▁buy ▁vast ▁pieces ▁of ▁real ▁estate ▁and ▁live ▁exp ens ively ▁on ▁$ 7 5 ▁a ▁week , ▁Cook ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁answered ▁" Oh , ▁I ▁makes ▁( s ic ) ▁my ▁money ▁trad ing ▁horses ▁with ▁J ockey ▁Mason ," ▁which ▁became ▁something ▁of ▁a ▁pro verb ▁at ▁the ▁time .) ▁ ▁Political ▁career ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 2 , ▁he ▁left ▁the ▁rail road , ▁and ▁entered ▁politics . ▁Governor ▁John ▁Thompson ▁Hoff man ▁appointed ▁him ▁Judge ▁Adv oc ate ▁of ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁Division ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Guard . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 4 , ▁he ▁ran ▁for ▁Mayor ▁of ▁Ro chester , ▁New ▁York ▁but ▁was ▁defeated ▁by ▁George ▁G . ▁Clark son ▁while ▁otherwise ▁the ▁whole ▁Democratic ▁ticket ▁was ▁elected . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 5 , ▁Governor ▁Samuel ▁J . ▁T ild en ▁appointed ▁him ▁Ass istant ▁Ad j ut ant ▁General ▁and ▁Chief ▁of ▁Staff ▁of ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁Division ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Guard . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁delegate ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 6 ▁Democratic ▁National ▁Convention . ▁He ▁was ▁Secretary ▁of ▁State ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁from ▁ 1 8 8 6 ▁to ▁ 1 8 8 9 , ▁elected ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 5 ▁and ▁ 1 8 8 7 . ▁ ▁Business ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 2 , ▁he ▁su ed ▁the ▁Silver ▁Lake ▁Ice ▁Company , ▁and ▁tried ▁to ▁establish ▁his ▁claim ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁owner ▁of ▁the ▁Silver ▁Lake ▁in ▁Wy