The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-09

as a printers devil Whatever school,
ing young Walsh had was gained by his
own endeavors. Before the war he at
tended Georgetown college, paying his
own way with money saved while learning
the printers trade. When war broke oul
he returned to Charleston and with Cap
tain Simonds organized a company in
which he was elected first lieutenant.
They were stationed at Castle Pickney.
but when his two brothers entered the
Confederate army he had to resign to aid
in the support of his parents, sisters and
his brothers families. working as !
printer on the Charleston News and OBJ
server.
After the war he moved to Augusta,
Ga. where he worked as a journeyman
printer of the Augusta Constitutionalist.
1t was not long before he was a reporter
and shortly after city editor of the paper.
In 1886 he became editor of the Chronicle.
which he subsequently owned Jointly
with Gregg Wright, then a well known
southern publicist. Mr.. Walsh was also
associated with Father Ryan, the poet
priest of the south, in the publication
of the Banner of the South. 1t WAS
In Augusta that he married Ann Isa-
bella Mcdonald, a belle of the south.
who survives him. She was true help
mate in all his struggles and aspird-
tions and is loved and honored today
of his labors
When the Associated Press organized
its business in the south, Walsh was
made general manager of the south, and
became very close fried OF William
Henry Smith, many years president of
the association. He became general man.
ager and treasurer of the Southern AS
sociated Press when that organization
was formed in alliance with the West
Press and subdivided the field of news
gathering. This alliance lasted but a
short while, and when the split came
Walsh and the coterie of southern news
paper owners who were such a power
In the south-Howell of the Atlanta Con-
sttution, Hemphll of the News and Cou-
rier, Cowardin of the Richmond Dispatch,
Ochs of the Chattanooga Times and
Estill of the Savannah News-allied them
selves with the United Press, comprising
at that time most Of the big New YORK
and New England papers.
Power in Politics
While always a power i'll local, state
and national politics. the only elective
offices he held were those of state as
semblyman in his early career and later
mayor of Augusta He never sought
power for his own aggrandzement and
spent his resources bountifully for the
promotion of Augusta and the south
generally and for the advancement Of
his friends. He often said he was wit
ling to SOW and let others reap Ii
1881 he met with financial reverses In
Wall street, but recouped his fortunes
somewhat in Augusta real estate, and.
Stunned Wall street forever afterwards.
In 1894. on the death OF Senator Col
quit he was appointed United States
senator to fill the unexpired term by
I fy-xxrr
vice president OF the Southern Baptist
association, though Walsh earnestly ad-
vocated the appointment of a friend He
is the only Catholic who ever held that
office in Georgia, and his appointment,
under the circumstances, was a tribute
to his own broad charity and brotherly
love that knew no race, creed, or color
In his death the negro race lost one of
its best friends.
Patrick Walsh was at all times the
champion OF the industrial south and car
ried on the work which Henry w. Grady
50 brilliantly began when his career
was cut short by his untimely death.
The schools. the great cotton mills and
the winter tourist hotels of Augusta are
among the most prominent monuments of
his usefulness in the reawakening of the
south after its long struggle of recupera-
| tion from the desoation of war
Friend of Young Men
Walsh was pre-eminently the friend OF
young men and many of his proteges are
among the leaders OF the new south to-
day.
| Pleasant A. Stovall, owner and editor
of the Savannah Press, and a school,
mate of President-elect Woodrow Wilson;
| E. W. Barrett, owner of The Brming-
ham Age-Herald: Thomas d. Murphy.
a brilliant southern newspaper man.
friend of President Taft who made him
| postmaster of Augusta. and Maj. John S.
| Cohen, managing editor of the Atlanta
journal, started their newspaper careers
on Walshs paper.
| Maj. Archibald w. Butt. who met death
so heroically in the Titanic disaster, was