USA > Massachusetts > Memorial encyclopedia of the state of Massachusetts > Part 30
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Born in County Monahan, Ireland, in 1858, Mr. Carolan was a son of Patrick and Ann (Keenan) Carolan, and a member of a family which had lived from time immemorial in that region of the "Emerald Isle." His fa- ther, Patrick Carolan, followed the occupation of farming during his entire life, although not always in the land of his birth. He and his wife and their six children, three boys and three girls, finding conditions too oppressive in Ireland, set sail for the United States in 1872 and made their way to the town of North Chelmsford, Massachusetts, which remained the home of Frank Carolan for a number of years.
Frank Carolan was the oldest of his parents' sons, and received his edu- cation in the public schools of his native land, making his home in the mean- time on his father's farm, where he worked hard and where he gained, if nothing else, an invaluable heritage of health and strength which stood him in good stead during the latter years of his life. When the family had set- tled in the United States, the lad, who was ambitious, continued his studies, attending for this purpose the evening schools of North Chelmsford. In the meantime, however, he also secured employment in some of the great mills which are so abundant in that part of the State and worked for a while with the concern known as the Middlesex Mills there. He was possessed of an extremely independent and enterprising nature, more or less impatient of au- thority, and it became a strong ambition of his to engage in business on his own account, where he would have a far better opportunity for selfdevelop- ment and expression. By dint of hard work and the strictest economy, he managed to lay by the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars from his earn- ings, and with this he purchased a small variety store on Central street, Low- ell, Massachusetts. This purchase was made about 1886, and from that time until his death Mr. Carolan continued to operate this business successfully, a period of about twenty-five years in all. One year, indeed, before his death, he retired from this activity and spent that time in well-earned leisure. With the sure business instinct possessed by him, Mr. Carolan had early realized the wonderful opportunities offered to investers by real estate in Lowell, the
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rapidly growing values of which kept pace with the development of the city, and it became his object to invest such sums as he could lay aside in this, the surest and most satisfactory of all forms of property. His judgment appears to have been very nearly infallible, the property which he chose has invari- ably increased in value, and he was able to leave to his family an estate which included much of the most desirable real estate in the city. His holdings were located especially on Church and Concord streets, Lowell, now the cen- ter of very busy districts.
Mr. Carolan was not one of those men who devote their entire atten- tion to the getting and accumulating of material wealth. He was, on the con- trary, extremely fond of informal social intercourse with his fellows and was a well known figure in the general life of the city. He had no fondness for political life of any kind, and consistently refused to run for public of- fice, but his interest in the welfare of the town was proverbial and he did much to encourage legitimate enterprise and business of all kinds. In his re- ligious belief he was a member of the Roman Catholic church, attending the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Lowell and liberally supported it in its charitable work in the city. He was affiliated for many years with the Foresters of America.
Mr. Carolan married, February 1, 1891, Katherine E. McAdams, a daughter of Owen and Margaret (McCabe) McAdams. To Mr. and Mrs. Carolan three children were born as follows: Mary F., now a teacher in the Moody Public School in Lowell; Edward and Margaret A.
Frank Carolan was a self-made man in the best sense of the term, suc- cessful in all the operations which he undertook, although in a most unas- suming and retiring way. He was instinctively charitable, but obeyed liter- ally the Biblical precept not to let his left hand know what his right did, so that his liberality was realized by but few. He saw to it that his chil- dren were the recipients of good educations, for he knew full well, as only the really self-made man can, how great an asset is knowledge in a life's ca- reer. His funeral, which was held from his home at 256 Concord street, Lowell, and from the Church of the Immaculate Conception, of which he had been a faithful member for so many years, was a great tribute to the affec- tion and respect in which he was held by the community-at-large. A solemn high mass of requiem was sung by the Rev. Lawrence F. Tighe, O.M.I., the pastor of the church, assisted by the Rev. Owen P. McQuade, O.M.I., as dea- con, and the Rev. Edward J. Fox, O.M.I., as sub-deacon. The choir sang the Gregorian setting to the mass, and at the offertory the "Domine Jesu Christi" was sung by Mrs. Hugh Walker, and as the body was being carried out, the "De Profundis" was sung by Charles P. Smith. Mrs. Walker presided at the organ, and the choir was under the direction of Mr. Smith. The church was thronged with mourners, many of whom came from out of town to pay their last respects to a dear and honored friend, some of whom came from as far as Boston, Woburn, Dorchester, Massachusetts, and Providence,
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Rhode Island. Those who acted as pall bearers were Edward Cryan, John Breen, James Gorman, James Liston, Thomas Coleman and Charles O'Don- nell. The interment took place at St. Patrick's Cemetery, where the com- mittal prayers were read by the Rev. Lawrence F. Tighe, O.M.I.
