The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-07-11
BOYLE 0'REILLY's ANNIVERSARY
SEVENTEEN BIRTHDAY COM.
MEMoRATED IN BosToN-AD
DRESSES OF PROMINENT MEN
written Specially for The Catholic
Bulletin.)

VI
Boston celebrated the SEVENTEEN birth
day of the illustrious Irishman in
Faneuil Hall, the cradle Of American
Independence, and seldom has the old
pile had more enthusiastic audience
made up of men and women from all
walks of life.
The hall was appropriately deco
rated with flags and bunting and dash
of color was given by the beautiful
flag Of green that flanked one side of
the stage. The time, awaiting the
coming of the speakers, was filed by
the orchestra rendering Irish music
that always stirs UP the latent chords
of every whole-souled man or woman,
whether Irish born or Irish once
removed.
The orchestra started a martial air
as the guests of the evening entered
the hall, marched to the stage and the
presiding officer introduced as master
Of ceremonies the famous Joe Smith,
the man who recently complained Of
the supineness of the Catholics for
not protesting vigorously against the
vite sheet, The Menace.
Mr.. Smith, for years a writer on
the Pilot and now the editor of Truth,
is an intense, strong, race-loying
Irishman though not Catholic. In
his happy, witty style, famous all over
New England, he declared it a de-
lightful occasion for him personally
and privilege also for one who knew
Boyle O'Reilly in his youth to be asked
to preside at the meeting, held to do
honor to the memory Of man who
won the love and respect of all men;
q man who is revered not alone be-
cause he was Irish, but because Of
the immortal words he has left to
posterity; a man. true-born poet, who
has spoken words that will not die,
and nowhere in the world ought his
memory to be held dearer than in
dear old Boston, the city to which he
came, having plunged through the
fires of hell,-an Australian prison
camp.
Here in Boston Q'Reilly, by his
kindness and culture, personally gave
to the narrow Puritan new type of
Irishman and the Irish of the present
day owe to him a debt OIL gratitude
and if today they hold places of honor
and fill worthy positions it is due to
the pioneer work of the big-hearted
Boyle OReilly.
He urged his hearers to take
O'Reilly as their model and not to
pattern their lives after the cheap
Irishman who is no more loved than
the cheap Yankee Both are a des-
pissed type in New England. O'Reilly's
coming to Boston was through the eff
forts of an old-fashioned Yankee, God
bless him, who is with us tonight.
After being thrust into hell, and having
endured what would have destroyed
the vitality of most men, but like the
crude ore put through the purifying
process, O'Reilly came forth pure steel,
all the dress gone. Here in Boston he
lived and preached the pure, vigorous,
sturdy manhood and 1 want to see
all young Americans not only quoting
O'Reilly but ] want them to live as
O'Reilly lived.
O'Reilly by his charming personality
won the hearts of all mankind much
as that famous Bostonian, General
Walker, did at the two hundred and
fiftieth anniversary OF Trinity College,
Dublin, or rightly speaking, the old
Franciscan College stolen by the Eng.
lish government. General Walker
president of the we'll known Institute
of Technology, puzzled his brain as to
the subject of his address and being a
veteran of the civil war and having
observed the valor and endurance OF
the Irish Brigade and the fighting
Ninth, decided to make them the sub.
ject of his discourse. There, in the
den of Toryism, he praised the Irish
troops, fighting in defense of the FLAG
of the Union. So powerful was his
address that the students, much tc
the chagrin of the dons, arose en-
masse and cheered him to the echo
Thus did O'Reilly reach the hearts
of men.
He then introduced J. Mitchell
Calvin, a personal friend of O'Reilly
who paid loving tribute to the
illustrious Irishman and quoted the
closing words spoken at the dedica
ton Of O'Reilly's monument in the
Fenway, by the late president of Tufts
College, Elmer H. Capin. To him
O'Reilly was the most accomplished
Irishman since the days of Edmund
Burke.
A pleasant feature was introduced
here in the playing of THE Dear Irish
Boy by a little lady, Miss Halpin
from Ireland who is at present in the
city giving an exhibition of the
productions of the Gaelic league.
With a very delightful introduction
Mr.. Smith presented the mayor Of the
city, James Curly. The audience rose
and cheered the mayor whose rich
deep voice in his tribute to O'Reilly
called forth rounds of applause.
When the mayor finished his cul
tured address, Mr.. Smith in introduc
ing the next speaker, the orator of the
occasion, an honored judge in the city
Hon. Michael ]. Murray, an American
with the right kind of an Irish slant
For an hour the judge, in his charac
teristic style, paid glowing tribute te
the great man whose memory was
being honored and in the course of his
o,.a +io,, roforrod RI tho ono mon whr