Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1903-09-09
TITLES GIVEN
 BOUNT|FULLY
RanCherS Transformed
 to Military Men.
Chapter of Early History Giving Correct Incident in Life of
 Bucky 0'Neill.

battlefield, in Cuba. of the late Cap tain W. O. O'Neil, the newspapers of the country have teemed with stories concerning his life. Some have been weird, and fantastic with little sem
 blance of truth while others, embel-
 lished from the imagination of the
 writers, have been based upon facts. Several accounts have been written in reference to the manner in which be obtained the title, by which he was so familiarly known, "Bucky," but all of them have been purely imaginative, and in conversation recently with Charles Mosher, an old time newspa-
 per writer of Phenix, and warm and
 intimate friend of MT. O'Neill, the editor of this paper requested him to
 write true story of the comforting
 upol him of the title of "Bucky." "
 Mir. Mosher was member of sort of unorganized Bohemian club of that day, to which 'ONeill also belonged, other members being P. T. Bicknell, Frank Cox, D. s. White and others, and all are familiar with the early history of the brilliant Bucky O'NeIll in this territory. MT. Mosher has kindly complied with the Journal Miners request, and the story is here with given:
 When the lamented Capt. W. O.. O'Neill was engaged in editorial work in the early days of Phenix he was bountiful in bestowing military hon. ors upon the sturdy ranchmen then engaged in developing the agricul- turaI resources of the Salt River val ley. Men who had managed to pass the meridian of life in a creditable manner with no greater distinction than their names of Bill, Ike or Jack gradually became to their friends Captain, Major or Colonel. That there was some peculiar fitness in the application of these titles is justified by the fact that many of the benefi- charles have gone to their graves bear ing the same, while it is not improb- able that among the survivors who have so long been thus distinguished there are some in whose minds must now turk, in a vague and hazy man ner, the idea that somewhere in the mildewed past they performed service other than turning in water on the succulent alfalfa to earn their spurs.
 After O'NeiII Ihad succeeded in gratifying his quiet sense of humor in properly grading the staider portion of the community, he turned his at tention to the younger class-his as- sociates. Thus Joe Campbell, the we'll known lawyer, young in years and younger in practice, became "Judge" in about two months after his arrival in the territory. Frank Cox was Senator and D. J.White. printer. journal clerk of the house in the ses- sion of the legislature in 1885 found himself suddenly promoted from a corporal in the old Phenix Guards to a Colonelcy. White is now in San Francisco, an employe of the Exam finer and is better known by his mili- tary title than by his true name or initials. The writer for while bore the somewhat suggestive title of Count, but the community did not take to this innovation from foreign lands and it never became perman- ent burden to him. Another White lived in Phenix at the time and he and Captain O'Neill were great friends, but the Iatter's ingenuity at seemed sorely tried at this point. White had charge of the old military telegraph station there, was under the average size and O'Neill's opposite in almost every way, loquacious and nervous, and un- able to appreciate joke when he was the victim. The two were in conver- sation one day when O'Neill suddenly | said: ''It has taken me long time to think what to call you, but I know now. You are too small for "Ma- jor" and lack the serenity of a Judge" We'll call you "Doc." '" White fared up at this suggestion, re- senting especially the reference to his size, and replied: "Well I know what to call you. Before 1 left home a young man who had been reared there from five years service in he regular army. He was big, talked oud and made fun of his old school mates because they had not seen as much of the world as he had. They ,alled him "Bucky:' you'll be Bucky' after this" There was no lnalogy in the characters of the ex- oldier and his new namesake, but the etort was heartily appreciated by hose who heard it. White was known IS Doe" till his departure for lome in the east, while "Bucky' is he favorite term by which Captain )'Neill's closer friends love to recall lis memory at the present day.