USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > Biographical history of the American Irish in Chicago > Part 40
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When Roger C. Sullivan was elected to the office of clerk of the Probate Court, the latter made Mr. Mahoney his cashier, and when his term of office expired Mr. Mahoney was retained in the office, being so thoroughly familiar with the manifold duties that Mr. Cooper, the present clerk, availed himself of the experienced services of this honest and faithful employe.
Mr. Mahoney has at all times taken a keen interest in matters relating to the land of his ancestors. He was an active member of the Land League, and was one of the most energetic members of the reception committee, appointed to receive the late illus- trious Charles Stewart Parnell on his visit to this city in 1881. He was also connected with the National League, to which he contributed large sums of money. In 1893, he entered the Kent College of Law, and received the degree of Bachelor of Laws with high honors in 1895.
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Mr. Mahoney is at present a member of Division No. 5, A. O. HI., as well as president of the United Irish Societies of Chicago, having succeeded the Hon. John F. Finerty in that most important office. He is also prominently connected with the National Union, the Catholic Benevolent Legion, the Knights of Columbus, Inde- pendent Order of Red Men, the Robert Emmet Literary Club, and is president of the Chicago Citizen newspaper, of which John F. Finerty is editor-in-chief.
Mr. Mahoney is entirely a self-made man, and one well worthy of the respect and esteem of his fellow citizens and countrymen. At the outcome of his career, his sole advantage was an enterpris- ing and indomitable spirit, and that best essential of success, an independence of character no difficulties could daunt. The repu- tation he has achieved, and the position he has gained among the American Irish of Chicago, are such as should be a source of hon- est pride to any man.
JOHN SAMUEL SHEAHAN.
John Samuel Sheahan was born in Washington, D. C., Septem- ber 27th, 1857. His parents were James W. and Elizabeth (Drury) Sheahan, his mother being one of the noted Drurys, an English family who came over and located in Ann Arundel County, Mary- land, in the early settlement of that section of the country. His grandfather was from County Cork, Ireland, which he left in 1827, settling in Baltimore. Mr. James W. Sheahan, his father, was a prominent newspaper man, being Washington correspondent for several daily papers before the war. His ability attracted the at- tention of Stephen A. Douglas, who induced him to come West
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and to act as his press agent, at the same time editing a paper in his interest. This he did, and settled in Chicago, where he as- sisted to launch and was prominently connected with many pa- pers that have since become famous, among others, and notably, the Chicago Tribune. His gifts were of no ordinary character, and he was highly respected in the newspaper, business and social circles. Indeed his many high qualities and goodness of charac- ter gained him the esteem and affection of all who knew him.
John Sheahan, the subject of this sketch, received his early ed- ucation in the public schools of Chicago, graduating from the Christian Brothers' College. Immediately afterwards he found employment in the freight office of the Illinois Central Railroad as clerk, in which capacity he remained for three years; then going to Kreigh & Company, the leading packing house of those days, as assistant bookkeeper, in whose employ he remained until the failure of the firm, four years later. He then accepted a posi- tion with W. P. Rend & Company, the well known coal dealers, as book-keeper, remaining there until 1887, when he was a victim to a severe illness, which entirely incapacitated him for twelve months.
Upon his recovery he was appointed a deputy collector in the County Treasurer's office by George R. Davis, and displayed such good ability and was so attentive to his duties while holding this position that Mr. Davis recommended him for promotion, and at the solicitation of Mr. Joseph Medill he was appointed chief clerk of the special assessment department of Chicago, one of the most important offices in the city. Again Mr. Sheahan's wonderful executive ability caused him to be promoted, this time to the more responsible position of Superintendent of special assessments. In this office the character of his duties will be appreciated when it is known that he prepares all ordinances for improvements which are to be paid by special assessment, and which amounts to
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an average of $12,000,000 annually. In his department there are thirty-five clerks employed.
While he has never made himself very prominent in political circles, he has always upheld Democratic principles, and is as highly respected within the party as he is by his own large circle of friends.
Mr. Sheahan was married to Margaret A. Green, niece to Red- mond and John Prindeville. They have one child-a boy- James W.
CAPT. WILLIAM BUCKLEY.
