The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-09-30
MONUMENT TO "BUCKYa o'NEILL
Prescott, Ariz., to Honor Rough Rid
er-RooseveIt's Sketch.

NJ. j. Hickey, leading citizen OF
Prescott Ariz.. was in San Francisco
this week in the interests of a monu-
ment which is soon to be erected in
Prescott to the memory of Genera
''Bucky" O'Neill, the gallant rough
rider commander. who lost his life in
Cuba during the Spanish-American
war. Mr.. Hickey's visit to this city
was made in order to secure data lu
reference to the cost, etc. of the Dewey
and Mckinley monuments, says the
Leader.
With NJ. ]. Hickey on the O'Neill
monument committee are Judge Sloane,
Robert E. Morrison. Mayor NJ. Gold
water and Judge Wells. At the last
session of Arizona legislature the sum
of $4,000 was appropriated for the mon
ument, but it is expected that nearly
$4,000 will be expended in the work
Some opposition developed among a
few of the bigots who occupy seats in
the legislative halls of Arizona to the
appropriation, owing to the fact that
memory of ali "O'Neill,'' but the oppo-
stion was short-lived. and justice and
true patriotism prevailed.
During his visit to, California Mr..
Hickey brought with him his daughter,
who enters as student Notre Dame
college at San Jose.
In his book 1.-The Rough Riders, .
President Roosevelt says:
'Bucky O'Nein of Arizona, captain of
troop A, the mayor of Prescott, was a
sheriff famous throughout the west for
his feats of warfare against the Apache
no less than against the white road
agents and man-killers. His father had
fought in Meagher's brigade in the civil
war, and he himself was a born soldier,
born leader of men. He was wild,
reckless fellow. soft spoken and of
dauntless courage and boundless ambi-
ton; he was stanchIy loyal to his
friends, and cared for his men in every
way. The men worshipped him, and
would follow him anywhere.
Most of the rough riders had simple
souls. They could relate facts, but they
said very little about what they dimly
felt. Bucky O'Neill, however. the iron
nerved, iron willed fighter, whose name
was by-word of terror to every
wrong doer. white or red-he alone
among his comrades, was visionary.
an articulate emotionalist. He was
very quiet about it, never talking un-
less he was sure of his listener: but at
night, when we leaned on the railing to
look at the Southern Cross, he was less
apt to tell tales of his stormy past than
he was to speak of the mysteries which
lie behind courage, and fear. and love
behind animal hatred and animal lust
for the pleasures that have tangible
shape He had keenly enjoyed life. and
could breast its turbulent torrent as
few men could; he was a practical man,
who knew how to wrest personal sue
cess from adverse forces. among
money makers, politicians and despera-
does alike; yet down at the bottom
what seemed to interest him most was
the philosophy of life itself. of our un-
derstanding of it, and of the limitations
set to that understanding.
But he was as far as possible from
being mere dreamer of dreams. A
stancllly loyal and generous friend, he
was also exceedingly ambitious on his
own account If, by risking his life.
no matter how great the risk, he could
gain high military distinction, he was
bent Oh gaining it. He had taken so
many chances when death lay on the
hazard, that he felt the odds were now
against him; but. said he, Who would
not risk his life for starr Had he
lived, and had the war lasted, he would
surely have won the eagle if not the
star. -.
1.-THE most serious loss that 1 and the
regiment could have suffered befell us
just before we charged Bucky O'Neill
was strollihg up and down in front of
his men, smoking a cigarette. He had a
theory that an officer ought never to
take cover-a theory which was. of.
course, wrong, though in volunteer
organization the officers should GER
tainly expose themselves very fully.
simply for the effect on the men. AS
O'Neill moved to and fro his men
begged him to lie down, and one of the
said, Captain, bullet is sure
to hit YOU O'Neill took his cigarette
out Of his mouth. and blowing out a
cloud of smoke, laughed and said, Ser
geant, the Spanish bullet isn't made
that will kill me. A little later he dis
cussed for a moment with one of the
regular officers the direction from
which the Spanish fire was coming. As
he turned on his heel bullet struck
him in the mouth and came out at the
back of his shead;gso that even before
he fell his wild and gallant soul had
gone out into the darkness