USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > Biographical history of the American Irish in Chicago > Part 46
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Notwithstanding the exactions of his enormous business Mr. Scott has found time to be quite an extensive traveler, not only in this country from Maine to California, but in Europe, there being few points or cities of interest on that continent that he has not visited.
No doubt to these and similar trips and the consequent freedom from business cares for a while is largely due the health that Mr. Scott almost invariably enjoys, and his well preserved and com- paratively youthful appearance and feeling.
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STANLEY WATERLOO.
This best known and most highly considered of Western writers and novelists was born May 21st, 1846, in St. Clair County, Michi- gan. He is the son of Charles N. and Mary J. Waterloo, of whom the first was of English and the latter of Irish descent. His Amer- icanism, however, cannot in any way be disputed, for early ances- tors, the Vaughns and the Archers, had come to this country in the seventeenth century.
The subject of this short sketch received his education in the high schools of St. Clair, Michigan, and later at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. From his earlier youth his intention had been to embrace a military career, but he was barred from admis- sion to the academy by the accidental loss of the sight of one eye while breaking in a vicious horse. His collegiate career at an end, he came to Chicago in 1868, and immediately took up the study of law, but he has never practiced. Instead, he entered journalism, and to that profession he has adhered, his work being done chiefly in this city, but he was also for several years in St. Louis. In an editorial capacity he has been connected with the "Chicago Trib- une," the "Chicago Mail," the "Evening Journal" and other dailies, devoting what spare time he could manage to other outside press work, as well as magazine writing, both prose and verse. Upon two occasions this popularity of Mr. Waterloo among his associ- ates, and his position in the newspaper world generally, were tes- tified to by his election as president of the Press Club of Chicago, and he is also a member of a number of societies and organiza- tions, including the Press Council of the National Union. His work of late years, however, has been of a more pretentious char-
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acter, and two novels, "An Odd Situation" and "A Man and Wo- man," have been received with great public favor, the latter especi- ally, which was reproduced in England last year, making for him an international reputation.
He is a man of very interesting personality, possesses a fund of information upon a vast number of subjects, and the number of his friends is only to be estimated by those who have the fortune to be among his acquaintances.
JOHN A. ROCHE.
In a record of the American Irish of Chicago, it would be im- possible to avoid mention of this public-spirited citizen, this great railroad and prominent business representative, John A. Roche. Ile was born August 12th, 1844, of Irish parentage, in Utica, N. Y., his parents being William and Sarah Roche. Educated in the pub- lic schools, he graduated at the age of seventeen in the high school, and at once began his active business life. Ilis first employment was as a pattern maker with the Alline Works, New York, where he remained as an apprentice for three years, attending at the same time the Cooper Institute and night school. His next work was as a journeyman, and afterwards he was engaged as a draughtsman and designer on steam work for J. R. Robinson of Boston. He was in that employ for three years, subsequently being connected with the well-known Corliss Steam Engine Works, for two years. Com- ing to Chicago in 1869, he began business as a dealer in machinery, taking up at the same time the representation of various eastern engine, boiler and machinery firms. Finally he succeeded to part-
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nership in the firm of James, Roche & Spencer, on Lake Street, and here he stayed until the fire of 1871, when he had to find new quar- ters on South Canal Street. Seven years having passed, he be- came associated with J. A. Fay & Co., of Cincinnati, who were man- ufacturers of wood working machinery, and at the same time agents for the Putman Machine Company's tools, assuming entire charge of the company's business in the northwest.
Mr. Roche was elected Mayor of Chicago in 1887, being nom- inated in the Republican convention, but receiving Democratic as well as Republican support against the socialistic candidate, Rob- ert Nelson. His administration of the city affairs was a notably clean one; the gambling houses were kept tightly closed, and a number of other evils corrected. When his term of office expired, he once more devoted himself to business, and became vice presi- dent and manager of the Crane Elevator Company. He was elected in 1893 president of the Lake Street Elevated Railroad Company, a position he has since most ably filled.
