Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-09-01

the Pennsylvania railroad: other.
Mcvay, and several other forms arc
represented In Pennsylvania by fam
lilies of much respectability. The
father Of Franklin and Wayne insist
cd upon spelling his name McVeagh
because his father and grandfather
had done so, but several years aftel
his death Mr.. Wayne MacVeagt
made some investigation into his an
ccstry and decided that the old Scotch
method of spelling out the Mac In
place of abbreviation was preferable,
so Franklin and he adopted 1t.
The old residents say Wayne Mac
Vcagh was what they call "for'
ward" boy, always pushing himself
into notice, but franklin, they tel
me, was a bashful boy, "stiddier." and
naturally reser scd and diflident
Mrs. Evans, who went to school
with the boys, gave me some inter
esting gossip over her garden fence.
She said that in 1856, when Wayne
turned Republican, Squire Nc.
Veagh was very indignant, and told
her father he would rather bury
Wayne than have him vote any but
the Democratic ticket. To which Mr..
Evans REPLIED esquire McVeagh,
what can you expect from hoy when
you have given him 50 much educa'
tion?"
When franklin MacVcagh was
born, his fathers aunt, Elizabeth
Richardson, who must have been q
fine, characterize old widow, with
considerable wealth. insisted that he
should be christened with the name
of her son, Benjamin Richardson,
who had died a few months before.
1t was intimated that this indulgence
of Aunt Elizabeth's within might In.
duce her to leave him some money,
but Squire McVeagh had no partic.
lar admiration for the Richardson's,
and, secured compromise by which
the babe was called Ben amin Frank
lin. but there Is no evidence on the
records of st. Peters Church that he
was ever christened or confirmed In
that parish. 1t appears, too, That
Aunt Elizabeth was not satisfied
with the compromise, and by his
fathers obstinacy Franklin Mac.
Vcagh probably lost fortune.
They cllled him "Bcn" anG "Bcnny"
as a lad, and most Of the old settlers
used that name In talking Of him to
me; but they all agreed that he never
liked 1t, and made an earnest but fu.
tile protest against its use by calling
himself "FranK" and "Franklin." and
by signing himself "B. f." and "B.
Franklin MacVeagh" when lie was q
youngster. When he went of to
school at New Haven and could speak
for himself he dropped the Benjamin
entirely, and gave his name to the
registrar Of Yale College as Franklin
McVeagh. 1t appears that way In
the catalogue for 1858, the year he
entered, and during his subsequent
course.
It is q singular coincidence that
three OF the four great men who have
emerged from Phnnixville dropped
their first names, for the great poet
editor was known Is James b. Taylor
when he published the PhGnixville
Pioneer, and his flrst verses are
signed that way; but when he went
to be an assistant on the editorial
force Of the New York Tribune he
called himself Bayard Taylor, and is
thus known to fame.
The old farmhouse In which Frank.
lin MacVeagh was born Is still stand.
ing In excellent condition, although
its capacity has been increased since
his time by the addition Of wings.
and the front Is the only part that
remains Us 1t used to be. VIM. ID.
Althouse Ia the present proprietor.
l asked Mr.. MacVeagh once II 1t
was true that he had changed his re.
ligion.
mo, 1t Is not" was his reply; and
he continued: II am quite sure that
II I had been born Catholic !
should not have wished to change my
religion, for have always had a pro-
found admiration and regard for that
great church. The truth Is that my
family for three generations, and the
fourth Is now In the same line, have
been wholly EpiscOpalians. These are
the only generations I have person.
ally known, but have always under
stood from my mother and father
that our episcopalianism certainly
ran back to my great great.
grandfather and possibly further, al.
though two Of my grandfather's sis
ters were lovely Quaker preachers.
1t Is mark of the blood on both
sides that am especially proud of,