While it is common enough to find men whose careers have accom- plished conspicuous results in the communities where they have been run, it is by no means so easy to find those the net result of whose lives can be placed without hesitation on the credit side of the balance, whose influence has been without question enlisted on the side of good. Successful men there are in plenty, but the vast majority of these have labored without ceas- ing in their own behalf, and without any special regard for the welfare of the community-at-large. Not so in the case of Mr. Carolan, who never for an instant forgot his duty to his fellows in any selfish ambition and who worked steadily for the advancement of all. It was his distinction that in every re- lation of life his conduct was equally exemplary, that he was a public-spirited citizen, a kindly neighbor, a faithful friend, and a devoted and affectionate husband and father.
Bottlieh Rothfuss
F `EW men indeed pass on into the Great Beyond, whose death was so sincerely and so generally mourned as was that of Gottlieb Rothfuss, and his memory will live in the hearts of those who knew him as long as life lasts, not only because he was a man in the best and highest sense of the term, but also a lovable and forceful gentleman, who drew to him all those privileged to call themselves his friends. His irreproachable character so endeared him to all that his passing away at his residence in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, November 22, 1910, at the age of sixty-one years, became a personal and direct sorrow. There are so few men in the world of to-day who strive to leave the world all the better for their hav- ing been in it, that when one is taken away deep regret is the outcome. In Mr. Rothfuss' business career, which was a long and successful one, his word was ever as good as his bond, and his private life was without a stain or blemish. Throughout our country are to be found men who have worked their way unaided to positions of power in their communities, and not the fewest of these have been of foreign birth and descent. The United States has no better citizens than those who came to her from the "Fatherland." Honest, industrious and full of civic pride, they have strengthened the best interests in the communities in which they were found. Of those whom the State of Massachusetts has had the good fortune to possess, none has pre- sented a more perfect type of the business man and the good citizen than did Gottlieb Rothfuss, who was the possessor of those sterling qualities of char- acter which always make men worthy of regard among their fellow-men.
The birth of Gottlieb Rothfuss occurred in Wurtemberg, Germany, in 1849, a son of Jacob Rothfuss, a shoemaker in Germany, who employed sev- eral men, and made all hand-made shoes and boots. He passed away in Ger- many, as also did his wife. Jacob Rothfuss became the father of a large family, of whom four daughters and two sons came to the United States, namely: I. Frederick, who died shortly after his arrival in this country, in St. Louis, Missouri. 2. Christiana, became the wife of Herman Wax, of Chicago, Illinois. 3. Louise, deceased, was the wife of Charles Frederick. 4. Marie, widow of John Epplin, and resides in Omaha, Nebraska. 5. Mrs. Frederika Eikmyer, deceased. 6. Gottlieb, in whose memory we are writing.
Gottlieb Rothfuss obtained his education in the common schools of his native country of Germany, and like the majority of German youths took up a useful trade early in life, that of a machinist. Upon reaching his seven- teenth year, Mr. Rothfuss decided to come to America, where he believed larger opportunities awaited him. As can be seen he was not the only mem-
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ber of his family to leave home to embark for the land across the ocean. The past century has witnessed the migration to this country of vast numbers of the German people, especially the young men, who, seeking to escape the hard conditions that seemed to be inevitable there after the political disturb- ances that were then predominant in their Fatherland, sought a haven on this side of the earth. It is not necessary to say that these men brought with them to this new country many important industries of which we had had but the smallest knowledge before, and the development of these indus- tries have added untold wealth and prosperity to America.
When Mr. Rothfuss came to the United States two of his sisters were living here, also an uncle, Gottlieb Burkhardt, one of Boston's former well known brewers. Mr. Rothfuss joined his uncle in business, and in a short time went to Chicago, Illinois, for the purpose of learning brewing in one of the large breweries of that city. In due time, Mr. Rothfuss became an expert in this line of endeavor, and later returned to Boston, where he be- came head brew-master for his uncle, Gottlieb Burkhardt.
