National Affairs: Boss's Brother

A man who serves for 34 years in the minor offices of a city government is lucky when he dies if he receives a stick of type in a local newspaper. But when Michael J. Pendergast, the peak of whose official career was to be City Clerk of Kansas City, Mo., died last week he re- ceived sticks of type across the continent and many politicians said, "Poor Mike."

For Michael Pendergast was the son of James Pendergast, grand old man of Democracy in Kansas City. Before he was 21 Michael had begun drawing city pay. In 34 years, by the estimates, he drew $60,000 for his municipal services. But that was not what made him famous. His brother's political power descended in large part to another brother Thomas J., and Michael became right hand man.

Boss Tom Pendergast is a character. Chief proprietor of the "Ready-Mixed Concrete Co.," he has provided and hauled much of Kansas City's north end, not to mention providing most of the politics of the city and environs as leader of "He Goat" (local equivalent of Tammany Hall). Once when Tom and his family were away, robbers looted his $100,000 home of $150,000 worth of jewels and clothes including 480 pairs of silk stockings bought for his daughter Marceline's trousseau. However, Tom was in Manhattan at the time, and was reported to have won $200,000 from New York bookies betting on a horse.

No such character was "Michael." He blushed and shuffled backwards when asked to make a speech. Nonetheless, he had the Tenth (now Eleventh) ward in his pocket. When he died, 4,000 friends followed him to his grave and his enemies could write no harsher epitaph than: "The Champion Payroller of Jackson County."