WILLIAM BRUCE ELLISON.
The newly appointed commissioner of water, gas and electricity of New York, is a lawyer in active practice. He was born at St. Thomas, Ont., Canada, in 1857, of American parents. His mother was born, and resides in this city, and his father was a descendant of a family of Ellisons that settled in New Hampshire about 1640. Mr. Ellison was educated in the public schools of Canada, and later was admitted to the bar of Ontario, in 1880. lie came immediately to New York, and was admitted to the bar here in January, 1882. In 1892 he was nominated on the Democratic ticket to the State legislature in the then Twenty-third assembly district, and was elected by 1,115 of a plurality and ran ahead of tne National, State and city tickets of that year. He was the only Democrat ever elected from that district. From 1893 to 1896, Mr. Ellison took very little part in politics. I le, however, immediately upon the adoption of the Democratic National platform at Chicago, in 1896 resigned from the Democratic organisation, on account of the money plank in the platform. Mr. Ellison was for many years a member of Good Government club B, and later president of the Independent club of the Twenty-first assembly district. Duriug recent years he has given his whole time to his profession. Should the new incumbent show as much independence in administering the office of commissioner, as he has in his public career in the past, no doubt the city will be greatly benefite.l by his appointment.