On June 27, 1872, Gottlieb Rothfuss, while still working in his uncle's brewery, was united in marriage with Hermine Stockman, who was born in Hanover, Germany, a daughter of Ludwick Stockman, who died in Ger- many when Mrs. Rothfuss was but five years of age. Mrs. Rothfuss came to the United States at the age of twenty years, and settled permanently in Bos- ton, where five members of her family were located, all of whom are now deceased. The Stockman family was a large one, consisting of twelve daugh- ters and one son. Mrs. Rothfuss proved to be a great help to her husband, and to her is due much of the credit of their success in life. She made many sacrifices, and aided in various ways to assure their future happiness and prosperity. The outcome of all this was that their married life was a most pleasant and harmonious one. After the birth of their first three children, Mr. and Mrs. Rothfuss removed to Springfield, Massachusetts, where Mr. Rothfuss started a brewery under his own name. With the help of his wife, he had saved a sufficient sum to embark in business on his own account, and he succeeded in making a name for himself in the business world, one of which to be proud. Mr. Rothfuss was engaged in business at Springfield for three years, during which time his name and the brand of his goods be- came well and favorably known throughout that part of the State of Massa- chusetts.
About this time Mr. Rothfuss was stricken with malaria fever, which caused him to dispose of his business interests in Springfield. He and his family returned to Boston, where he later opened a restaurant on Water street. He next became engaged in a wholesale house on Tremont street, and for five years conducted a bottling store on Heath street, Boston. His health began to fail, and he sold his business to his son, Gottlieb Rothfuss, Jr., who is at present successfully conducting it. About one year before his death, Mr. Rothfuss retired from all active business pursuits. Mr. and Mrs.
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Rothfuss were the parents of five children, as follows: I. Herman Robert, passed away in 1900, at the age of twenty-seven years. 2. Augustave Adolphus, who was united in marriage with Elizabeth Shaffer, and they are the parents of three children, namely: William, Elizabeth and Ruth, the two latter children being twins. Mr. and Mrs. Rothfuss reside in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. 3. Louise, died at the age of seventeen months. 4. Louise, who was named in memory of her little departed sister, became the wife of Wallace Campbell, a former prominent Boston business man, who died August 4, 1913; Mr. and Mrs. Campbell were the parents of one child, Helene Camp- bell, who with her mother resides at Chestnut Hill, in Newton, Massachu- setts. 5. Gottlieb, who succeeded his father in business, and resides in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts; he was united in marriage with Josephine Rei- ser, and their union was blessed with one child, Louise Rothfuss. Mr. Roth- fuss made his home and his family circle the happiest place that he or any member of it could know. The domestic tastes of this good man constituted a strongly marked feature of his character, and it was only natural that his home life was such an exceptionally happy one.
In all his relations with his fellow-men, Mr. Rothfuss exhibited a whole- some manliness which won instant good feeling and well wishers who at once loved and admired him. There is nothing that makes so direct an appeal to men as a manly, unfearful outlook upon life, a tongue not afraid to speak out its beliefs, and yet shrinks from hurting unnecessarily. These were some of the qualities which marked Mr. Rothfuss in his dealings with men, and which accounted for his wide popularity. He was a public-spirited citizen, and won the esteem of the community in which he lived. His sense of duty was ever the strongest motive in his life, and he considered it a duty to re- lieve the poor of their sufferings and distress. Seldom was an appeal made to him to aid those less fortunate to which he did not cheerfully respond.
Mr. Rothfuss was fond of horse-back riding, and he made a handsome appearance, not easily to be forgotten by his hosts of friends, when he rode with his daughter and three sons. He was also fond of shooting, being a good marksman, and spent several seasons in the woods of Maine, hunting deer. Mr. Rothfuss was a prominent figure in social circles, being a mem- ber of the German Rifle Club, of the Harugari Club, and was a thirty-second degree Mason. He was a delightful companion, and his manner and bearing were frank and open, winning for him the confidence of those with whom he came in contact. He possessed a large group of faithful friends, and he was indeed a man of large heart and a wide familiarity with life and the world-at-large, having made four trips to his native land of Germany, his wife accompanying him once. Mr. Rothfuss did much, and he was a worthy example of good citizenship.
