Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-26
A TOUCHING INCIDENT
FLOWERS PLACED ON A ROUGH
RIDERS GRAVE.
A Friend Relates Some Incidents in
the Career of Gallant Buckley
O'Ne;ll.

A touching incident of the Christmas
time was enacted yesterday at Arlington
when friend and comrade of Buckley"
ONeill, captain of the Rough Riders,
placed a bunch Of white roses over the
grave of the gallant Buckley" and re-
called the brave, lovabie heart which sleeps
beneath the snow.
Ralph Cameron of Flagstaff, Ariz., was
the lifelong friend CT ONeill. and yester-
day made the journey to Arlington to place
a little remembrance near the man whom
everybody loved. There were only three in
the party, and The Star man drew near to
hear of the brave Rough Rider who was
a comrade of the President, and who fell
among the first in the fight at San Juan.
Buckley O'NeiN, God bless his MEM
ory" said this friend, was without ex-
ception the best beloved man ever knew.
Kind, conSiderate and generous to fault
he won the love of all who knew him, and
when the news Of Buckeyes death reached
Arizona there was sadness in every ham,
let. We all felt that Buckley was mem
Der of our family and the sorrow was as
&c nuine as it was universal.
1.-The story of his death Is well known.
How he was shot while standing among his
men. rolling cigarette, unconscious OF
danger. 1 knew Buckley In the old days,
shortly after he came to Arizona from
New Mexico. and there are stories enough
of his life out in my country to fill a IL
brary.
Came From This City.
Buckley came from this city. I believe,
at least he told me he used to live here,
and first went to the old city Of Santa Fe,
N. NJ. to take his chances with the new
country. Here he struck job as court
reporter-he was a first-class stenographer
and after the session was over started
fnp ArtD TT EooD Ior ~ too
run wide open, and Buckley learned to gam
BILE. He had saved considerable of his SAL
airy, and a good turn at the faro table
brought him a big stake. There was one
peculiar thing about the mamie never
liked to advertise his weakness for Dame
Fortune, and after making a play would
go away and hide. Well. he picked up
partner. poor fellow with big heart who
was broke. and the two set out for Albu-
queruue to break the bank there His des-
perate plungng won for him the sobriquet
OF Buckley. which stuck to him. One hour
at the table reduced the two to 500, which
was divided and the two agreed to save
that for railroad fare to Phoenix. But the
fever was on both of them, and each
sneaked to the faro bank and lost his
fifty. When train time came both were on
hand without a cent. Buckley was the
smoothest talker you ever heard, and he
handed the conductor some choice language
that was sufficient at least to take them
over the first section of the line. They were
iIol 81 iol over TIE SecOuu SeCllOI,
for they were put off the train fifty miles
outside Of Phoenix and tramped it the
rest of the way. Here Buckley found en-
ployment in the newspaper profession and
later removed to Prescott. At this place he
was the editor and proprietor Of the Hoof
and Horn, bright stock paper which en-
joyed a good circulation.
Drifted Into Politics.
"He soon drifted into politics. and was
elected probate judge of Yavapai county
and later became sheriff. 1 was deputy
sheriff under him. and he was as brave a
man as 1 ever saw. To be sheriff of that
county in those days required a of
nerve, and Buckley filled the bill. 1t was
due entirely to his great popularity that he
elected sheriff, for the county was
democratic and the incumbent an old war
horse of the democracy. He declined to
run again and became promoter. 1t was
he who started the railroad to the Grand
Canyon. and it was Buckley also who built
the Buckeye canal, one Of the first practical
movements in the direction Of irrigation
When the war with Spain broke out and
Buckley decided to go, every man in Arizona
was ready to join him.. He had no trouble
In raising regiment. and no commander
was ever better loved by his men. heard
only once from Buckley during the war; that
was just before the Rough Riders left
Florida. He was enthusiastic over Roose-
welt, and in his letter spoke epeatedly of
of man he wanted to follow. Poor fellow
he was cut down in the beginning of bril-
liant career, for Buckley ONeil could have
had ANYTHING in Arizona