In his matrimonial relations Mr. Roche has been extremely happy. He was married June 22nd, 1871, to Emma Howard of this city, and they have three children now living, Cora E., Helen M. and John A., Jr.
MARTIN J. RUSSELL.
This well-known Irish-American Democratic leader, who is es- sentially a Chicago man, was born in this city, December 20th, 1845, of Irish parents. His father was a lake captain, and was lost with a vessel in a storm on Lake Michigan a few weeks before the birth of his son.
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The subject of this sketch received his early education in the public schools, but on the breaking out of the Civil War went with the regiment of his uncle on the mother's side, Col. James A. Mul- ligan, to Missouri, and was with it at the time of the surrender at Lexington. However, not being a member of the regiment, he was not held as a prisoner of war, but was permitted to return home. On the exchange of the regiment and its reorganization at Chicago as the Twenty-third Illinois Volunteer Infantry, in the winter of 1861-2, Mr. Russell became second lieutenant, his commission bear- ing the date November 1st, 1861, and being anterior to his six- teenth birthday. The following June the regiment was ordered to Virginia, and in December of that year, on Col. Mulligan being as- signed to the command of a brigade, Lieutenant Russell received an appointment on his staff as assistant adjutant general, serving with him through the various campaigns in Virginia. Col. Mul- ligan was killed at the battle of Winchester, and the regiment was so greatly reduced that it was ordered consolidated into five com- panies, and, consequently, on September 14th, 1864, Lieutenant Russell was mustered out of the service, and returned home.
His first connection with newspaper work was in 1870, when he became a reporter on the "Chicago Evening Post," remaining with that paper until 1873. He was next employed on the city staff of the "Chicago Times," and later was advanced as paragraphist to the editorial staff of the same paper. Mr. Storey, in 1876, started the "Telegram," an afternoon paper, and Martin J. Russell was made editor, but the venture proving a failure, he returned to the "Times," retaining his position there until he became connected with the "Herald," in August, 1883. In the "Chicago Herald" Com- pany he held considerable stock, and was editor-in-chief until 1886, when he severed his connection and returned once more to the "Times," of which he became leading editorial writer. Since the establishment of the "Chicago Chronicle," in 1895, Mr. Russell has
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assumed the duties of editor-in-chief, and it is unquestionably to the brilliancy of his pen and to his exceptionally great newspaper qualifications that that daily owes much of the position it has achieved.
Mr. Russell was a member of the Board of Education of Hyde Park from 1874 to 1880, and from 1876 to 1880 was village clerk of that, at the time, suburb of Chicago. In 1880 he was appointed by the Circuit Judges of Cook County, South Park Commissioner, and was honored with reappointment in 1885. He was made Col- lector of the Port in 1894 by President Cleveland, and that respon- sible position he still holds.
He was married in 1873 to Miss Cecilia C. Walsh. In religion he is a Roman Catholic and a valued member and a frequent visitor to the Columbus Club.
FRANCIS T. MURPHY.
This great Western metropolis contains a great many able men who have made the law the profession of their lives. That all should be equally successful in such a career, would be an impossi- bility; the prizes in life's battle are few and far between, and the fortunate must needs be gifted with qualifications of a diverse character, exceptional legal ability, good judgment, ready percep- tion, and also personal charm of manner or power of intellect suffi- cient to dominate and control their fellowmen. Among the rep- resentative lawyers of the west, there are but few who possess these necessary characteristics in a higher degree than the subject of the present sketch, the big, genial-natured, open-hearted young lawyer, Francis T. Murphy.
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He was born in this city, where he was destined to make him- self so well known, January 25th, 1863, his father, Thomas Murphy, being a native of County Meath, Ireland, and his mother from West Meath. It is from his father unquestionably that Francis T. in- herits his perseverance and energy, for Thomas Murphy left the dear old land as a mere boy of twelve, traveled all alone to the far country beyond the seas, where he possessed neither kith nor kin, friend nor acquaintance, and when the big ocean journey was fin- ished, set off once more across the continent to Chicago, determined to seek a living and possible fortune in the boundless West. In this city he fought his way, married, and in 1894 died at the com- paratively premature age of fifty-seven.