A long tried and ever faithful public servant, the name of Cap- tain William Buckley is inseparably connected with the develop- ment of the police service of Chicago. Nearly twenty-five years embraced within the period of his active identification with the department, mark that epoch in the history of the city which con- tains most of interest and importance in relation to the metropolis of the West. His residence in Chicago dates from the summer of 1856, and his service in and for the police department extends all along the line of the interesting and momentous years from 1865 to 1888, or, in other words, from the Chicago as it existed before the "Great Fire" to a time just previous to the World's Fair. Very full, exciting and trying years were these, and the man who passed them in the service of the police department sustained a full share of duty, trial and danger such as falls to but few. Especially is this true of Capt. Buckley, who, during the rebuilding of the city, after the great fire, was in charge of the central, or business, di's- trict. He sustained equally responsible rank through the trying
William Buckley
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times of the labor riots of 1877, and the anarchist troubles which culminated in the Haymarket riot and massacre of 1885. Such, in a merely summary outline, is the character and scope of the valu- able and trustworthy public services for so many years, by the able and popular Irish-American to which this relates.
William Buckley comes of good, sturdy farmers' stock, long set- tled in the County of Waterford, Ireland, and he was born there June 9th, 1832. His father was Thomas Buckley, a farmer of Waterford, who married Miss Catherine O'Donovan, whose people were farmers settled in the same county. The old Buckley home- stead was in first-rate order and the farm in good shape when last visited by Capt. Buckley, on a trip to Europe in the summer of 1896. . At that time he picked apples from trees in an orchard planted by his father and himself, previous to their departure for the United States. Some of these apples he had packed and shipped to the family in Chicago. He was sixteen when he accompanied his par- ents to the United States. Accustomed to farm life from his earli- est boyhood, it was but natural that farming should seem to be the most congenial pursuit in this new country, and his first years in America were spent in farming, first upon the farm of Col. George D. Coles of Glen Cove, Queens County, New York, and subsequently upon a farm in Warren County, Ohio. It was on July 7th, 1856, young Buckley arrived in Chicago, and soon afterwards found his first employment here in the coal business carried on by Col. Rich- ard J. Hamilton. He was afterwards employed by Messrs. Law and Strother in the same business on North Clark Street, exactly where the great Sibley warehouses now stand. The Mr. Law of the firm was the well-known Robert Law, who ultimately proved the life-long friend of his young employe. The street car service was his next field of employment, and from 1859 to 1865 he served as a conductor at a time when the entire street car service of Chi- cago was represented by seven cars on State, four on Madison and
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five on Randolph Streets, at intervals of about twenty minutes apart. It was in 1865 that William Buckley joined the police force, at the instance and personal request of the late well-known Wil- liam Turtle, at that time Chief of Police. Headquarters were then in a small building on the southwest corner of La Salle and Wash- ington Streets, on the site of the present Stock Exchange Building. He was recommended to the police department by notably promi- nent citizens, Murray F. Tuley, now Judge Tuley, and Hon. J. Rus- sell Jones, at that time superintendent of the West Division Rail- road Company. Quickly he rose from roundsman to captain -- there was no rank of lieutenants in those days - till he was com- missioned by Mayor Medill, July 14th, 1873, Captain of the First Precinct, with headquarters at the Harrison Street Station, suc- ceeding Capt. Michael C. Hickey, who had resigned. His appoint- ment was unanimously confirmed by the City Council, and he at once entered actively upon the discharge of his duties as the com- manding officer, responsible for the proper police supervision of the great business center and down-town district of Chicago. From that time until his retirement in 1888, Capt. William Buckley was in the very front rank of police affairs in Chicago, always a trusted, vigilant and gallant officer, and one whose name has always been held in respect and affection by his official superiors, brother offi- cers and the men of the whole service. It is impossible to enter into detail upon such a busy and trying career as is summed up in the history of nearly a quarter of a century's service in the police department of Chicago and the trying times of the "Great Fire" days-when the business part of Chicago laid in ashes-the '77 labor riots and the '85 anarchist troubles have already been touched upon. His enviable reputation and standing in the police department is best shown by the fact that he was elected and re- elected treasurer of the Police Benevolent Association, of which he was a charter member, from 1868 to 1877, inclusive. He has also
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served in a similar responsible capacity, the Veteran Police Asso- ciation, the membership of which is exclusively for police officers of twenty years' service, retired on pension.
