The Irish standard., 1903-06-06

The following sketch of the build
ing Of the fortune of Illinois coal
king appeared in the Chicago Tribune
last Sunday.
"EIow to make fortune Of $4,000
900? First get you /; good pick; then
dig."-Michael Kelly, Danville, LII.
AS a mere matter Of truth Michael
Kelly of Danville did not say this;
anybody in or out Of Danville who
ever spoke to him twice in his life
knows he did not say it, But Michae ael
Kelly did this.
There are all kinds of fortunes
made in all kinds of ways, and in this
particular way "AIike" Kelly made
his. 1t is bigger by millions than the
raw Irish boy ever dreamed of when
he came from county Meath. Ireland,
forty odd years ago and began to work
in a bricl1yard just outside of the
present business center Of Danville.
Danville itself is far bigger than he
ever thought it would be; small as the
town was forty years ago you could
MT have found Mike Kelly in it; big
as Danville is to-day you couldn't go
there for day and not see him.
For in addition to being the coal
king of Illinois, the county OF Nermll-
ion has a town named for him, while
in the building of Danville this same
Irish boy has done more than any
other hundred men, literally and tigur-
atively.
Reduced to it's constituents and it's
formula, the Michael Kelly success
may be presented to the aspiring
young in terse congestion. 1t is radi-
cal and iconoclastic. Pedagogues will
revolt at it. Lovers of the esthetic
will deplore it. Perhaps the thought
full, conservative type of man out of
his mere worldliness may say it has
not been worth while. But here it is:
y A physical frame and a constitution
to match.
Illiteracy to the extent of neither
reading nor writing.
Taciturnity; likes and strong dis
likes; democracy in superlative degree.
Honesty and steadfast adherence
to principles; kindliness.
Sobriety even to the exclusion Of to-
bacco.
Memory for the minutest details Of
business.
Intense application and dogged ten
acity of purpose in every undertaking
in life.
A young farmer driving into DAN
vile the other day behind Il smart
team of his own. repeated Il story to
a friend. 1t had been told by the
young mans father many times. 1t
was when the father was working as
superintendent of the Danville brick
yard years ago. The father had gone
home one evening much concerned
over the neglected condition Of two
Irish boys who We're Oh the pay roll
of the yards at beggarly wages. From
concern of the father. this concern ap-
pealed to the womaniness of the
mother: the two Irish boys We're
brought into the home of the supelin'
tendent. and the mother made night
gowns for them out of old clothes in
order to make them presentable tC
clean bedding. .....
One of these boys was Michael
Kelly. coal king of Illinois; the Other
was William Kelly. now one Of the
richest farmers in Vermilion county.
Nobody knows just when Michae
Kelly first came to Danville. His
coming made no sort of ripple Oh the
surface of things. The briclyard
first took cogniZance of him and gave
him Il name. rather than number. or
the wage roll of the yard. There was
no fault to be found with his work
there was none to be found with that
of the brother. William, who came
later. 1t was form of distinction a
little later when they came to be
known as ''the Kelly boys.''