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James Denry Farley
N O visionary dreams of impossibilities ever filled the mind of the late James Henry Farley, of Salem, Massachusetts, who was so practical in all of his ideas, and was ever seeking to leave the world all the better for his having been in it. He was a conspicuous example of that class of men who win the confidence and respect of their fellow-men by strictly adher- ing to the rules established by the unwritten laws of honor and integrity in both business and private life. Liberal, clear-headed, and of broad views, his business methods rested on sound foundations, which had been carefully considered before they were adopted. Not only did he rise above the standard of his line of business, but he also possessed those excellencies of human nature that make men worthy of regard among their fellow-citizens. Any calling in life, be it what it may, is either ennobled or debased by the men who follow it, and the man who achieves success solely by well directed efforts of his own natural abilities and strength of char- acter is a type which has ever appealed with peculiar force to all. Conspic- uous among this class of men was Mr. Farley, whose death occurred in Salem, Massachusetts, November 13, 1903, and which exemplified that constant la- bor well applied, especially when joined with sterling personal qualities, must inevitably win success for its possessor.
James Henry Farley was born in Salem, Massachusetts, on Lafayette street, September 21, 1841, a son of James and Mary (West) Farley, old residents of that city. James Farley, Senior, was a cooper, by trade, and died when the son was quite young. His wife remarried, and became the wife of Stephen Young, and she died during the Civil War. The childhood and early youth of James H. Farley were spent in South Salem, where he at- tended the public schools, and proved to be an industrious and apt scholar. When quite young he took up the trade of cooper, and also worked at farm- ing. This simple life and out-door exercise gave him a rugged constitution, and when war was declared his enthusiasm urged him to join the ranks. Ac- cordingly, he went to war as a member of the Twenty-third Volunteer In- fantry, Company F, under Captain Whipple and his successor, Captain Wood- bury. Mr. Farley enlisted October 14, 1861, and received his honorable dis- charge October 13, 1864. He was present in all the battles of his company, and was near his colonel, Colonel Merritt, when the latter was killed.
After the war, Mr. Farley took up cooking, which he had learned in the course of the war, and at which he became very adept. His services were in great demand, and he first cooked for a number of carpenters at Rockport, Massachusetts, and also did all the buying of the food. Later he was em-
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ployed as a cook in a restaurant, under the management of Mr. Moulton, and his successor, Charles Keesey, in Salem, the home of his birth, in the market district. Mr. Farley followed this occupation for many years, and continued in the services of Mr. Moulton and Charles Keesey for fifteen years. He ever strove to please, and worked with this in mind to do better the day following than he had done the day previous. His next occupation was that of janitor at the Burtrum public school, in which capacity he remained for several years. His leisure time he spent in his fine vegetable garden, of which work he was so fond. It was not long before he started a vegetable route, in Salem, and handled the choicest of fruits and vegetables. In the summer season he sold his products at the summer cottages at Marblehead- neck. He was admired and known for his straightforward dealing, and not only gained many customers, but won their friendship as well.
On January 9, 1865, James Henry Farley was united in marriage with Eliza A. Pratt, born in Salem, Massachusetts, a daughter of Samuel and Mary (Withey) Pratt. Her father, Samuel Pratt, was born where he had always lived, on the Marblehead road, near where the Normal School now stands, and, like his father, was a farmer, living in the house built by his father. His wife was born in Lynn, Massachusetts, and they were the par- ents of three children, as follows: John W., of New Hampshire; Lorana, born in 1837, died in 1885; Eliza A., who is now the widow of Mr. Farley. Mr. and Mrs. James Henry Farley were the parents of seven children, name- ly: I. Mary Eliza, who resides at home with her mother. 2. James Ar- thur, who died at the age of thirty-nine years, and was united in marriage with Minnie Walton; he was a wholesale merchant on Front street, Salem. 3. Charles, who lives at home with his mother. 4. Alice, also resides at home. 5. Ernest, who was united in marriage with Nora Berry, who died in 1908; they were the parents of two children, Arthur and Raymond, both of whom live with Mrs. Farley in Salem, at No. 28 West avenue. 6. Car- rie, who became the wife of John Lee, and resides in Peabody, Massachusetts. 7. Florence, who lives at home.