After his retirement in 1888, Capt. Buckley was elected a men- ber of the Thirty-sixth General Assembly, Legislature of Illinois, which convened in January, 1889. He was elected to represent the Third District, which in itself was a signal compliment and in a great sense an expression of the confidence of the business com- munity of Chicago in him, as the Third District comprises all the most important central section of the city, containing the banks, mercantile and insurance offices, etc. Among the important pub- lic measures passed at this session of the legislature were the spe- cial acts creating the Board of Drainage Trustees, for the operation of the great Drainage Canal; the act which introduced the famous and now general Australian Ballot System, in the adoption of which Illinois was one of the first of the states; and also the statute regulating the holding of the primaries, known as the Primary Law, and which for the first time created a system of registration of the primary ballot. Capt. Buckley also participated, as an ac- tive member, in the special session of the legislature called for the purpose of determining by a special act the site of the Columbian World's Fair, and which enabled the City of Chicago to issue bonds to the amount of $5,000,000 in aid of it. From first to last he was an ardent, active and influential supporter in the legislature of every measure promoting the interests of the Fair, as the record of his vote attests.
In September of 1858, Capt. Buckley married Miss Catharine Cashin, and four children were born of the union. Of these, Thomas, Mary and Richard are deceased; the two first named in childhood, the latter in his twenty-third year, in the very opening of an advantageous business career. The loving wife and mother was also destined to "go before," and to the unspeakable grief of a
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singularly united and happy family, died January 12th, 1882. Catharine, the surviving daughter, married February 21st, 1884, Mr. Daniel F. Burke of the firm of Burke Brothers, and it is with Mr. and Mrs. Burke and their four little daughters, Irene (12), Grace (10), Hazel (7) and Frances (4), that Capt. Buckley resides in a spacious and beautiful home on the southwest corner of Fifty- third Street and Lexington (No. 5300 Lexington Avenue).
Stalwart yet, and evidently but just in the autumn of his years, the veteran officer takes life easily and happily with his daughter, son-in-law and young grand-daughters, in a beautiful home situ- ated in its own pretty grounds, in itself an ornament to one of the most charming of the South Park localities. And within its at- tractive interior, equipped with all that modern comfort can se- cure, and enriched with much that artistic taste suggests, can be found many a handsome trophy, interesting souvenirs and massive silver badge and prize cups, which serve to unite the Captain's peaceful pleasant present with the years of duty, trial and danger, night and day, for twenty-five years, in the Chicago Police Depart- ment.
JOHN P. BARRETT.
John P. Barrett was born in Auburn, N. Y., in 1837. He came to Chicago in 1845 with his parents, and attended the public schools until he was eleven years old. Mr. Barrett was, as a boy, attracted to a sea-faring life, and sailed for eleven years, receiving while engaged in that profession a permanent injury. When he returned to Chicago he obtained a position with the city fire de- partment, and in 1862 was appointed assistant in the fire alarm
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telegraph department. In 1876 he was made superintendent, and still held that position while chief of the electricity department of the World's Columbian Exposition, having been the unanimous choice of all the electricians in the country for that distinguished office. John P. Barrett is a man of originality, and is the inventor of what is known as the "Little Joker" fire alarm signal. He is the originator of the fire alarm patrol system, and was first to con- ceive the idea of the laying of electric wires underground. The success of this underground system has been absolutely demon- strated, and is being largely introduced in the various centers of population throughout the United States and foreign countries. No better illustration of the marked ability of Mr. Barrett can be found than in the improvements he has made, and the perfection to which he has brought the department of electricity of Chicago and his success in connection with the World's Columbian Expo- sition.
He is a member of the Columbus and Sheridan Clubs.
THOMAS SCANLAN.
Thomas Scanlan, another of Chicago's adopted and highly es- teemed citizens, was born near Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland, on December 4th, 1841. Both parents were. also natives of County Kerry, his father, John Scanlan, having been born near the beau- tiful River Shannon, and his mother, Lucy Lombard, at Castle Island. The father, who was by occupation a farm and contract- ing stone mason, was a man of more than ordinary intelligence,
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had traveled considerably and was, by his neighbors and friends, looked up to as a leader and mentor.
