The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-12-19
EUGENE KELLY DEAD
The Millionaire Bankers Not
able Rise Through His
Own Efforts.

NEW YORK, Dec. 19, 1S94-Eugene
Kelly, the millionaire banker, died at
his residence, No. SO West Fifty-hrst
street, at 9:35 o'clock this morning.
The banker was surrounded by the
members of his family, who have been at
his bedside almost continually for the
past few days. DIR. McCreery, the at
tending physician, was also present. He
watched the dying man all through the
night. The entire household was also
awake awaiting the end.
Ever since the banker was stricken with
paralysis last week his condition has
been hopeless. Last Monday DIR. Nc
Creery stated that death was but a mat
ter of a few hours.
Mr.. Kelly began to sink rapidly yes
terday morning and it was not thought
that he would live until evening. He rail
lied trifie last night, but not enough
to give his family any hope.
Eugene Kelly was born in Trillick,
County Tyrone, Ireland, in 1903. His
father was a farmer. Young Kelly re-
mafned ON the farm until he was twenty
years of age, when, the times in his
being sorely suppressed, he decided to
follow the example Of thousands of other
young Irishnen and emigrate to the
friendly shores of America, New York
City being his destination. When he ar
rived here he had only couple of dol
lars in his possession, but he was young,
place at small salary with the dry
goods firm of Donnelly & Bros. OF this
city, and thus made his start in the
New World. He was assiduous and COM
gan to mount steadily upwards. He had
attained high position in the firm when
it dissolved, and he was forced to seek
employment elsewhere.
A FORTY MINER.
When the gold fever broke out in 184s
he, too was seized with the passion for
mining. and he made his way to Cali
fornia- he tried gold digging, but, as
he had Not the temperament Of specu-
lator or a gambler, the results were too
uncertain to tempt him on and he speed
lily quit delving for the alluring nuggets.
He then opened general store and en-
gagged in the business of loaning money
to miners and spectators, whom he
would grub stake upon more reason
He made hosts of friends, and in very
short time his business had so extended
that he abandoned his dealings in dry
goods and provisions and started in San
Francisco the banking house of Dono-
hue, Kelly & Ralston.
Owing to the business stagnation that
prevailed in San Francisco previous to
the outbreak of the Civil War, Mr. Kelly
City, where he opened the banking house
that still bears his name. 1t was said
that he lost large sums in Southern
bones during the War However. he
managed to recoup himself in other ways
and it was only matter of few years
before he was looked upon as one OF
New York's most solid and safest finan-
cial leaders. His business grew and his
wealth accumulated, until at the time of
his death he was rated as being worth
about s15,oO0d0c.
Mr.. Kelly was not regarded in Wall
street as a speculator in the ordinary
sense of the word. nor was he ever
known as plunger. He grew on lines
parallel with the growth Of the financial
business of New York City. He never
attempted coups such as other financiers
delighted in, but was a shrewd, long
headed business man, who had founded
that his progress towards riches was
certain and by no means slow.
Few among the wealthy men of New
York City have exercised wider or
more liberal philanthropy than Eugene
Kelly. He gave to all sorts of charities,
and he spent fortune in relieving the
sufferings of the poor in Ireland. He
was always an intense lover of his ma
tive land, although he never identified
himself with any particular faction. He
deyeut Roman Catholic. and was
the friend of the famous Archbishop
Hughes. of Cardinal Hughes and of
the trustees of St. Patricks Cathedral
and also of the Roman Catholic Orphan
Asylum He was a director in the Sec
ond National Bank for years, an organ
izer of the Emigrants' Savings Bank,
inc of the strongest institutions of it's
kind in the country, a prime mover in
the Irish Emigrant Society, and a d.
rector in various solid financial enter
. A wealthy man. poverty weeps DER
his bier.