The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-08-02
 Fund Started at Meeting Of Citizens Yesterday VERY EARNEST MOVEMENT Monument to Cost About $eooo and the Money to Be Raised By
 Popula7 Subscription,
 Limited to s1o.

l OReilly. It will be erected by the people of the Birmingham district at St. Vim cents hospital. where the remains of the l departed priest repose.
 This was decided upon at a meeting of representative citizens held yester- day afternoon in the Commercial club rooms. The monument Is to cost about | $6000. Funds with which it Is to be erect l ed will be secured by popular subscrip- l tions. Any amount from one cent to s10 will be received. Nearly one thou sand dollars has already been contributed. and 1t is expected that the balance will come in rapidly. Subscriptions are asked for from every one, without regard to sex, color or creed
 The meeting of citizens interested in the movement to erect the monument was called to order yesterday afternoon short ly after 3 o'clock by Rufus N. Rhodes. Upon motion of M. V. Joseph MT. Rhodes was elected chairman of the meeting. G. c. Engstfeld was elected secretary, and w. w. Crawford, cashier of the First Eatic nal t4nk, treasurer. The cashiers of all the Hanks, and Secretary Engst- field, who issthe treasurer of Birmingham, were elected assistant treasurers. They will receive contributions
 chairman's Remarks.
 Chairman Rhodes in explaining the ob- ject of the meeting said, in part: If we are wise men we will act so as to profit l by the death of the beloved priest. as we did by his life. There are some objec- tions we must all admit to being a resi- dent of new city like ours. We have no heroes. Living heroes are hardly pos sible in a new community. But now the time has come when we can have a dead hero. A city without monuments is a city without memories. If we erect monument to the late Father O'Reilly l 1t will be an inspiration to us all. A mon ument will not only be a tribute to his great work, but it will be credit to our selves"
 MT. Rhodes referred touchingly to the funeral of the dead priest. He pictured the scene, saying that '"rhousands lined the streets of Birmingham as the funeral passed. with barred heads. The people turned out, the street car system stopped and the great trunk liness held their l trains until the caisson bearing the casket had passed. As I stood on the steps of St. Paul's church last Saturday morning and saw the people massed along the street to pay their last respects to the dead, I could not help but think-Birmng- ham has done the greatest thing she ever did
 The tribute paid the deceased by the speaker was warmly applauded. MT. Rhodes then recited briefly his ideas as to raising the funds with which to erect the monument and other details of the movement. He suggested that the mon- ument be great shaft of granite in the rough all symbolic of the strength and force of the deceased. As an inscription he suggested this: Erected to the mem ory of Father P. A. O'Reilly by the men. women and children of the Birmingham district without regard to sex, creed or color" The speaker said that number of negroes were anxious to subscribe to the fund.
 MT Rhodes said that he was at the grave of the deceased Saturday afternoon and heard some one remark to Sister Chrysostom who is in charge of St. Vim cents. that it would be well to erect memorial of some kind in the hospital to the memory of the priest. This good wo- man replied, NO, there should be a monument erected over his grave He gave all and had nothing left, and hes shall have it all now"
 To Be Committee of Fifty.
 Upon motion of Henry B. Gray, the chairman was instructed to appoint a committee of nine, whose duty it shall be to select a committee of fifty on subscrip- tions. This general committee is to be made up of men from all parts of Jeffer- son county. MT. Rhodes appointed on this committee the following:
 Henry B. Gray, M. V. Joseph, .Dr. Gun ningham Wilson, William R. Fairley. D. w. Barrett J. W. Mcqueen, P. H. Linne- han and Richard F. Johnston. On motion MT. Rhodes was made ex-officio chaiihian.
 The chairman submitted regrets from the following who were unable to attend the meeting: Mayor Drennen, Dr. J. w. Stagg, pastor of the First Presbyterian church, and Edward Flynn. The first subscription announced was that of John R. Gaudin for s10.
 Mir. Farley paid feeling tribute to tha deceased, in which he said that fin build- iiA6 oh. 'ihSShtS hOSpildl ana the East Lake Orphanage that Father O'ReilIy did not stop to think twice about plans. hut worked with determination to succeed T knew him well,'' said MT Farley. Al l though was not member of his church l went to him often for advice and never came away wanting. I regret that the in- drrtria. situation in this district is Tot just wLat we would all like to see it at this time This might prevent some of the working classes from contributing IS liofIi fly as they would possibly like to-"
 First Pubic Monument.
 The monument movement was dis cussed by w. H. Kettig, Culpepper Exum, Joseph Beitman. John w. O'Neill, P. H. Linnehan. J. W. Mcqueen and others, and all agreed that. the matter of raising funds should be pushed forward as rap- idly as possible. MT. Kettig said that he nad resided In Birmingham for twenty years, and that the meeting then in session was the first ever held for the | purpose of raising funds with which to erect a monument to the memory of a departed citizen. The monument he said, should be worthy of Father O'Reilly's | memory of Birmingham.
 The committee of nine held a meeting after the general meeting had adjourned and appointed 8 subcommittee, com fI-I