Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-09-16
Death of cnOt. John o,Rrren.


The news which reached here last
Monday night of the sudden death
at Pensacola, of yellow fever, OF
Capt. John O'Brien, was a sad
blow to his family and friends. Re-
ports of his having been attacked
with tire fever had been received
on Sunday and Monday, but were
of such nature, and stated him to
be under such careful treatment
that all hoped for the best and con-
fidently looked forward to his mas
terry of the dread disease. The tel
egraph announcement of his death
Monday night, at $50 p. m, was,
therefore, a sudden and deep shock
to his family and intimate friends.
John O'Brien was a son of Spencer
and Fannie O'Brien and was born
at Oxford, N. c., July 4, 1886. He
came to Tennessee with his parents
in 1910. His father was school
mate of Bishop Otey, of this State,
and they graduated together in the
same class. The subject of this no.
tice came to GAINESVILLE in 1857, at
the age of fifteen and commenced
his business life as clerk for Mcclure
q Roberts, at that time one of the
leading dry goods firms OF Clarks-
vile. In 1859or go he embarked in
the clothing business for himself, in
co-partnership with Capt. j.. A.
Waggoner, now of Cincinnati; which
business was broken up by the war.
He enlisted in the 10th Tennessee
Col. J. E. Bailey's regiment and
remained with it until the close of
the war. In December 1866, while
clerking for Mr.. Thos. MCCULLOUGH
in the clothing business, he mar
ried Miss Blanche Herring, daugh-
ter of o. w. Herring. He was for
three terms-from 1871 to 1876
Recorder Of this city. In Novem-
Der 1881 he removed to Pensacola,
Fla, where he secured employment
as city editor Of the Commercial, a
thriving Journal Of that city, and he
was also commissioned magistrate
by the Governor of the State. In
his new home he had won many
friends. He was quite popular and
both as a magistrate and
an editor, having decided natural
bent for the latter profession. He
welded an easy, graceful pen and
wrote in style particularly pleas
ing to the modern newspaper read
er. He was greatly esteemed by
the proprietors of his paper and by
everybody in Pensacola, and right
fully so, for however poor in this
worlds goods he might have been,
he was sanguine, genial, kind, gen
erOus as he could be, and when in
his power never refused help to
either friend or stranger. His love
for his family was beautiful in its
sincerity, purity and freshness. He
was just beginning to realize a pros
perity for which he had sought,
when the dread fever reached that
city. Sending his family away,
with the hope of soon following
them, he afterwards, believing that
the disease was in 30 mild form
and that his friends who had so
successfully combatted the disease
during previous epidemics could
carry him safely through it, chang
ed his mind and decided to remain
at duty's post, saying he had "de-
termined to make it his home and
thought it best to become accli-
mated"
He was stricken down, Septem.
Der the Sth, at p. M, and died on
Monday, the 18th, at $50, p. IN.
His remains were inferred i'm Pen.
sacola, whence they will be remov-
ed as soon as it can be done under
the rigid quarantine laws. -.s.s
His bereaved family and friends
have the deep sympathy Of the en-
tire community.