The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-10-26
a port Of entry, having previously hell
the position of special surveyor. sss

port Of entry, having previously he'll
the position of special surve yOr.
There was, perhaps, no man in these
early days who exhibited more versatil-
ity or followed such number Of s0ccupa-
tions successfully as William e. Snow
hook. In New York, in his sboyhood he:
learned the tradeSof printer in the same
office with Horace Greeley, whose ac-
guaintance he renewed in after years
He worked on contracts for levees in New
Orleans and on the Morris and Essex
canal in New York state. He followed
the same line in Chicago from 1886 to
1874, when he became a grocer on Clark.
and South Water streets, and was the
pioneer Of the commission business.
When the Montgomery guards were or
ganized he. became fourth sergeant in
1S42, first lieutenant in the same year,
and captain in 1S47. In 1886, during the
Mormon disturbances, he was colonel on
the staff of the governor,iS and was an
honorary colonel all his life after. In
the sos he studied law and was admitted
to the bar in 1857. The previous year to
that he was in politics, but was unsucces-
full as candidate for sheriff OF Cook
county. In 1861 he. Was one of the most
active in organizing the Irish brigade.
From that time until his death, in 1882
he practiced law lin the iirm Of Irwin &
SnoWhook, till 1865, and in that of Snow
hook, j Johnston q Gray during the rest OF
his life. ss9 y.s S &ssts''&
It was William B. Snowhook whoZ as a
delegate to the national convention at
Cincinnati in:1s72 which nominated Hor
ace Greeley for4president, without a word
of consultation with party leaders or
others, and in magnificent violation Of all
known rules of order, raised the shout for
Greeley that resulted in his nomination
by acclamation. His Early friendship
Greeley had been renewed at Lockport,
III. during visit of Greeleyand his par
StyS to the canal works there, lille strav-
cling westward on their mission of ex-
plorationSof the great western desert
During the 30sE al steady stream Of
Irish immi grafton set in toward Chicago.
The history Of this movement IS In the
main that of the development of public
works in the state of Illinois. Mostsof
these newcomers were necessarily. Irish
men of the poorest class, ready for the
rudest work, and they far outnumbered
all other foreign elements. AS far back
as 1887 Michel Healy, now of Chicago,
who in that year settled, in Alton, found
his .compatriots to be the most consider
able. new element in Illinois, and with
few exceptions Of the working class:$s.'Ne
were all poor then = he said a few days
ago when recalling his early experiences,
stIrish and everybody else. There wasn't
a man in Illinois, even among the bankers
that could put his hand on more than
$4,000. We We're just pioneers, and
every man was worker" ,.z..t..se;;z
The construction of the Illinois and
Michigan canal, which began to be yigor-
onsly pushed in the year Of 1884, en-
ployed thousands of laborers UP TO the
year 1870, when there was slack time.
When public work ceased most Of the
Irishmen settled1on the land as squatters,
and prospered so we'll at agriculture that
they felt no inclination to Leave ita;Whens
renewed prosperity caused revival OF
construction some years later. But
swarns Of Irishmen, driven out from
their own country by the great famine,
responded to the call, and from that time
till the railroad system was practically
complete Irish labor continued to be the
main reliance OF contractors. 5f,a "A s5zft
i Among other Irishmen who came IN the
30s and prospered was James Carney, who
started a. brewery of ale and porter n the
British style on South Water street. He
became the owner of a section of land
where much of the present own of Evans
ton stands. This land was afterward sold
to a. syndicate consisting Of the Forrest
brothers, bankers; Andrew Jackson
Brown and Orrington Dumnt: d a The b EEorress
brothers were Irishmen from WatertoWn,
who came to Chicago in July, 1910, seven
in number, accompanied by one sister.
OF that family two brothers still survive,
Thomas L. and Joseph K. Forrest. Most
of the Forrest borthers followed banking
as a porfession and played a prominent
part In early Chicago finance. Joseph K.
c. Forrest devoted himself to journalism.
In association with James Kelly and John
r. Wheeler, he founded the Tribune in
1S47. and suggested its name. An earlier
Tribune, which did not survive, was
founded ina'39 or 40, by a journalist
named Ryan, who likely hailed originally
from Tipperary, Ireland, where the name
grew about the same time as the hills
the remote past. - Tux, ..,4
5' Owen Mccarthy, whose descendants,
through his daughter, are represented in
the Keeley Brewing Company. came here
before 1340 Other Irishmen of the same.
period, or little later, were j. X. Fisher
and Archie Fisher, of Waterford, who es-
tablished a packing house but sold out
and returned to their old country; the
Fowlers, who were also packers;@and Phil
lip A. Hoyne, and his brothers, S. Thomas
and Michael Thomas and Phillip AZ.
.Hoyne, prospered in law and in real es-
tate and the other Hoyne brother was 81
successful bookbinder. They wereH OF
Irish race but not Irish born. ts
Philip Conley who left the County
Monaghan, Ireland, at the age Of lS
years, came to Chicago in 1910 when 21
years old, and found place of 4 500 in
habitants, with little apparent promise
of future greatness. Vessels that car
lrIed 5000 bushels sof grain were then
rated big at the euture port Of Chicago.
There was then a. rather strong settle--
raent Of irish in Chicago; !; one OF the evi-
dences Of which was that st. Mary's
catholic church stood at the corner Of
Wabash avenue and Madison street. In
the little churchyard adjoining ia few. In
terments Of deceased Catholics had
taken place. s The bodies were 3subse--
1auently removed to the first Catholic
cemetery blishsdS some years later on
the north side. At the same location
fthere was also an Enlistment sof the
Statersso sof Mercy presided over by Mother
Aratha 8 !. Father Michael jIIearne, was the