In his political belief, Mr. Farley was affiliated with the Republican party, and staunchly upheld the principles advocated by that body. He had no ambition to win public honors, but was always deeply interested in all the affairs concerning his country and city. He was a member of the Methodist church, as is also his wife. He was a faithful attendant and gave liberally to the support of that institution. He was very temperate in all his habits, believing in moderation in all things, and possessed much busi- ness tact. His own labors constituted his success, and he was best known for his honest and upright business dealings. Mr. Farley was a member of the Royal Arcanum. The place in which he derived his greatest happiness was in the family circle, surrounded by those he loved best. His private life was without a stain or blemish, and in his relation with the busy world he
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was highly regarded by all those who had the honor of his acquaintance. Ilis courage, fidelity and high principles were illustrated in his career, and his memory will be kept green by those who knew him and were numbered as his friends.
Michael Mathew Cunniff
A MONG the varied and diverse elements which go toward mak- ing up the complex fabric of our American citizenship and which are drawn from well-nigh every quarter of the globe, there are few larger and none more important and valuable in proportion to its size than that formed by the great Irish population in our midst. There were many of that race con- spicuous among the earliest Colonial settlers here, and from that time down to the present day a steady tide has set from their oppressed land to this region of comparative freedom and opportunity. From first to last they have brought with them those virtues peculiar to the race, and engrafted upon the Anglo-Saxon stock the more brilliant Celtic qualities of ready wit, imagination, and a remarkable blend of the keenest practical sense with a vivid appreciation of the most subtle and illusive forms of beauty. When that hy- pothetical thing, the future American race, is at last accomplished, and rises new and glorious, it will owe many of its best qualities to the Irish blood within its veins. A fine example of the best Irish type in this country was the late Michael Mathew Cunniff, whose death in Brookline, Massachusetts, at his home on June 21, 1914, deprived the community of one of its most suc- cessful business men and a citizen of energy and great public spirit, and one of its best known and most admired members.
Michael Mathew Cunniff was one of that group of successful men whose careers have been closely identified with the greatest and most recent period in the development of the city of Boston, one of those broad-minded, public- spirited citizens whose efforts have seemed to be directed quite as much to the advancement of the city's interests as to their own. There is a type of busi- ness man only too common to-day, of whom this cannot truly be said, whose energies are never expended in the interests of others, whose aims and pur- poses are purely personal, not broad enough to comprehend a larger entity. But of those men of a generation past, whose enterprise has spelled growth and increased prosperity for the community of which they were members, and especially of the distinguished gentleman whose name heads this memorial, the phrase is entirely appropriate of this class, and of him, so prominent a member thereof, it is entirely true that the ventures and enterprises they en- gaged in were of so wide a caliber that the welfare of their city was as di- rectly subserved as their own, that they were unable to entertain an aim in which the rights and interests of others were set aside or even negatively disregarded.
The birth of Michael Mathew Cunniff occurred in Roscommon, Ireland, in the year 1849, the son of Michael and Ellen (Kennedy) Cunniff, his par- MASS .- 3-19 289
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ents coming to the city of Boston when he was but three months of age. He received his early education in the public schools of Boston, being a pupil of the Dwight School. This was supplemented by a thorough business course as the well known commercial college of Bryant & Stratton. Immediately upon graduation from the public schools, he learned the cabinet making trade with the well known firm of Stephen Smith & Company, and worked at his trade faithfully until he reached his majority, when he engaged in the wine and spirit business, first with his brother, Bernard, in Boston, and later on his own account. This was his first real business connection, and by his untiring energy and business aptitude, he soon established himself upon a successful and prosperous business footing, but finding the business not congenial to his tastes, he retired from it and did a general banking and brokerage business, principally in the handling of gas securities, buying and selling those securi- ties. He was closely identified with the gas business for three years, being a stockholder and director in the Bay State Gas Company, the Winthrop Gas Company, and other gas companies. He was also connected with several other large enterprises, which contributed much to the progress of the city, notably among them being the East Boston Land Company, the Charles River Embankment Company, the West End Railway Company, and other land and railroad improvements in Boston and vicinity.
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