26, 1908

BULGER TAGGED OUT

SLIDING TO THIRD.

Shinnick's Bunt Put the Father of

the "Ladies' Days" Ordi-

nance Out.

Alderman Miles Bulger never reached the home plate with his resolution, introduced in the lower house, to compel the management of Association ball park to admit women, when accompanied by an escort, free to ball games one afternoon each week. He got as far as third base with his resolution, and there he was tagged out when Alderman Shinnick bunted toward that base. Shinnick's bunt was in the shape of an amendment to compel the management to admit women free to all games, when with a male escort.

"I accept Alderman Shinnick's knock," consented Bulger.

"These whole proceedings look a good deal like a huge joke to me," observed Alderman Pendergast. "Bulger's effort was an amusing skit, but Shinnick has made a farce of it."

Aldermen Pendergast, O'Hearn, Smith and Gilman voted against the passage of the resolution. Alderman Brown would not vote either way, "because he is a married man," and only nine other aldermen voted for it. As it lacked one vote of enough to pass, the resolution was referred to the finance committee.

In the upper house the "ladies' day" resolution fell upon rough roads. In the first place, City Clerk Clough couldnot read it, owing to the irregular way in which the lower house amendments had been interlined. He was not able to decide whether the draft asked for one day a week for women to be admitted free to the ball park, or every day in the week Both ways were in the draft.

"It is a little confusing," said Alderman Steele, following with the usual question: "Has it ben approved as to form by the city counselor?"

"From appearances, I think it must have been approved as to form by the city engineer," responded Alderman Isaac Taylor.

Alderman Bulger came over from the lower house and tried to explain his resolution.

Alderman Edwards asked to have the resolution buried in the box of the insurance patrol. Alderman Eaton fought for a vote. In the end the resolution was saved from the hostile insurance patrol and was sent to the finance committee.

Labels: Alderman Bulger, James Pendergast, Kansas City council, sports, women

May 22, 1908

ALDERMAN BULGER'S LATEST.

Will Try to Force a Ladies' Day at

the Ball Park.

Sing, hey! for the gallant alderman, Miles Bulger. He's going to force George Tebeau to set aside one day a week at Association park when women baseball "bugs" shall be admitted free. Alderman Miles is nothing if not gallant. Besides, a good many wives of the Fourth ward voters are followers of the great national pastime and their husbands are growing weary of putting up 50 cents for them to see the home team beaten. Hence, Bulger to the rescue. The alderman will introduce an ordinance in the lower house of the council next Monday night requiring that at least one day a week be set aside for free admission for women at the ball park.

Whether the council has authority to compel Tebeau to grant this boon to the women fans is not known in the Fourth ward. If it hasn't Alderman Bulger may take his measure to the state legislature position. He's going to get the women past the turnstiles one day a week free or know the reason why. Incidentally, he will try to force the ball park license tax up to $250 a year. It is $50 a year now.

Labels: Alderman Bulger, Kansas City council, sports, women

April 21, 1908

MR. CRITTENDEN IS

NOW THE MAYOR.

TOOK OATH OF OFFICE AT HIGH

NOON YESTERDAY.

The Ceremonies Were Witnessed by a

Large Gathering of Men and

Women in Lower House

of the Council.

Two years of municipal rule under the Democratic party became operative at 12:15 o'clock yesterday afternoon, when Mayor-Elect Crittenden took the oath of office as administered by City Clerk Clough, and Mayor Beardslehy took formal leave of his two years' stewardship of the city's affairs.

The inaugural ceremony was held in the lower house of the council chamber. It was preceded at the noon hour by the firing of minute guns on the outside of the hall. The chambers were decorated with the national colors, palms, ferns, plants and blossoms. The desks of the aldermen, speakers' rostrum and reading clerk stand were particularly lavishly decorated. Many of the aldermen were recipients of special floral offerings from their admiring friends, the most noticeable set pieces being a pyramid bouquet at the station of Alderman Pendergast; an immense floral horse shoe on the desk of Alderman O'Hearn from the Second Ward Democratic Club; a vase of American Beauty roses on the desk of Alderman Woolf, and a tree trimmed with lemons which were calculated to describe what had been handed the individuals and interests that had so desperately fought Woolf in the Third ward; a four leaf floral shamrock, seven feet high, was the gift to Alderman Bulger from his Fourth ward admirers.

CRITTENDEN AND BEARDSLEY.
Led by Aldermen Bulger and Bunker, Mayor-Elect Crittenden and Mayor Beardsley were escorted into the chambers. Their appearance was the signal for an outburst of applause which continued for many minutes. Mayor Beardsley's valedictory was short. He said that he had tried to discharge the duties of mayor for two years to the best of his ability and judgement, an d impressed upon his successor that he was not the mayor of any one man, faction or party, but the mayor of the whole city and wished for him abundant success. Mr. Crittenden relied that he fully realized all that his predecessor had said, that he would try to be mayor for all the people and when in doubt would seek their advice.

"Possibly, Mr. Beardsley, during my term of office I may have to go to you for advice, and I feel sure you will be pleased to extend to me the courtesies you have heretofore granted me," replied Mr. Crittenden, who then delivered his inaugural address.

