The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-04-21

III Tue railroad office. where he re-
in'ln"d several years. he became Il re-
porter on tn" HuIfnln Courier Latter.
l''lrrf. of which he became city editor
and then Albany correspondent, ris-
ing rapidly and being advanced from
one position tn another over the heads
"l "Idrr aud NOR" experienced men.
Gradually l,r developed into IL rol,icli
writer "f considerable local rcIutaliuu.
"r"vcring" national conventions :,s
we'll as $tatc ana city news
1t was in 1901. when Prcsdcn, Ne
ltinI"N wns shot down. that OBrien
seized his chance To ascend from Eur-
Ial" t." New York journalism. Along
with his positiun on the Enuurcr, he
held the place "f local corrcspondcu,
for the New York sun. So well did
he write the news of the assassination
managing editor ni the paper asked
him to come here For u time he did
general work. on the Sun--that is,
ne was Il reporter of miScelHncous
news. soon. however, he wnS shifted
I" the department he had filled in Huf-
fHl". becoming one of the regular no
lit',I writer's.
In the fail of 1903 while Mcclellan
WAS campaigning to defeat Seth Low
for mnyor young O'I!rirn was detailed
tn follow the THnlinnny candidate.
Thus he nl;'dr MrCIrlan's uc,l,lnint-
nllc". The sun. though not support
inG Mcclellan, treated him in IL friend
~ Way. and the reporter. therefore.
Was placed in the position Of aiding
Luck nevertheless was necessary for
oI'ri"n I" get his political start in
New York. When Mcclellan wanted
Ia private secretary, he first chose an
other reporter. Frank Perlcy. but Fer
ley refused tho offered position ana
|aft"rWardS WAS made Gov Higgins
secretary. The mayors second choice
Was OI:ricn.
There were muttcriigs In Tamnuny
IAN, for OBrirn had the name of be-
Ing II Republican. However, the up-
rolntmcnt of II private secretary was
Ia personal one. and the Democratic
politicians could only complain under
cover. The new secretary, If he had
been Republican. did not let the
f.tt Ill t,tf Il
worry him afterwards. Within "a few
months he was as ardent II Democrat
| as tn" next one.
In this connection, it has been said
by his Democratic friends that he was
| formerly u member OF their faith in
| Buffalo I'm 1893. 1t is related. he was
urged to run for the office of city clerk
by the Democratic leaders there, and
| it is asserted that he was then truly
Democratic in his sympathics. On the
other hand, those who worked with him
in the Mcclellan campaign remember
| hat he was an enthusiastic prophet Of
~ victory for OdcIl in the state cam
pnign. and il was generally supposcd
by his arqunintanccs that he voted for
Seth Low against Mcclellan.
! Whatever were his views, though, he
became n Mcclellan man after January
| l, 1904, ANA for two years he served
the mayor in Il way SO acceptable that
the latter was continually paying him
compliments in public ana taking his
advice, as Hfterwarl became evident.
in private. When the campaign of last
fall began. the secretary resigned his
place to be his patrons political man
ager. and from the headquarters in the
BarthOldi Hotel he acted as pilot in
the fight that barely landed Mcclellan
in the mayors chair for Il second term.
No sooner had Mcclellan been elected
than 1t was apparent that O'Brien was
his premier. Men who knew said that
the ex-manager Of the campaign had
his choice of appointive offices. At
one time he was talked of as a cantli-
date for the police commissionership.
Finally. he chose to be head of the
Fire Department.
; Without exhibiting an undue display
!; of that quality commonly known as
"the big head" the fire commissioner
has proven himself more or less Of an
!, autocrat in his department. He has