Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1898-10-29

ut meeting an opponent the election te.
ing by acclamation and with the practi.
Cally unanimous desire of the constitu.
cucy In the Council he promptly be-
came leader and occupied foremost
place in municipal legislation until he
resigned.
The nominal on Of Palmer for Gov.
crnor in 1858 brought Oahan to the
front as q factor IN State Democratic
politics. He had much to say In the
convention that nominated Palmer and
aftcrward was a delegate In the nation.
al convention AT st. Louis. The teml,p.
rary rcvcrses of that year. although dis.
couraging. merely prompted him to
greater effort and the opening Of the
next presidential campaign found him
In the saddle. How he practically die
ta'ed the nomination OF Altgcld for
Eovernor. his services In securing the
national convention FOR Chicago. che
energy he displayed as member of the
committee which constructed the wig
wan. are all matters Of recent history.
IL was during the succceiing campaign
that his ability as n political mana ger
was displayed and recognized When
the record of sweeping Democratic
victory had been made Gahan's rcputa.
sion as campaigncr was also made.
Governor Altgcld promptly rccogniz.
cd his services by appointing him to the
Board of Railroad AMI Warehouse
Commissioners. aifordng him an oppor.
tunity to retire from the City Council,
u sphere never attractive 10 him. and
which he entered solely at the request
of his ncighbors. the Stock Yards pco.
pie. His conduct rs n State official was
In line with his lifelong policy. and
during the interim between the cam.
paigns Of 1892 and 1896 lie engaged In
every battle fought by his party. The
election of Carter Harrison the elder
rs Worlds Fair Mayor received his
hearty support. and when that sturdy
figure fell beneath the assassin's hand
Gahan's skill was shown In the manner
In which the mana cement Of municipal
affairs ws saved to the Democracy for
the balance Of the Mayoraity term. No
"nc did more to secure the election Of
John Z. Hopkins than he. and the cam.
paign. brief but vindictivc. enabled
him to display his mcttlc.
The succeeding year found the party
tishcartcncd by rcvcrscs and rent In
twain by Internal disscnsions. The
county organization was In debt and
no Moses was In sight to lead the
Democratic hosts to n better condition.
Again Gahan's genius was apparent. |
He yielded to pressure. assumed the
leadership. applied business methods to
political affairs. and at the opening Of
the 1Sk, campaign had freed tue or.
ganization from debt nnd placed Il on
footing OF enthusiasm nnd efficiency
that excited admiration. His election
to the National Democratic Committee
at the National Convention nt the Coll.
scum was his reward. and during the
hari.fought succeeding campaign no
one man contributed more In labor. en-.
courngcment or financial support to the
carrying on OF the campaign than he. |
At present he occupies a leading posi-. |
tion In the party. and with the election |
Of Democratic President In 100 his !
prestige will he unQucstioned.
As business man Mr.. Gahun's work |
has been characterized by the same !!
success ns his political efforts. The con. |
tracing Arm Of Gahan & Byrne ranks
among tlfe largest In the city. Its fame
has lecn acquired mainly In the sue.
'cessful carrying out Of immense drain.
age canal contracts. although the con.
struction Of the Robey street sewer, the
largest work Of Its kind In the city. and
the underground system at the Colum.
bian Exposition were tasks OF no small
magnitude.
In developing machinery for the exca.
walton Of the drainage canal Gahan 4
Ryrnc utilized the best inventive genius
W the age and spent Incredible sums Of
money In experiments. When they I'M.
dertook this work twcnty.two of the
tweniy.siN contractors had failed and
abandoned their tasks. deeming the diff
dcultics insurmountable. and adversely
seemed to have besct the huge enter
prise So essential to the health Of the
metropolis. In few weeks Gahan 4
Byrne had altered the entire aspect Of
canal operations. Their specially de-
viscl machinery was the wonder of the
mechanical world. and thousands gath.
cred 10 witness It's operation. Under
the impetus of this energy. the big ditch
began 10 ASSUME depth and breadth.
and responsibility for the construction
of section after section was undertaken
N the same prices for which the orig.
mal contractors had agreed 10 do the
work and failed, To-day the firm Ia the
most extensive Of any in its drainage
canal work. and has Just commenced
another large section AZ Joliet.
Contracting business does not, how.
ever. absorb Mr. Gahan's entire atten-
tIon. He is the President of the Ogden
Gas Company, and also of the Cosmo'
politan Electric Company. new COM
pany which is 10 spend Si5o,ooo within
q short time.
Unlike many public men. Mr.. Gahan
has not had his virtues frequently eN-
roilcd or his defects criticised. Enjoy.
ing wide personal acquaintance
among newspaper writers, he asks of
ihcm nothing. Otherwise many n good
story Of his achievements might add
interest 10 the newspaper pages. II was
eN-Goy, Hubbard OF Texas, who, while