Thomas, the subject of this sketch, received his earlier teach- ing in the national and private schools of his native town until he was seven years of age, when with his parents he came via New Orleans to Cincinnati, where the family located. His father, how- ever, died two years later, when the boy was only nine years old, and the mother followed to the grave six months after. It was left to the eldest sister, Margaret, to take charge of the family, and Mr. Scanlan speaks most affectionately of the manner in which this thoroughly noble woman performed all her duties.
The boy was sent to St. Xavier's parochial school until he was about twelve years old, and, though at first disinclined to be very studious and rather after the pattern described by one of our poets, a boy "with a dread of books and love of fun," his later teacher, Mr. George Kelly, of whom he still speaks very warmly, appears to have inspired him with a desire for learning which ever after clung to him. While still quite young he had to leave school, and obtained employment as clerk in a grocery store at Coving- ton, Ky., and later on in Cincinnati. After three years' service, being unusually matured, both physically and mentally, for a lad of sixteen, his employer suggested that he should find a partner and buy out the business. With some hesitation the matter was broached to his brother-in-law, Michael A. Kavanaugh, a pilot on boats running between Cincinnati and St. Louis, and the latter agreed to go in with him. A partnership was formed, Mr. Scan- lan having chief charge of the grocery business and his brother-in- law still continuing his piloting. The desire for futher education was still warm in the young man's mind, and, while attending to the requirements of his business, every spare moment was devoted to reading. This, however, was necessarily so limited that after three years had passed he determined to give up the business. He
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did not consider his means sufficient to enable him to go to college, and instead hte accepted the invitation of a friend in Nashville, Tenn., to learn carpentering, intending to continue his studies mornings and in the evenings when his work was over. The ar- rangement, however, proved unsatisfactory, and after a few months he returned to Cincinnati. At this time his old tutor, George Kelly, learning of the young man's desire to improve him- self, and that he had a taste for literary pursuits, offered him the position of assistant teacher at Springfield, Ohio, and with some difficulty succeeded in overcoming his diffidence by assuring him of success, and at the same time agreed to teach him mathematics. Mr. Scanlan consequently went to Springfield in 1860, and achieved such marked success that at the end of a year he was offered the position then held by Mr. Kelly, but declined; and, hav- ing during his year at Springfield learned to play the organ, he ac- cepted instead a position at Xenia, Ohio, as teacher and organist. This was in 1861, and here for four years he remained, gaining ap- preciation from all, not only for his ability as teacher and organist, ยท but also for his executive capacity and general management. The desire to further improve himself was still strong, so, having a little capital now on hand, he was advised to attend Farmers' Col- lege near Cincinnati. This he did from 1865 to 1867, taking up Latin, Greek, mathematics, logic, etc., at the same time acting as organist for a church in the suburbs and keeping books for a Cin- cinnati firm. On leaving college in 1867, he took up the study of law in the office of Sage, Haacke & Taft, the well-known jurists, and also attended the Cincinnati Law School. At the end of a year, finding his funds running low, he concluded to resume teaching, and was remarkably successful in passing his examina- tion for principal's certificate before the board of examiners, re- ceiving an average of 98 per cent in seventeen branches, which in- cluded algebra, geometry, chemistry, physiology and astronomy,
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and in twelve of them he succeeded in obtaining the maximum 100 per cent. He then obtained a position as first assistant in the First District school, and after two years was elected principal of the Twelfth District school, being the first Catholic to occupy such a position in Cincinnati. Here Mr. Scanlan achieved marked suc- cess, and won appreciation from all who were connected with the school, and even elicited flattering encomiums from Mr. Hancock, the superintendent of schools.
