Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-10
KEANE FIRST, KAHN SECOND
Interesting Stories Of the Progressive Honor
OF Two Catholic Archbishops
NOTED WETRoPOLlrANs OF THE WEST
Both John Joseph, Both at the same
COLLEGE and Seminary and One
Always Just Behind the
other.

The recent appointment OF a coadjutor TO
Archbishop Kahn Of st. Louis and the an
nouncement that Archbishop Keane Of Du-
buque-Keane and Kahn are pronounced
alrke-is to deliver the sermon at the in
stallation Of Mgr. O'Connell as rector Of the
Catholic university have drawn attention
again to the turnout relation OF the careers
Of two Of the ablest and most eloquent
~prelates in the Catholic hierarchy in Amer
ica.
The two archbishops, relates the New
York Sun, were brought up in adjoining
states, entered the same class at college at
the same age, were rivals for first bonors.
we're ordained priests together, were made
bishops before they we're 40 years old and
both now occupy important arehepiscopal
sees.
Nearly half a century ago John Joseph
Keane Of Baltimore and John Joseph Kahn
OF M%artinsburg. w. Va. presented them
selves as students for the priesthood at st.
Charles college, Maryland. Each was about
16 years old. They we're assigned to the
same class. and, within a few weeks, 1t
became apparent that they we're to be the
leaders OF the class and rivals in It..
From the beginning the professors, as well
as the students, found difficulty in distin-
gushing the names Of the two boys. Both
were John Joseph" and they had no phys
ASt BtNAAAoA ANAAo III mAbhA ohE5t9N a
distinguishing nickname, both being we'll
grown and handsome. When a professor
wanted either to r%ecite, he would have to
point to the particular youth he meant or
spell out K-e-a-n-e or Kahn. The stu
dents improved on this after a while by
giving to Xeane the title Of My Mary
land" and calling Kain "old virginny."
Close Rivalry.
At the end OF the first quarter, however,
the difficulty was overcome in a most salts
factory way. According to custom, the
president OF the college read in public the
quarterly reports, showing the standing of
each boy in each study. When the fourth
class was reached the president announced
that in Latin ]. ]. K-e-a-n-e was first and
J. ]. Kahn second. 1t was the same in
Greek, in English literature and in all the
other studies. More than half a dozen
times did thu president read out "K-e-a-n-e
first. Kahn second" and before he was
through the whisper. accompanied by
laughter, began to go around the hall
"Keane first. Kaiu second
That settled It. When the boys fled out
on the campus MY Maryland" was buried
forever ana "Keane First" rose in his
place, while "old virginny' was trans
formed into "Kain Second" The names
adhered to the boys throughout their col
lege career, and their records entirely
justified them. They kept we'll ahead Of
their class in all branches, but Keane was
always first and Kahn second. 1t was so in
the first examinations and in the prize
oratorical contest. Both were even then
fine speakers. and the judges were almost
evenly divided in opinion as to their merits.
After a long consultation, however, the
decision was 'Keane first, Kahn second"
From college they went to st. Mary's
seminary. Baltimore, together and took up
their philosophical and theological studies.
1t was still "Keane first, Kain second"
And when they stood side by side in the
old B~altimore cathedral to receive the
order Of priesthood 1t was the unanimous
opinion Of their associates and of the pro-
fessors who educated them that both would
speedily rise in the church. but that IL
would be "Keane first. Kain second to
tho end Of the chapter. Yet the rivals
were firm friends and inseparable com
panlors md before beginning their work
as priests they took a vacation together.
When they first received their first as
signments to parishes. It looked as II their
relative positions were to be still main
tained. Father Keane was assigned to
fashionable st. Patrick's church In Wash
ipgton. He soon made a reputation there.
W al a A0N bANh "19hAhBNCA Hao NaAh-
ing about his eloquence and st. Patrick's
yas crowded whenever he preached. Nearly
taH the Catholic representatives of foreign
ecountries took pews in the church. Catholic
members OF congress who seldom went to
church at all, went to st. Patriekis to hear
the young orator, and a large part of the
congregation every Sunday was made up OF
Protestants. Classmates of Father Keane
predicted that he would soon be a bishop.
Meanwhile Father Kahn was laboring In
the little village of Harper's Ferry in West
Virginia. In his little church up on Boil
Nar Heights overlooking Jefferson's Rock.
John Browns fort" and the junction OF
Nthe Potomac and Shenandoah rivers. he
preached to a congregation Of villagers and
farmers. He gained a reputation for elo-
quence. too, but. for a time IL did not get
beyond the Blue Ridge mountains across
the Shenandoah.
His was a hard missionary life at this
time. His parish covered about forty
square miles; he had TO say mass at times
TH -