^ANY of my readers have, no doubt, heard tell of Con
J Donoho, of the old sixth ward. Con was a famed
l\i"ll'\'ji^(.P°'''''^''' chief in the reign of Felix O'Niel, as was ever
XS^s^s/the bold Rynders at the time of Bill Ford, Country Mc-
Cleester, Hen Chanfrau, Manny Kelly, Dirty-face Jack, Mike Philips,
and many men of renown, who cleverly " cleared the husky raccoons
down," and elected Polk and Dallas over Henry Clay, in 1844.

There are many political .sports and old fire laddies who remem¬
ber Con Donoho, king of the politicians of the sixth ward, and who
perhaps patronized Con at his little grocery on Orange Street, well
toward Chatham, in quest of his favors, helping them to votes for
their friends who were running for ofifice under difiSculties. Such
men as Purdy, Tweed, Brady, Delavan, Haskin, McKeon, Welch,
John A. Kennedy, Fernando Wood, Owen W. Brennan, Cornell,
Kelly, Charlick, Purser, Brown, pleasantly and favorably remem¬
bered Con as a zealous, firm, hard-fisted Democrat of the old
school.

Con's castle, or domicile, was one of lofty appearance, and on
certain leisure days was well guarded by his retainers, who, with
their wives and children, occupied chambers in his many-roomed
house. Wet days was Con's harvest-time, for then the streets could
not be swept, and knights of the broom, hoe, and shovel kept holi¬
day at their chieftain's rendezvous. The steps that led to the bar¬
room from the street, although wide, afforded only room for one cus-