The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-10-28

prOtecb themselves IrOUl Iu6 cletHeuos.
Sanitary measures there were none. ana
the food was most repulsive. This, to-
gether with the cruel treatment and ex-
pOsure, drove many OF the prisoners into
untimely graves. No record was KEEP or
the deaths, and the number of those who
died in this pest hole will never pe
known. Salisbury is now national
cemetery, and IL, 033 unknown dead and
go identified bodies is an awful monument
to the horrors of the Confederate prison.
AFTER THE WAR.
After the close of the war Mr.. O'Neill
returned to Jersey City and worked at
his trade of blacksmithiug. He was en-
ployed in the Central Railroad shops at
Communipaw and in various shops
took Horace Greeley's advice and went
West. He visited Michigan, Indiana,
Ohio, Illinois and West Virginia, working
ut his trade in the leading cities of those
States. He returned to Jersey City and
through friend found employment as
night watchman in the building or the
American Bank Note Company OF New
York. While there fire broke out IN the
building, and Mr.. O'Neill, who was then
one Of Jersey City's fire laddles. directed
the firemen how to distribute their
streams in such a manner that safe con-
tanning 100 valuable plates was prevented
from falling from the fourth floor to the
cellar and running the plates:
The next day he was called into the
Presidents office, highly complimented
for his sagacity and fidelity 70 the inter-
ests OF the company, and promoted to the
head Workmanship of the building.
An incident Of this fire was that Mr..
O'Neill was reported to have been burned
up. and early the next morning his
brother went to New York looking for
him. But he soon found that young
O'Nelll was pretty live man and the
hero of the hour.
Mr. O'Neili continued in the employ Of
the Bank Note Company fifteen years.
and when he left the President paid
highly fiattering tribute to his hieltty,
honesty and sobriety. 1t was In the form
of a certificate, and it said that this Is the
only certificate OF the nature which the
Bank Note Company ever issued.
ENTERING INTO Politics.
In 1859 William Gallagher. we'll
known Democratic politician. induced
Mr. O'Neill to take an active part in poll
tics Mr.. Gallagher was Joined In this
request by many Republicans. and large
mum bers of the prominent young men of
the city, irrespective OF party, united in
gher's request. M. O'Neill's father and
brothers were all Democrats, and he him
self had early given his allegiance to the
principles of the Democracy of Jefferson
and jackson. At that time party feeling
ran high. and the bitterest political fights
were continually going on. Figh T.
ing Democrats, to use the ex-
preston Of one acquainted with those
times .were as scarce as snowballs In
summer" Into this fight Mr.. ONeill
rushed with all his well known courage
and vim, and with such Democratic war
riors as Leon Albeit brought the party
to its present proud supremacy. Time
aud again, when things looked dark for
Democratic success, the untiring energy
and superior generalship of Mr.. O'Nelll
and one or two other party leaders
snatched victory from the jws of
defeat. All this time Mr.. O'Neill was
in the Bank Note Building. The strain
was too much for his health and he re-
signed receiving from the company the
certificate before referred to. He was ap-
pointed bill distributor in the Collec-
tors Office, position which he lost
through his fidelity to mis- friends. He was a
delegate to convention and two men
wautsd his vote. He promised IL to one,
and when the other asked him to vote for
him, he replied that he was sorry. but as
he had pronis ised his vote TO the other
man he could not go back on his word.
| For this fidelity to his promise, Mr.. o. Neill
| lost his position in the collectors office.
| Six months afterward the man who had
| cost him his position went to him and
| shaking him by the hand told him he re-
spected his courage in sticking to bis
| word, even though it cost him his official
| head. Through this same man, MT.
| O'Neill, was made an Assessor. In this
position Mr.. O'Neill gained many warm
| friends. and they made him an Alder
| man. His career as City Father has
been SO generally satisfactory to his con-
| stiluents that they have elected him
| three times to the Board.
| When the Republicans redistricted the
| State theys gerrymandered Hudson
county SO that the First district was
| hopelessly Republican. ln 1888 the Demo-
Gratis were undecided what to do there, as
the Republican candidate the year pre-
| yious carried the district by 800 majority.
| The Democrats were not supposed to
have ghost of show to win.
A BRILLIANT VICTORY.
Some one suggested that O'Neill might
be persuaded to run and at last the AL
derman consented to do SO. The CAM
paign ne carried on was unprecedented
| in The annals of politics. The Republi-
| cans managed TO induce a man to run as
an Independent candidate and it seemed
| hopeless for the Democrats, but by the
adroit management of Mr.. O'NeiH and
| the untrng efforts of the p H. O'Neili
Association, victory perched on the
| elected over his opponent. Gallager, by
| 500, making gain over the result OF the
| previous election OF ], 100 votes.
For once the Republicans did not cry
| fraud. They haa control of tine election
| Judges throughout the district.
Mr. O'Neills course in the Legislature
| is well known. 1t was his skill aud per-
| severance which succeeded in bringing
| Seuator Smith from mis- retreat in Ocean
county TO Trenton in time to carry
| through the new charter. That famous
handcar rides trestle spanning anarm of
| the sea. with the thermometer below zero,
| and the wind blowing gale. is now a
matter Of history, having been given to
the world through the columns of THE
| JERSEY CITY NEWS
Several times whom the obstacles in the
way OF reaching Smith seemed insur-
| mounsable and the others were for turn
| ing back aud abandoning the task, Mr..