Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-03-17

lation in England After the close of the
civil war an immense number of well trained
Irish soldiers were at the disposal of the
Fenians. and it seemed a favorable moment
10 strike for freedom. But on the very eve
Of a concerted movement in America, Eng
land and Ireland traitors betrayed the cause,
and the British government set its ma
,hinery to work to anticipate the blow.
| Its first care was to arrest all the
leaders it could lay its hands upon,
and to fill Ireland and Canada with
troops. Howe -er, the movement, crippled
as it thus was had to go forward, and in the
summer of 1866. John Z. Fitzgerald, who
then had the chief charge of this extensive
organization, ordered Gen. O'Neill with a
few hundred hastily collected men, to invade
Canada, expecting them to be joined by the
Irish Canadians. The latter appear to have
been completely cowed by the stringent
measures of their rulers, and did not respond
to the appeals of the Fenians. The Fenians
met the Br tish sent against them at Ridge
way Finding the people apathetic, O'Neill
returned, and on crossing the border sur
rendered to the United States authorities
! In the spring of the following year, an at
tempt was made to seize the military stores
in Ireland, but the authorities always had
a large force of troops and constabulary on
hand, and they easily suppressed the un-
armed peasantry.
Collapse followed for the Fenian move
ment as wide extended organization, and
the sporadic enterprises after this failure
were conducted by limited circles of Irish
men, generally of a temporary character and
for specific purpose, as in the attack of a
police van in Manchester in September, 1861,
with the object of rescuing some political
prisoners. Mr.. Fitzgerald gave up the di-
rection of the movement, which was already
beginning to be superseded by the premoni-
tions of the peaceful land agitation, and de-
termined to go west. This was in 1869.
Chs yes have been made about the corTup-
ito sof the Fenian leaders, and necessarily
there were some frauds by subordinates; but
that the great majority were as honest as the
day in handling the moneys intrusted
irreSponsibly to their care is evidenced
by the fact that they came out Of it
with not a penny in their pockets.
John Z. Fitzgerald is an example. After
having spent nearly twenty years of his life
in the movement, the later years of which he
was in chief charge, he was at 40 just where
be began life, and, when he settled in Lin
coln Neb. went TO work on a railroad as a
common laborer at fifty cents a day. Twenty
years of his life were literally thrown away
in the most unselfish manner for the sake of
what he believed to be sacred cause. His
life between 1869 and 1886 demonstrated his
industry and capacity, for be in that time
rose to be one of the most honored and most
wealthy of the citizens of Nebraska. He is
now president of the First National Bank Of
Lincoln, of the First National Bank of
Plattsmouth, of the First National Bank of
Greenwood, and of the First National Bank
of O'Neill City. Besides these positions
Of trust, which are by no means
sinecures to this keen and active
business man. he owns the Waveland
Stock farm, near Lincoln, which comprises
5000 acres of lald, on which ere pastured a
great number of short horn cattle and
blooded horses. He is also president of the
Nebraska stock yards at Lincoln Moreover,
be is interested largely in several railroads.
He built the Burlington and Missouri River
route west: and he owns the extension Of the
Jsilroad from Denver, Colo, to Baxter
Strings, Kan. His must needs be a busy ex-
istence, as he employs, all told, about 4,OOO
men and since he looks into the details of his
business himself. Just exactly how much
he is worth it is impossible to say, but it is
said to run into the millions.
H p. McELRoNE-