The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-02-03
TO the People of Birmingham:

- " lAO CODlt VI Dbl
Frank P. O'Brien is a candidate for
mayor of Birmingham. This fact is
well known and recognized by the men,
women and children of this city.
In this candidacy he makes no par
ticular or special charge against the
present incumbent. The clean cam
paign" is his proposition, and is that
of his friends and supporters. He
wants to do the right thing to the
right people, and recognizes the fact
that most people are generally right
especially Birmingham people.
Frank OBrien is not new conner
to Birmingham, not a novice In the
work of how to build the city, nor is
he unacquainted' with history here, Of
conditions which confront our munich
pality. He knows full we'll that the
present incumbent Is not entitled to all
the good things that have been accom-
plished-that it required years Of
study on the part Of dozen or more
administrations to bring the munich
pality to its present position, and
knows there still remains years of
hard and earnest work to attain the
end desired
Mayor Ward in presenting his record
makes a good showing, but the people
will SURELY not be led to the conclusion
that he can do all, nor more than a
man of large experience in civic life
in political activity, and in breadth
and measure of real thought and ac-
tion.
Before Mayor Ward was born Frank
p O'Brien was actively engaged in
httc nd 6o1, Gnnfndnr-
ate soldier of the Third Alabama regi-
ment, and fought his way through the
four years of carnage. After the war
he accepted the situation in a citizen
ship way and resumed his occupation
as a painter. He was one Of the first
to see the future of Birmingham and
came to this place in the spring of
1871 and entered business the follow
ing fall--before the town was incorpo-
rated. He was wise enough to see,
bold enough to invest and strong
enough to stand the battle of ADVERSE
ty against a proposition for the build
ing and development of the present
great city of Birmingham.
The first great crisis which con-
fronted Birmingham was the cholera
scouge of 1873. When that terrible
plague came there were about 5000
people in Birmingham, anxious, ambi-
tIous and willing, but 230O of them
fed, and among the 700 remaining of
men, women and children was Frank
p. O'Brien, who nursed the sick, con-
tracted the disease and went through
the terrible ordeal with a strong and
an abiding faith in the future of the
CITY of his adOptiOn.
In 1SS0-S1 Captain O'Brien, having
attained the position of regular man
ufacturer and contractor, built the
coke ovens at Alice furnace and at
Pratt City, and the present Birming-
ham rolling mills, still in successful
operation. Meantime he was a success
full merchant and manufacturer.
In 1882 he built O'Brien's Opera
House, corner First avenue and Nine
teenth street, in front of corn field
on which now stands the great Chali-
foux building and the large houses
t..ereto adjoining. There was a gen
eral expression of surprise that man
should thus risk his money and his
credit in such an enterprise, but
OBrien insisted that it was all right,
and would come out in the end as
real leader for Birmingham to city like
proportions. His investment won the
proposition, whether or not the man
himself succeeded.
Undaunted courage oftentimes
meets reverses, but real courage wins
success. At about the close of the
year 1882, on account of the increased
price of labor and material, when
Frank P. O'Brien was under the ban
of large and important contracts, and
with a debt of $4,000, he made what
the commercial world is pleased to call
n failure. But, really it was not a fail.
ure in the common sense of the term.
His creditors, with full confidence in
the honesty. and integrity of the man,
offered him a compromise in settle
ment of so cents on the dollar, to be
paid by him In installments. BY the
indomitable will and good business
management of the man he paid the
pro rata in less time than was allotted,
and afterward paid the other 30 per
cent. from which he had been released
by legal agreement, paying full inter
est on all back debts.
These facts are presented. not for
the purpose of defending Frank r.
T. .,rien against any unjust aspersions
not for the purpose of showing that he
is any more honorable than other hon
orable men, but to show that he ever
means to do the right thing in private
and in public life and that he has the
business capacity to accomplish all
things possible for the good Of this
municipality.