Francis T. Murphy received his education in the St. Vincent College at Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and having decided to take up the legal profession, entered the Union College of Law, receiving later his license to practice from the Supreme Court at Ottawa in March, 1886.
His profession was at once taken up, and associating himself with Mr. E. S. Cummings, they remained together as partners for four years. Since that time Mr. Murphy has been in business alone, and to-day it is doubtful if there is a lawyer in Chicago who possesses a greater number of clients or is doing a larger amount of business. His success, though rapid, has been gradual, and the legal mind, the persuasive manner, the sagacity, good humor and ready wit, have all united together to place him in his present posi- tion.
Mr. Murphy was married April 11th, 1893, in Chicago, to Mary V. Halpin, the daughter of one of Chicago's best known citizens. A man of intensely social nature, the chief delight of Frank Murphy -as he is generally known-is to be surrounded with his friends and to dispense the historical Irish hospitality. For fast horses he admits a decided partiality, and is fortunate in the possession of several that can show a good pace.
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The only social organization of which he is a member is the Sheridan Club, but he was formerly also in the Columbus Club. He belongs to a number of fraternal societies, among which may be mentioned the Royal Arcanum and the Catholic Benevolent Legion.
In religious belief he is a Roman Catholic, and in politics, while a few years ago imbued with some Democratic ideas, he is now an unswerving Republican. A charming conversationalist, he pos- sesses a wealth of good humor and is able to draw on a rich fund of interesting knowledge. He has traveled extensively in Europe and Canada and is also very thoroughly conversant with all parts of the United States.
JOHN R. WALSH.
This truly representative Chicagoan, eminent financier and lead- ing citizen, was born in Ireland, August 22d, 1837. When his pa- rents left the old land for the United States and settled in Chicago he was but twelve years old, and it was in this city that the boy was moulded into a man and that his intellect and talents became trained and ripened into such development as have procured for him the high position he holds in the business and social world of to-day.
John R. Walsh was eighteen when he obtained his first position as clerk and salesman for J. McNally, at that time one of the chief newsdealers in the city. A very bright boy and uniformly cour- teous, he soon became immensely popular with the store patrons, and taking a keen interest in the business, he readily perceived the possibilities of its expansion. His employer, however, was of too
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conservative a bent of mind to indulge in new ideas, and in 1861 Mr. Walsh, having borrowed a little capital, opened up a news de- pot of his own and at once proceeded to carry his ideas into action. He was not satisfied with supplying local customers with papers and periodicals, but set out also to provide for the outside towns and cities throughout this state, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. He came into immediate competition with the American News Company of New York, and his facilities for business being super- ior, he was soon able to obtain control of a large proportion of the Northwestern trade. The encroachments on their business forced a crisis and the American News Company opened up negotiations which, in 1866, resulted in the establishment of the Western News Company in Chicago, and of this John R. Walsh became manager. It was the first branch opened up by the American News Company, but now that organization has offices in all the principal cities of the country.
As one of the founders of the Chicago National Bank, the third largest banking establishment in this city; and of which, since its establishment, Mr. Walsh has been president, he has attained a still higher recognition in the community and in the circles of finance and general business no' man possesses higher considera- tion.
While actively concerned in a number of other important en- terprises, Mr. Walsh has of late years taken a peculiar interest in the newspapers of Chicago. For a considerable period he con- trolled the "Inter Ocean," and when his interest was bought out, he became principal owner of the "Chicago Herald" and the "Even- ing Post." The two latter being purchased by Mr. H. H. Kohlsaat, Mr. Walsh shortly afterwards took an interest in the newly started "Chicago Chronicle," and has at the same time a large interest in the "Staats Zeitung."
Mr. Walsh was married in 1867 to Miss Wilson, a Chicago lady 41
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of many accomplishments and much social distinction, who takes a leading part in all charitable enterprises.