Labels: Alderman Bulger, flowers, James Pendergast, Kansas City council, Mayor Beardsley, Mayor Crittenden, politics

November 12, 1907

ALDERMAN PENDERGAST

"GETTING TIRED."

"I Am Getting Tired of This Utilities Controversy"

-- Alderman Pendergast in the Council

Meeting Last Night.

Here is a note of cheer for the friends of a Public Utilities commission from an unexpected source. When Alderman Pendergast begins to display signs of weariness it is then time for the fighters on the other side to "buck up" and put new spirit in the game. Not meaning, of course, that as long as Alderman Pendergast holds out there is no use to contend against him, or that he can hold the fort in the Lower House against all comers, or that he is invincible, or anything of that kind; but meaning, nevertheless, that he does cut considerable ice in the Council and in local politics, and that it is more encouraging to the cause inviting his opposition to see him inclined to capitulate than to witness a disposition on his part to persist in an attitude of defiance, even when he knows and the public knows that such a position is futile.

In short, it foreshadows something when Alderman Pendergast gets tired and proposes to quit. And more indicative, by far, is such a confession coming from a man who is husky and tenacious than would be that style of admission by a "welcher" who is given to squealing before he is hurt. Of this latter breed Alderman Pendergast is not a sample. It is only fair to him to say that he is "nervy" on any reasonable margin, and that his instinct and habit is to play the game as long as he can see anything in it.

But you may have noticed that this sort of pluck is not to be confounded with the foolish temerity that leads men to batter up their heads against stone walls. It is habitually combined with the brand of shrewdness that causes even the most obstinate fighters to know when they have had enough and to realize when they are up against a losing proposition.

Alderman Pendergast, we must remember, has been in the Council for seventeen consecutive years. This means that he is no slouch of a politician. It indicates that he keeps his fingers on the pulse of his constituency, so to speak. He is engaged in a business which brings him in touch with the people who send him to the Council, and he must have learned that wage earners and the common run of voters are not going to pay onerous tribute to the corporations -- if they know it -- for the mere sake of politics. In the wards of all the Aldermen in the Lower House who are fighting for the corporations, the people are directly concerned in good service by the Public Utilities at a fair price. You can't convince people who know enough to live in Kansas City, that is is sane or reasonable to sacrifice their own interests to those of the corporations. Groves and Bulger and Woolf and Launder and others seem to think you can. But don't forget that the man who talks about getting tired, knows more politics and can see farther ahead than all of the other corporation allies in the Lower House, and it may be suspected, too, that he had found out that there are other folks whom he sees frequently and talks with "close down" who are "getting tired" also.

Labels: Alderman Bulger, James Pendergast, Kansas City council

May 7, 1907

HENDERSON WANTS A VACATION.

For Thirty-Three Years He Has

Fought Fires in This City.

"A man who has served thirty-three years on the fire department is entitled to three months' leave of absence," commented Alderman Miles Bulger in the lower house of the council last night, when he presented a resolution giving a leave of absence for three months to Alexander Henderson, first chief of the fire department.

To Bulger's sentiments there was a unanimity of approval, and the ordinance went through with a rush. The upper house of the council has to yet pass on the ordinance. If that body complies with the actions of the lower branch Mr. Henderson will spend his vacation in Old Mexico.

Labels: Alderman Bulger, Fire, Kansas City council

April 16, 1907

TO CONNECT THEIR STORES.

Tunnels and Viaducts Across the

Alley Between the Jones Buildings.

The council last night passed an ordinance giving permission to the Jones Dry Goods Company to erect viaducts over and tunnels beneath the alley to give access to their block of buildings bounded by Main, Walnut, Twelfth and Thirteenth streets. In the lower house Alderman Bulger wanted the ordinance sent to a committee, but Alderman Groves and Hartman, practiced builders, attested to the plans and specifications for the viaducts and tunnels and the house concurred in the estimates.

Labels: Alderman Bulger, Jones Dry Goods, Kansas City council, Main street, Thirteenth street, Twelfth street, Walnut Street

April 13, 1907

FIREMEN TO GET MORE PAY.

Alderman Bulger Succeeds in Getting

Their Salaries Raised.

There was joy, contentment and satisfaction in the house of Bulger yesterday. The alderman, after no end of hustling, discovered that his labors in behalf of a raise of salaries for the 220 privates and 22 captains in the fire department had met with the approval of the salary revision committee. The reasoin, it was learned, for the ordinance not getting to the council last Monday night was that Comptroller Pearson was too busy with othe matters. Next Monday, the ordinance will reach the council and thereafter firemen who have been receiving $75 a month will get $80, and captains will hereafter receive $100 a month instead of $90.

Labels: Alderman Bulger, employment, Fire, Kansas City council

March 2, 1907

BULGER'S MT. PELEE BRAND.

Cigars the Alderman Distributed

Caused a Vote of Censure

Alderman Miles Bulger drew a vote of censure in the lower house of the council last night. The resolution was offered by Alderman Shinnick. The offense of Bulger, and which brought down the wrath of the majority of his colleagues, was that he liberally passed about loaded cigars and there was some startling exhibitions of high class gymnasics when the cigars exploded. The sport was enjoyed by all those who had not been inveigled into smoking one of Bulger's Mont Pelee brand, but those that did go against them were ruffled in temper and demanded revenge.

Labels: Alderman Bulger, cigars, Kansas City council