the district leader to fix things. Another wanted a job on the
road. The third sought a place on the Subway and the fourth, a plumber,
was looking for work with the Consolidated Gas Company. The district
leader spent nearly three hours fixing things for the four men, and
succeeded in each case.

3 P.M.: Attended the funeral of an Italian as far as the ferry. Hurried
back to make his appearance at the funeral of a Hebrew constituent.
Went conspicuously to the front both in the Catholic church and the
synagogue, and later attended the Hebrew confirmation ceremonies in the
synagogue.

7 P.M.: Went to district headquarters and presided over a meeting of
election district captains. Each captain submitted a list of all the
voters in his district, reported on their attitude toward Tammany,
suggested who might be won over and how they could be won, told who were
in need, and who were in trouble of any kind and the best way to reach
them. District leader took notes and gave orders.

8 P.M.: Went to a church fair. Took chances on everything, bought ice
cream for the young girls and the children. Kissed the little ones,
flattered their mother: and took their fathers out for something down at
the comer.

9 P.M.: At the clubhouse again. Spent $10 on tickets for a church
excursion and promised a subscription for a new church bell. Bought
tickets for a baseball game to be played by two nines from his district.
Listened to the complaints of a dozen pushcart peddlers who said they
were persecuted by the police and assured them he would go to Police
Headquarter: in the morning and see about it.

10:30 P.M.: Attended a Hebrew wedding reception and dance. Had
previously sent a handsome wedding present to the bride.

12 P.M.: In bed.

That is the actual record of one day in the life Of Plunkitt. He does
some of the same things every day, but his life is not so monotonous as
to be wearisome. Sometimes the work of a district leader is exciting,
especially if he happens to have a rival who intends to make a contest
for the leadership at the primaries. In that case, he is even more
alert, tries to reach the fires before his rival, sends out runners to
look for "drunks and disorderlies" at the police stations, and keeps a
very dose watch on the obituary columns of the newspapers. A few years
ago there was a bitter contest for the Tammany leadership of the Ninth
District between John C. Sheehan and Frank J. Goodwin. Both had had long
exp