The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-10-25
r. III. KELLY.

Few men among the residents of st.
Paul during the period of their business
activity have filled a larger measure Of
public attention either in city or state
than the late Patrick H. Kelly. He was
a man of strong likes and disiikes. His
public activities were always exercised in
behalf of the best interests of the COM
munity as he understood them, and he
succeeded in attracting toward himself
as warm and enduring friendships as he
did many of the hostilities which spring
from difference of opinion on subjects,
especially of polltical interest.
No one of it's citizens ever served ST.
Paul more faithfully He had the power
and influence which were needed to
direct the current Of sevents, and he ex-
ercised both without much regard TO
those with whom his views of public
policy happened to disagree While his
life work was essentially that of a man
intent on acquiring the highest measure
of success in his business undertakings,
he found ample time to direct the cur
rents of the city's growth; and al his
endeavOrs in that behalf We're distin-
gufshed by the signal success which US
ually follows upon the efforts of men of
on behalf of the ownership of the city of
its own water xsupply and. in preventing
all schemes which had been Matched
for years to deprive this city of the 6is-
tinction of being the capital of the state,
will entit1e him to the gratitude ana ad-
Iniratfon of the people of St. Paul, long
perhaps. after the recollection of his un-
firing labors shall have passed away.
1t is by the influence of men OF strenu-
Gus purpose such as he that small COM
munities grow TO. be great municipalities,
and that the progress of American So
ciety in material wealth and national
greatness has become the great phenom-
enon of the century. We may not like
many of the personal characteristics
which are revealed by such men in the
achievement of their ends; but we can
never lose sight of the fact that it is
the general well-being rather than any
thought of individual gain that animates
them. We often reap the benefits of their
Iabors without thought of the sacrifices
of personal comfort and often of per-
sonal interest at which they pursue their
purpose.
Few men present themselves in Amer;-
can political life who gave their talents
and abilities to the state and to their
party, with such utter .unseldshness as
did Mr.. Kelly. He reaped no individual
gain from the work he did for his party
or his friends in political life. He sought
no office for its -emoluments. Those
he held he sought and held. with a
single eye to the good he could
do. AS a member of the state Iegis-
lature and of the St Paul water depart
ment, Mr.. Kelly showed to those who
watched the progress of events in this
city, how devotedly man given over in
his private activities to the purely selfish
pursuit of sdccessscou4d labor for great
public undertakings name will re-
main linked with every step. in the pre-
gress of the city; and the history Of St
Paul VIII present to view few men, in
deed, who so instinctively knew the great
ness of the future which was in store for
the community or who knew better how
to help along the realization of that
future