By this time Mr. Scanlan had completed his law course and was admitted to the bar. However, in the spring of 1873, he was offered a partnership in the Walnut Street Bank, a private insti- tution of Cincinnati, and the proposition seemed of so advantage- ous a character that he was constrained to accept. He was in this concern only a short time when the panic of '73 came upon the country, and the bank experienced the hard times, suffering heavy loss, especially through the failure of Jay Cooke & Co., and from that year until the resuming of specie payments in 1878 business was generally depressed. Still the bank did fairly well, notwith- standing the depressed times. In 1877, the senior partner, George H. Bussing, died, and the management devolved almost entirely on Mr. Scanlan. There was a general supposition that the bank was backed by Father Purcell, the brother and financial manager of the Right Reverend John B. Purcell, Archbishop of Cincinnati, but, as a matter of fact, Father Purcell simply kept a large ac- count in the bank as a depositor, and it was he who recommended Mr. Scanlan to Mr. Bussing as a partner. Father Purcell was the trusted advisor of a large number of people, and had himself been taking deposits from them for a number of years and paying six per cent interest. The business depression led many to withdraw their deposits, and in payment thereof he frequently issued checks upon the bank. About this time, too, several banks which took
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savings deposits failed, the largest being the German Bank of C. F. Adoe & Co.
Rumors began to be freely circulated, questioning the ability of Father Purcell to settle his liabilities, causing a considerable run to be made, although for years he had been considered "as sound as the Bank of England." Farther Purcell drew heavily on the Walnut Street Bank, not only exhausting his own funds on deposit, but also heavily overdrawing his account, at one time to the extent of thirty thousand dollars. The bank was finally forced to notify him that no more checks of his could be paid while he had no funds on deposit, but still checks continued to come in, until in self-defense the bank had absolutely to refuse payment. The peo- ple were incredulous when informed that Father Purcell had no more funds, and a suspicion arose that the refusal was caused by the weakness of the bank. Finally Father Purcell and his brother, the Archbishop, were compelled to make an assignment, which occasioned the greatest consternation and distress through- out the city, and developments soon proved that their liabilities were nearly four million dollars, with assets exceedingly small. This fact occasioned a large run on the bank, which, however, withstood it all, and the excitement had almost passed over when a circumstance occurred that finally brought about a crisis. It was in 1879 that a clever robbery resulted in the loss of $10,000 to the bank, and, in the sensitive state of public opinion, it was de- cided better to keep the matter as quiet as possible. However, it could not be kept quiet, and newspaper comment occasioned a further run on the bank, some people thinking the amount taken much larger than was actually the case, and others believing it was only a made-up story. For a considerable time Mr. Scanlan had to bear the burden of these troubles alone; finally, after con- sultation with the widow of Mr. Bussing, who had the largest in- terest in the bank, and their attorney, it was decided, notwith-
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standing the protest of Mr. Scanlan, to make an assignment and wind up the bank's affairs.
In 1875 certain people in Cincinnati had taken in settlement of a bad debt, mortgages on a tract of land near Kensington, Cook County, Ills. Some time after the land was taken, subject to a large previous mortgage, and the title in the name of Scanlan and Hand. Afterwards it was transferred by them to D. J. Fallis and Ilowell Gano, and later, on the death of Mr. Fallis, to Gano and Field. In 1880 it had been reported that Mr. Pullman was about to build his large works in that vicinity, and Messrs. Fallis and Gano deputized Mr. Scanlan to go to Chicago and look up an offer that had been made for purchase of the land. While negotiations for the sale were under way, subdivision of the land was sug- gested, and Mr. Scanlan was requested to take charge of the mat- ter, though he had no previous experience in the real estate busi- ness. The subdivision of part of the land was made in the fall of 1881, its management placed in his hands, and since that time Mr. Scanlan has been chiefly occupied in laying out the two hundred and forty acres, making streets, planting trees, selling lots, build- ing houses, collecting, etc., a new settlement being formed, which grew with such rapidity under his fostering care as to excite the wonder of all. The town was incorporated as the Village of Gano in 1888, and two years later was annexed to Chicago. Though when Mr. Scanlan first took charge there was not a single person living on the property, at the school census of 1894 the population was above 2,400, thus attesting what can be accomplished under the guidance and control of a capable man. Its streets are good, its street railways connect with Chicago City Railway, it has city water, fine stores, a church and a handsome school house, just completed, containing twelve rooms, with all modern improve- ments, which, added to the old school buildings, is called the Scan- Jan school. The unlimited confidence reposed in Mr. Scanlan by
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