The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-03-03
Michael O'Connor of Leitrim Town Made
His Money by the Prosaic Method
of Dealing in Real Estate.
Robert Hughes Poor Silk Weaver of
Paterson Unexpectedly Becomes
Heir to Large Fortune

millions by wrestling il from the bowels
Of the earth, by clever manipulations
of the stock market. by war and con-
quest. But who ever heard of hero
Of romance who made his money in
plain. prosaic real estate dealing?
That is what Michael O'Connor did,
and it paid him vastly more in returns
than more romantic money making
might have. Pcnnilcss when he came
here, he managed to secure n clerical
position almost Immediately upon his
arrival. He was industrious and frugal,
and after several years he had man
aged to save up several hundred dol
lars. which he invested in Il few lots III
the Bronx. 1t was the luckiest thing
he could have done. He sold them
for more than double several years
later and reinvcsted his money in more
real estate. Soon Michael O'Connor,
from Leitrm Town. was worth n hun
dred thousand dollars; then the road
to wealth was easy.
When prosperity had claimed him
for its own Mr.. O'Connors thoughts
began to turn to Ireland and one sum-
mer, some six or seven years ago, he
journcyed back to Leitrim and mar
red the girl of his boyhood love and
brought her to America.
ut was then that first thought of
buying my native town." said Mr..
OConnor in an interview with a Herald
reporter. in his place of business.
Broadway and seventy-seventh street.
Il suppose all men banker for their
native towns, and Irishmen most of all.
Anyway. l did. 1 used to think when
was littlo barefoot boy. playing
about among the ruins of the old castle
there, how much l would like, when
became Il man. to be able to buy ii
grandeur. You see, every boy in
I4eitrim knows the story Of the castle
and Of the kings and princes who once
feastcd IN its great halls. Then there
were songs. sweet old Irish songs, to
keep our memory green. suppose
there was not q boy in the village who
did not share in the same emotion.
well. fortune has been very good
to me. and 1t so turns out that have
been able to go back and buy not only
the castle but the old town. Every
stone and stick of the dear old place
is my property today. including, to be
sure, the homestead where my fore
fathers for generation upon generation
have been born and liv1d and died. I
have been able to buy the dear old
place and know that my father aAd
mother will live there for the rest Of
their lives.
do feel proud? Yes, and no.
Naturally Il man who has succeeded
does feel q certain sort of satisfaction
in having accomplished the object Of
his endeavors. And yet tho struggle
has been Il hard one, and as look
back upon 1t feel that it would have
been very strange had things not
turned out as they did. I am a firm
believer in the efficacy of will power.
believe that man or woman can be
just what he or she wills to be. I
made up my mind when left Ireland
I should never rest until had a deed
for Leitrim town and quit claim upon
the old castle in my pocket. and kept
my word. That is about all there is to
tell.
1T is a beautiful old town, the
prettiest spot in the world, think.
except, perhaps, New York. Oh, yes.
I am a devoted New York man now.
Will go back to Ireland to live? Not
|much-that is, to become citizen of
Ireland. I expect to always go back
and spend a couple of months there in
the summer time, but New York is
good enough for me to spend the other
ten months Of the year in.
sentiment? Yes. bought it as a
matter Of sentiment. do not expect
to make any fortune out Of my pur-
chase The town is very poor, as most
of those little old Irish villages ara.