The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-09-25
JOHN IRELAND
DIESF0LL0WlNG
LONG ILLNESS
Physicians Kept Prominent Pre-.
late Alive for Days by Use
.., N- of Oxygen
PROMINENT IN NORTHWEST
Intimate Friend of James ]. Hill,
Saw Western Empire
Develop.
TO SAY MASS,

TO SAY MASS.
Solemn requiem nasc Will -
given at 8:15 tomorrow morning
at St. Mary's church in honor Of
the late Archbishop ireland, who
died today in St. Paul. ~. q, .
St. Paul, Mimi, Sept. 25.-After an
illness of more than a year, Most Rev.
John ireland, Roman archbishop Of
St. Paul, died at $3.50 this morning at
his home on Summit avenue. Death
came quietly. A score of prominent
Catholic %clergymen were at the bed
side of the eighty-year-old prelate,
who for many years was vigorous
and commanding figure in the relig
ious and civic life of the northwest.
or three days Archbishop lrelands
physicians kept their patient alive by
the use of oxygen. Late last night
the final relapse came. Wholly uncon-
seious, his pulse grew weaker and
weaker. In the darkened room, where
priests and nuns softly chanted pray
ers for the dying, where candles flick
cred at the bedside, the end came with
hardly sign.
Arrangements for the funeral will
not be completed until word is re.
ceived from a number of church dig
nitaries who attended the funeral OF
Cardinal Farley yesterday.
Was Noted as PubIicist.
John ireland Archbishop of St. Paul,
held such a keen and active interest
in general affairs in the United States
during the past half century that he
was noted as publicist, as well. as
for his religious ZEAL He was one OF
the most distinguished of the Roman
Catholic churchmen Of America.
There were few fields OF Intellectual,
political or spiritual endeayor IN
which he failed to take positive
stand, making himself at times the
v center OF a controversy. NJ =s--fT y Z,
Born in 1888 in Ireland. carpen-
ters son, he was carried with his
uarents In the tide, Of Irish immlgra-
tion to America while he was q child.
Altar service at Burlington. VT. and
q jolting trip west on prairie schOon-
er. were among his boyhOOd memories.
bringing him finally to st. Paul, Mimi.
in 1852, when Indians In gay blankets
stalked the streets Of that frontier
town. One evening, the missionary
Cretin. first bishop of St. Paul. while
watching from his window some boys
of his parish at play, called to John
ireland and Thomas O'Gorman-who
liter became bishop OF Sioux Falls
:, to come into the church. He asked
them if they wished to become priests
both he and his playmate agreed that
priesthood was their ambition. Bishop
Cretin sent them, in charge Of a guard.
ian, to France, where they were edu-
Gated by the Marist Fathers. When
he heard of the outbreak of the Civil
War in America the student turned
homeward fired with as much patriot
ism as religion. nt..4..t
.... Was Army Chaplain.
After being ordained at st. Paul, he
eagerly accepted an appointment as
chaplain in the Fifth Regiment of the
Minnesota Volunteers. I'll.
He was ardent for the UniOnist
cause and shared every hardship Of
the soldiers life in their terrible win.
ter raids. At Iuka he gave yeomans
help by rushing ammunition to the
front when it was sorely needed He
was stricken with fever after less than
a years service and returned to a
St. Paul pastorate.
He soon attracted national atten-
ton through his work for, temper
ance. The story is told Of how on one
January night in 1869, three drunkards
staggered into his doorway and hand
ed him a humpled sheet, which read:
"For Gods sake organize a tenn
perance society" The paper was sign
ed by seven men including a saloon
keeper. Those were the days when
St. Paul was filled with border turb-
ulence and the riot Of drink: The
next Sunday Father Ireland, began his
campaign by organizing a temperance
society of eighty members. He made
hut-to-hut visits to st. Paul's shanty-
town, throwing whiskey bottles out OF
the squalid ioorways. The work he
thus began he extended throughout
the Northwest and travelled the whole
country preaching temperance. He
even carried the battle to Ireland and
Great Britain. His energy was so
abundant and his zeal for work such
that the term "cOnsecrated blizzard"
as applied to him by one of his admir-
ers was accepted by many others as
a peculiarly happy expression.
Consolidation Of Schools.
He at one time conceived the. idea
of consolidating the Catholic paroehial
schools and the public schools. The
plan was tried at Farfbault and Still
water, but friction which the arch
bishop could not relieve arose and the
scheme was dropped. He was found
er of the Hill seminary on the Mime
sofa side of the Mississippi river. To
this he gave his highly-prized private
library, one of the most comprehens-
i've in the Northwest. One Of his ear
" works was the founding of col
only of 900 Catholic farmers in west
ern Minnesota in 1876.
He became bishop in 1875 and Arch
bishop in 1886. He received support
from many of his admirers for ap-
pointment as the fourth American car.
dinal. Celebrating his golden Jubilee
a few years ago, the priests Of his d.
Continued on Page Five)