O’Meara, John B., was born in 1850 in St. Louis, was graduated A. B. in the Jesuit College (St. Louis University); worked as bank clerk, stock and bond broker and finally contractor. He married in 1874 Sallie Helm Ford (now deceased), granddaughter of Governor Helm of Kentucky, and grandniece of Brigadier-General Hardin Helm, late C. S. A., the latter being married to a Miss Todd, sister of the wife of the ever lamented Abraham Lincoln. He is secretary of the Hill-O’Meara Construction Company, and although offered minor political offices many times he declined to serve until 1894, when he was elected Lieutenant-Governor of Missouri on the Democratic ticket. He takes a very great interest in the National Guard, having been connected with it since 1872 and is now Paymaster General of the Missouri troops. Among the soldiers who surrendered at Limerick with Sarsfield, was an ancestor, Patrick O’Meara, who became a colonel of the Irish Brigade or more correctly speaking the “Legion Irlandais de France.” He afterward married a lady of a distinguished house of France, and reared a family, two sons of which, Jean Baptiste and Daniel, followed the footsteps of their father. When they became able to bear arms they also entered the “Legion,” one of them becoming “Lieutenant en premier” in Walsh’s Regiment, the other “Lieutenant en second” in Dillon’s Regiment of that corps. When Washington made his earnest and final appeal to Louis for more troops, the French king sent some twenty thousand picked men, with a splendid fleet under Count d’Estaing, and among these troops came Dillon’s and Walsh’s Regiments, bringing Jean Baptiste and Daniel O’Meara, John B’s grandfather and granduncle. The French ships engaged the British fleet off Savannah, Georgia, and although it was a drawn battle, owing to a severe storm, they bottled up the British fleet in Savannah, and prevented them from carrying out their plan to come to the assistance of Cornwallis. Meantime d’Estaing moved some of his ships lower down the coast, disembarked several regiments including Dillon’s and Walsh’s, which marched overland and happily met the retreating forces of Lafayette who were being pursued by a portion of the British force from Yorktown. Lafayette now being reinforced turned on his enemies, and drove them back to Yorktown where coöperating with Washington soon forced Cornwallis to surrender. When d’Estaing and his fleet, shortly after, sailed back to France, his grandfather and uncle being Frenchmen, went back with them. The revolution soon broke out, and his folks being Royalists and hating the sans culottes and proletariats, stood with the Legion which suffered terribly defending the King, until overpowered by numbers. His grandfather, disgusted with affairs in France, went back to the land of his forbears and settled in a little town called Athey, County of Kildare, the birthplace of the Duke of Wellington. There his grandfather married and there his father, Patrick, was born. He came to this country in 1832 and after living in New Orleans and in Boston settled and brought up his family, one of whom, a sister, Madame O’Meara, was superior of the Sacred Heart Order in New York City and is now superior of that order in New Orleans, Louisiana. The facts of the revolutionary story as above are in “United States Senate Document No. 77” entitled “Combattants Francais es dans Le Guerre Americain—1777–83.”
O’Shaughnessy, James, 2252 Giddings street, Chicago, son of James O’Shaughnessy of Gort and Catherine, née Mulholland; was born in St. Catherine, Mo., and educated in the parochial schools; took up the profession of teaching and then the study of law, which he abandoned to enter newspaper work. He was editor and publisher of the Catholic Tribune, St. Joseph, Mo., and afterwards engaged as reporter, correspondent and editor of daily papers in St. Joseph, Mo., Chicago and New York, and as syndicate correspondent in Europe in 1894 when he was a member of the International Jury of Awards of the Antwerp Exposition. Served as correspondent in Cuba for the Chicago Chronicle during the Spanish-American war and in the later Indian troubles in the Northwest. Political editor of the Chicago American until he abandoned editorial work to enter the field of advertising as writer and counsellor. Former president of Western Catholic Writers’ Guild, and Irish Fellowship Club of Chicago. He married Miss Mary Hynes, of the Hynes family of Galway.
Olcott, Chauncey, has never appeared in a play that was not clean and wholesome, or that contained a line, or an episode that was vulgar or even suggestive. Mr. Olcott is of Irish descent, and was born in the city of Buffalo. He was educated at the Brothers schools, from which he graduated with high honors. He was gifted by nature with an unusually sweet tenor voice, and at an early age started his professional career as a ballad singer in traveling minstrel days. During these years he won his first public recognition by his wonderful singing of favorite ballads. He then went to England for a short time, where his voice won praise for its sweetness and purity. During his sojourn in England he devoted his spare time to study. On his return he went to San Francisco and in connection with his appearances on the stage assumed the management of the Standard Theatre in that city. His next step was to desert minstrelsy and join Denman Thompson in “The Old Homestead.” After this he became the tenor of the Duff Opera Company and the McCaull Opera Company. At this period he determined to go to London, secure an engagement if possible and thoroughly cultivate his voice under the tuition of some good master. During Mr. Olcott’s stay in London he played for one year at the Lyric Theatre and one year at the Prince of Wales Theatre. He returned to America under engagement to his present manager, Mr. Augustus Pitou, to star in Irish singing light comedy rôles, making his first appearance in Mavourneen in November, 1893, at Yonkers, New York. That was sixteen years ago. During these years Mr. Olcott has produced eleven plays and written more popular songs than any other song writer of the day. On September 28, 1897, Mr. Olcott was married to Margaret O’Donovan, of San Francisco. The union has been a most happy and ideal one. Mr. Olcott has won for himself both fame and wealth, and what is better still, the admiration and respect of thousands of personal friends.
Phelan, James Duval, ex-mayor of San Francisco; born San Francisco April, 1861; sire James Phelan, a California Pioneer; A. B., St. Ignatius College; Ph. N., Santa Clara College; studied law at the University of California; unmarried; was lieutenant-colonel of the California National Guard; Commissioner and Vice-President of the World’s Columbian Commission; after the San Francisco disaster was President of the Relief and Red Cross Funds (a corporation); was designated by President Roosevelt’s proclamation to receive funds and use the U. S. Mint as depository; was a member of the committee of fifty and forty for relief and reconstruction; Chairman of the Charter Association which gave the new Charter to San Francisco; President of the Adornment Association, which procured the Burnham plans for the city; President of the Art Association; President of the California Branch of the American National Red Cross; President of the Native Sons’ Hall Association and Boys’ Club; member of the Society of California Pioneers. Clubs: Metropolitan, Washington; Metropolitan, New York; Pacific Union, Bohemian, University, Olympic. Director of the First National Bank; Mayor of San Francisco from 1896 to 1902; received complimentary vote for U. S. Senator in the California legislature in 1900; President of the Mutual Savings Bank. Office in the Phelan Building, San Francisco.
Quinn, Patrick Henry, born December 16, 1869, at Phenix Village, town of Warwick, Rhode Island, son of Peter and Margaret (Callaghan) Quinn. Father born in Armagh and mother in County Monaghan, Ireland. Was educated in public schools of Warwick, admitted to practice at Rhode Island bar in August, 1895, and in United States courts in January, 1897. Has practiced in Providence ever since; was Probate Judge and Town Solicitor of native town in 1899–1900, and again in 1905–1906. Was senior aide on personal staff of Governor L. F. C. Garvin.