New Britain herald., 1922-07-18
kEH0E TO RETIRE
 AFTER & YEARS Dean of Main St. Businessmen Selling Out Printing Shop CONGRESSIONAL BOOM HEARD
Printer, Labor Man, Total Abstinence Advocate and Democrat Politician Would Not Shirk if Nominated, He Asserts.

Would Not shirk if Nominated, He Asserts.
 Thomas H. Kehoe, dean of Main street business men who in his 3s years in the printing business has seen every business house in the center of the city change hands, and has seen hundreds of business men come and go, will shortly retire from business, having sold out his establishment to Thomas Donlin, who for 23 years was connected with the shop.
 Last at "Old Guard"
 Mir. Kehoe is the last of the "Old Guard" of Main street merchants and businessmen who in the' past decade have been dropping of one at time until the business complexion of the city has undergone almost a complete change.
 Although he devoted himself close ly to his business of which he has made success, MT. Kehoe has found time to interest himself in labor &C., tivities, temperance movements and in democrat politics, reaching enviable heights 1T oo'Il,zpE of his avocations. .,s,1oO 'paOA se lines were not 'auoJd .J.,dsd .}Aps y, however. On
 onoi13auuoJ "stumped" the 0IB4S f| If the Knights of
 .,-.4.Aatlor somewhat sim liar to the present American Fedora ton of Labor. In the cause of total abstinence, he not only worked in Connecticut. but went as far south ss Savannah. Ga, where he organized one of the first total abstinence socie- ties in that section. The germ of total abstinence was quick to spread and in the course of few years there were similar organizations in a score of cities and towns in Georgia The local man is credited with much of the success of this work south of the Mason Dixon line, having been direct ly responsible for what was the first really successful anti liquor move ment
 Temperance Activities
 Mir. kehoe had been invited to Georgia to assist in the work of es- tablishing society similar to the local Tabs. By a combination of cir cumstanees he found himself clothed with the responsibility of getting the first organization of its kind together at Savannah, the organizer having been called away. On the appointed night, Rev. F. x. schadewell, whose funeral was held this morning in New Haven, who was at that time connect ed with a SavannE parish. allowed the use of church hall for the first meeting. After Rev. Schadewell Mrs. Lake, labor worker, and Mir. Kehoe had addressed the gathering for more than an hour on the benefits of total abstinence, Mir. Kehoe called for vol unteers to take the pledge. It was a new movement in the south and those present were very obviously ashamed to publicly pledge themselves to drink no more. Only three men responded. Mir. kehoe upbraided the gathering IS a group of moral towards who recog- nized what was right but were afraid to prove the courage of their con- victions. Then he called again for volunteers. Imme ediately one Kate Murphy, whom Mir. kehoe regards as one of the most important factors in the success of his temperance work, jumped to her feet and started for the rostrum. She was followed by 55 others and the next day T. A, B society was formed for the men with 58 members.
 Charter Member of Tabs
 Mir. kehoe has always been a regu- lar attendant at conventions of the Catholic Total Abstinence union and last year attended the Anti Alcoholic | congress at Washington. He was one of the charter members and the first president of the Y, M. T. A. &, B. | society of this city. For more than a | dozen years he held office and was re- sponsible for much of the society's success. Of late years, other interests have prevented active participation in he society's doings, but he still retains Mir. kehoe has also been prominent in the activities of the Au- ,ient Order of Hibernans.
 Always interested in labor move nents, MT. kehoe, in 1905. instituted publication called The Independ- mt a weekly news organ devoted to he chronicling of news events of special interest to organized labor. Zach week he would gather the lews, set the type by hand, place 1t n forms and on the press and turn ut the paper. He personally ham, led subscriptions and saw to the de- very of the paper, completing what as in every sense "one man news aper plant" The paper gained tide circulation both here and the state,
 Business Career.
 Mir. Kehoe first set up in business l Lees block on Main street, and S his business grew moved to an- ther place in the old Stevens build lg, adjoining the Commercial Trust anking house Some years after ard he took place on Church rect, being forced to vacate when |. F. Curtis put up a block on the te. He then moved into his present
 tContlnued on Eleventh Page)