The sun., 1919-07-26
APOPLEXY KILLS
PATRICKCUDAHY.
Packer Came to This Country
From Ireland Seventy
Years Ago.
BEGAN AS DELIVERY BOY
In 1898 Organized Present
Firm With Brother and
Moved to Milwaukee.

MIwAUKEE, Wis. July 25.-The life
Of Patrick Cudahy. which began In a
little shanty in Callan, County Kill
kenny. ireland, came to an end here
to-day in a mansion ON Prospect
avenue.
With his passing. brought about by
apoplexy in his seventy-frst year
there was concluded one Of those
romances of which America has seer
a few in the pioneer days Of industry
His life story was that of the grocer's
boy who became a millionaire; or the
wsif Of Erin who rose to a command
ing position in American business.
In fact the birth of the founder and
head of the packing firm OF Cudahy
Bros. Co.. had tinge Of the romantic
In i. for II occurred on st. Patrick's
day. and it was for that reason that
his parents bestowed upon him the
most hallowed Of all Irish names.
He was brought to America the same
year, few months old, and with him
came two other ragged brothers, Edward
and John. who with him were destined
to write their names in the history OF
the business development of Milwaukee
where their parents settled.
Delivery Boy When IL Years old.
OF scholastic training Patrick had lit
tie and Of higher education he had none.
His formal training was cut short at the
age OF -. and 1t was then that the future
millionaire might have been seen trudg-
ing from door to door with basket on
his arm delivering vegetables for the
poor grocer. who gave him only a few
pennies for his labor.
For two years he worked at that lob,
getting to the store In the early MORN
Ing. rYeeping out. washing windows
and probably never dreaming of the
great business of which he was some day
to be the largest owner. During that
time his brothers also struggled and
scraped to earn little to keep their
poor little household going.
He was still a child. IA years old
when destiny transferred him to the
packing business. which the little Irish
lad entered In a most unostentatious way
and In what was naturally an inconse-
Quential position. For q few years he
was Office boy. clerk, and held other little
odd Jobs with the Roddis Packing Com
pany Of this city, and then fate began
switching him around from one job to
another until in 1874 he began to stride
toward his goal.
In that year he became superintendent
of the firm OF Plankington & Armour. His
climb then became rapid, and in 1876
he became n member OF that established
firm. Two years~later the former gro
GERS clerk and John, one of his once
ragged brothers, bought the interest
which Plankington owned in fhis firm
and changed the name to Cudahy Broth
ers.
Marries and Fortune Crows.
BY this time Cupid had crossed his
path and Patrick Cudahy had married
Miss Annie A. Madden OF Milwaukee.
From the day OF the establishment of
the Cudahy flrm fortune continued to
smile upon the offspring of the Kilkenny
immigrants, and In 1893 the plant OF
their company was moved to Cudahy,
Wis, and greatly enlarged. At TIE same
time Patrick organised Cudahy Brothers
Company. which concern, worth many
millions. Is a great force In the packing
industry.
The total time which Patrick Cudahy
spent in actively developing his packing
interests was forty years. In 1915 he
decided that he had done enough. and
retired from the presidency CT the COM
pany, which he turned over TO his son.
Michael. He had that year lost his
elder brother. John.
From that time the life OF the former
grocer's clerk began TO cloud with sor-
row. His only daughter. Helen Cudahy.
whom he greatly loved. in the fall OF
1917 heard the call OF her country and
sailed for France, where she was to be
connected with Red Cross unit
The next that her father heard Of her
khe was reported to have ended her life
by Jumping into the sea In the SUBJ
marine zone. A brief note which she left
in her stateroom read: 1T Is for the
best. Keep as much as possible from
father and mother"
When his sons, Michael and John, en-
tered the service during the war, Mr..
Cu6ahy again took the reins OF busi-
ness In his hands and once more became
president OF the Cudahy concern, re-
manning In office until his death.
The packing company which this once
ragged boy founded was not confined TO
Milwaukee and the vicinity. 1t spread
out and became national insits opera
tlons and to-day II is known as one o;
the big Five OF the packing industry.