Like most men of strong character, he has been at all times somewhat retiring in his disposition, but as a man of unimpeach- able integrity he has commanded the respect and entire esteem of every one with whom either business or social duties or circum- stances have brought him into contact. He is a worthy citizen, an honorable gentleman and a pride at once to the land of his birth and to the city he has for so many years made his home.
MAURICE M. O'CONNOR.
A genial Irishman, kindly natured and generous to a fault, ever ready to do a service or to help a friend, a man of exceptional abil- ity and great and sustained persistence, is the subject of the pres- ent sketch, the popular Harrison appointee to the office of gas in- spector of the City of Chicago, that manly and handsome represent- ative American Irishman, Maurice M. O'Connor.
A born rebel, if it can be called rebellion to fight oppression, tyranny and cruel wrong, he was born February 22d, 1848, a year whose very atmosphere must have been tinged with patriotic fire. Breathing such air, nurtured on hate of English rule, the boy grew and thrived, and his devotion to his birthland has never wavered, but has been nobly evinced on innumerable occasions. His early education was received in Ireland's national schools, and to the thorough grounding received, Maurice O'Connor bears good evi- dence. When thirteen he came to this country for a few weeks, then returning to Ireland with his uncle, resuming his studies at
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the famous Listowel grammar school, where he completed the regu- lar course.
An active part had been taken by him from his very boyhood in Irish national affairs, and having been connected with the rising in March, 1867, he found it policy to leave the country once more and to seek elsewhere a permanent home. He accompanied Gen- eral O'Neil's ill-starred expedition into Canada, and afterwards, lo- eating in Chicago and thrown entirely on his own resources, de- termined to make his way in the world. His first work was as a laborer on the streets, and later he carried a hod. His habits were good, his disposition was economical and the money he was able to save was invested in profitable real estate. Later, too, he was able to secure an interest in the wholesale liquor establishment of Charles Dennehy & Co., and this, with other good investments, has placed him, while in the prime of life, in the possession of a very comfortable fortune.
Broad-minded and liberal, Mr. O'Connor is a typical American citizen. He has known what physical labor and hard work mean and his sympathies have been ever strong with the weak and the oppressed. Elected to the City Council, such ideas of his found fre- quent outcome. He has striven hard to make the pay for labor $2.25 a day, and has persistently advocated a national law making the minimum daily pay of laborers $2. During the Pullman strike his feelings were freely expressed, and he did more, perhaps, than any one other individual towards helping the unfortunate victims. Towards the police and fire departments also he has shown himself a warm friend, and to him the responsibility is due for the endeavor to equalize the salaries of policemen at $1,200 a year.
Indeed, in a variety of ways the good nature and generous feel- ing of this liberal-minded Irishman and very worthy citizen have been shown, and there are many young men and women in this city who owe their start in life to his kindly help. He also was the
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introducer into the City Council of a set of resolutions expressing sympathy with the Cubans in their patriotic endeavors, and which stimulated later both houses of Congress to follow a similar course.
A man of his parts would find it a difficult matter to avoid the sea of politics, and Maurice O'Connor has been prominent for many years past. As a strong Democrat, in the last campaign he was a pronounced Bryanite, and was one of the latter's electors from the Fifth Congressional District, in which he ran very far ahead of his ticket.
Mr. O'Connor, in addition to keeping himself thoroughly posted on all current affairs, is a great reader, and has a good and care- fully chosen library. He has traveled considerably, has made three trips across the Atlantic, during which he visited the chief Euro- pean centers, and in regard to Ireland there is not a single county with which he is not fully acquainted. Letters of his giving full details of his wanderings, and in a breezy, happy way, were pub- lished and met with very considerable favor. A family man, his pleasant home rejoices in the presence of a daughter, a bright and very interesting young lady, who is yet in her teens.
