The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-11
OLD FIREMAN NOW A MONK.
DANIEL KELLY. ONCE FOREMAN
or MECHANICS HOSE.
Now He Is Brother Bonnyenture OF St.
Michael's Monastery in HOboken-Left
the city and tho world Thirty.nine
Years Ago And Has Never Returned.


The gathering Of the former members Of
old Live Oak Company Of the Volunteer
Fire Department at the funeral of their
foreman. Peter Maloney, recently, led to an
informal rollcall of the survivors OF the
Live Oaks and their one time rivals. Meohan-
los Hose Company Al.
Nearly all OF the old crowd who are still
living responded to their names. Only
one remained to be accounted for, and the
"reminiscences of the old firemen brought
out the fact that the missing member
once foreman Of the Mechanics, is to-day a
brother in the monastery of st. Michael in
Hoboken.
Brother Bonaventure, Daniel Kelly of
the old days, was great favorite with the
lads who ran with the Mechanics He was
a quiet man. never looking for trouble in
the days when most of the young bloods
loved fight better than a dinner. and
fought fair too. But he was considered
bad man to take liberties with.
Ono night when the Mechanics were
racing to a fire and n member of a rival
company raised trumpet to strike Kelly
It is said by the annalist OF that day that
Kelly took the offender across his knee
and spanked him in style that an oldtime
schoolmaster might have envied
In those days the boys settled all diff
ferences in the old fashioned way and a
finish fight usually left the combatants the
best OF friends. As tho poet Of the old
Turks Island district has sung;
Never see such hittin' cut in yer life
And knocking things head over heels.
Why, had to pull Billy and slobbery Jim
Right out from under the wheels.
But times have changed since then, my boy,
Now the pistol Is all the GO:
But then We took q box or kick
And gave a poor devil show.
Kelly was made foreman of the Mechanics
In 1859 and served with distinction until
the Volunteers were disbanded in 1885.
For year after that he was seen about
the old haunts. where the severe and almost
asoetic purity of his life made him marked
man, and where he was beloved for his
simple goodness and his charity
Then Kelly disappeared from the Eleventh
ward and in time was forgotten. No one
knew where he had gone, for although kind
to all no had no olose personal friends
That was thirty-nine years ago.
A few months ago one of the boys who
ran with the Mechanics CHANGED to visit the
monastery. He asked to be shown through
the place and was put in charge Of Brother
onaventure.
AS the stranger was about to leave the
building and was thanking the brother for
his kindness the latter held out his hand
with smile and said:
50 you've forgotten me. jim. Don't
You remember when we both ran with the
old Mechanics Hose over yonder across
the river?"
Then indeed the visitor recognized in the
monk the foreman Of Company A. the quiet,
soft spoken man who was ever ready to
take desperate chances at fire and whose
arm was strong and fist heavy when de-
Tending the right.
Brother Bonaventure received many
invitations after that to revisit the old
scenes and mingle again with the COM
panions Of many hard fought battle, but
he refused them all. As he himself says:
Those days seem like dream now and
I had rather not spoil my memories by
coming too near.
Since he boarded the ferryboat thirty
nine years ago to enter the monastery
Brother Bonaventure has not recrossed
the river He still takes great interest in
the growth Of the city, which he can watch
from his lofty perch on the Hoboken hills
He has seen the tall buildings rear their
heads and the city grow northward until
y passed from sight. He Is proud OF his
old home. but his thoughts have turned to
other things.
They were q fine set Of lads he said
a few days ago while speaking OF the old,
hard running, hard fighting and hard
swearing crowd OF Live Oaks and Mechanic
but they were better boys than they are
often painted, and there was far less deviltry
Of the harmful sort in those times than there
Is to-day, II what I hear is true.
"A man who drank too hard and didn't
live straight didn't stay long on the old
FIRE companies. 1t took something besides
nerve to stay with the leaders on the drag
ropes and pull your weight. None Of the
buns and toughs OF these days could do
It for minute.
.Yes, they were good lads, but I came
TO the place where the roads part, and
had to say good-by to them ALL I am
happy here and take pleasure in watch
ing the growth and prosperity Of the great
city; but mine are the paths Of quietness
and peaoe, and shall never recross the
ferry or look again on the old streets along
which once raced with the young blood
Gaping In my veins and the heart OF boy