M. B. BAILEY.
Few men responsibly identified with the public service, Munic- ipal, State and Federal, have suggested and carried through to suc- cessful operation equally useful measures to those for which Chi- cago is indebted to Michael B. Bailey. Among the old citizens of Chicago he occupies a prominent place since he arrived in the city in 1850, and he has been well and actively known in all its affairs
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of a popular character for many years past. His prompt and use- ful services during the distressing times of the great fire of 1871, when he was a member of the City Council, have passed into the history of that period, and his course in the council, his work in or- ganizing citizens' relief and patrol work at that time, to say noth- ing of his subsequent identification with wise and valuable legisla- tion, have served to make the name of M. B. Bailey one of those which occupy no insignificant place in the record of Chicago his- tory. The story of what has been called his "brown paper" ordi- nance would alone make a man notable in local annals. When the first meeting of the City Council was called during the great fire emergency, even before the fire was under complete subjection, it was held in the basement or school-room of the First Congrega- tional Church (Dr. Goodwin's), corner of Ann and Washington Boulevard, in the west division, the only section of the city in which, at that time, any business could be transacted. The council had learned that some grocery dealers were taking advantage of the distress of the people and were extorting the price of $1.50 for a loaf of bread. There was no writing paper in the possession of any alderman at the meeting, so some brown paper or grocery wrap- ping had to serve instead, and it was Alderman Bailey who drew up an ordinance, which was promptly passed, to the effect that any person charging more than ten cents for each loaf of bread should be punished with a fine of $10 and ten days imprisonment for each offense.
M. B. Bailey was born in Limerick, April 8th, 1840. His father, who was quite prominent in the blacksmithing business in his na- tive city, died when our subject was but six years old. At the early age of ten years, unaccompanied save for the companionship of an old lady who was coming to America, young Bailey ventured upon the journey to the United States, sailing from Liverpool to New York in a vessel called the "Orient," which took seven weeks and
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three days to reach the promised land. He met relatives in Buf- falo, and came on from Buffalo to Chicago by schooner, where he was met by other relatives and friends, among whom were some citizens well remembered here, such as Thomas Cummings and Capt. Patrick Gleason. He was first employed in Chicago by J. H. Ward, builder and contractor, with whom he remained for four years. He had received a primary school education in Ireland, which he perfected at night schools in Chicago, and with much adaptability and energy entered upon the masonry and building business on his own account. Enlarging his business as a con- tractor, Mr. Bailey put up quite a number of buildings, large for that time, prominent among which may be named the Empire Block on La Salle Street, the McCormick Block on Lake Street, the Thur- man building, and also a large number of residences and business blocks throughout the city. In 1857 he went to Keokuk, Iowa, to repair the Court House at that place, after which he went to St. Joseph, Missouri, where he erected many large and imposing resi- dences and business structures. He afterwards went to Pike's Peak, and subsequently, in 1859, went South, working for some time as a mechanic on a large Red River plantation. At the outbreak of the war he moved to Memphis, Tenn., where with other loyal citi- zens he was compelled to assist in the transportation of Gen. Price's troops to the field of Shiloh. After the capitulation of Memphis in 1862, he returned to Chicago, resuming his business as a builder. This he successfully carried on, putting up a number of business and residence buildings more or less well known, and the time of the great fire found him a busy and prosperous man. The ruins of the great conflagration were scarcely cleared away before Mr. Bailey found himself fully engaged in the work of reconstruction, and one of the first buildings of importance he erected was the old jail and criminal court block, finished in 1872.
Very early in life Mr. Bailey embraced the Democratic faith in
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politics, and he has ever since been an ardent and active member of the Democratic party. In 1869, notwithstanding the fact of his being a Democrat, he was unanimously endorsed by the Repub- licans of the Eighth Ward for Alderman, and in 1872 was re-elected on the Greeley ticket.
During the administration of Jos. Medill as Mayor, there was practically no sewerage in the southwestern portion of the city, and it was due to the strenuous efforts and exertion of Alderman Bailey that Mayor Medill secured an appropriation of $90,000 for the pur- pose. In company with the Mayor, he went through the whole dis- trict, and viewing the situation, agitated the matter and got the appropriation through. It was also through the sole and individ- ual efforts of Mr. Bailey that the Canal Street viaduct was built, and the railroad interested compelled to build the super-structure. IIe secured the building of the great Halsted Street viaduct also, and upon the same conditions.
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