Obit - Carney, Francis, Ouray County, Colorado Transcribed and donated by Claire Edrich February 3, 1999 Obituary was published in the Denver Post, Denver Colorado, May 5, 1902. ----------------------------------------------------------------- "Francis Carney" Record of the Former Lieutenant Governor, Who Has Now Passed to the Great Beyond Ouray, Colorado, May 5 Western Colorado is in deep mourning today over the death last evening of former Lieutenant Governor Francis P. Carney, who succumbed to paralysis after a long and painful illness. Mr. Carney's death was not unexpected. Three days ago, the attending physicians announced that dissolution was but a matter of hours, but Mr. Carney's wonderful vitality kept him alive until yesterday. Several hours before death came, the invalid became unconscious and remained so until the last. His relatives, including his nephew, Fred Carney, who came from Denver last night, were with him when he died. Mr. Carney has been in failing health for more than a year. In fact, he began to show signs of illness before he retired from the office of lieutenant governor, and spent a portion of the winter of 1899- 1900 in California in the hope of regaining strength. He has been declining rapidly during the last year. While at times he appeared to make slight gains over the insidious malady which was slowly sapping his strength, all his vitality was finally exhausted, and succumbed after a protracted struggle. During the last few months of his life, Mr. Carney had become so feeble that he was unable to assist himself in any way, and it was necessary to administer to him as though he were an infant. Deceased leaves a widow, who resides at the old Carney home in this city, surrounded by the members of the family still living. Five of eight children are still living, Patrick F., an attorney of Denver; Annie, Hugh J., Francis, Jr., and John. In addition to these he leaves a brother, John, who has been a resident of this city for many years and one sister in Watkins, N. Y. Francis Carney enjoyed the unique distinction of being the only man on record in Colorado who during his public career refused to accept railway passes. He served the state for two years as a member of the house of representatives, four years as a state senator, and one term as lieutenant governor. Courtesies in the way of transportation were never alluring to the "common-sensed statesman from the San Juan", and under no circumstances would he receive them. When Mr. Carney was elected to the senate he, like the other senator, was offered annuals over all the roads in the state, besides being given to understand that trip passes could be had for their political friends on application. The Ouray senator, however, returned all his passes to the donors with thanks. "I can pay my fare whenever I want to travel, so why should I place myself under obligations to the railroad companies?" he said to his friends. Mr. Carney's course was not surprising to those who knew him well, but to that portion of the general public who are on to the ways of the men who make up a legislature, his actions created somewhat of a sensation. The railroad officials were shocked. "What manner of public official is this that will refuse transportation?" they asked of themselves. Certainly no one like him had ever been heard of before in Colorado, at least. By his independent attitude on the pass question, Senator Carney was enabled to vote, on all matters concerning railroads with much consistency. He was not necessarily antagonistic to them, but he invariable voted his conscience, which is claimed to be an impossibility with a legislator loaded down with railroad passes. Won at Manual Labor Mr. Carney throughout his career has been noted for his integrity and honesty of purpose. He was invariably found on the side of the under dog, even though he was the possessor of a fair sized fortune himself. A bricklayer by occupation, he was thrifty and saved enough money to of into business as a building contractor in Ouray. He made his money at this and in mining. Mr. Carney made an excellent lieutenant governor. Frequently during Governor Thomas' absence from the state, he occupied the gubernatorial chair, filling it with credit to the state and to himself. Sometimes, he lacked gubernatorial dignity, however. On one occasion during an exceedingly hot spell in July, Acting Governor Carney transferred the executive office to the lawn on the shady side of the capitol building, and there he transacted business, signed papers, and dictated executive orders and proclamations. He explained that having been accustomed to an outdoor life, it was very uncomfortable for him to remain inside, especially during the warm summer days. The other state officials smiled at the sight of the executive department doing business in the open air, but Governor Carney carried out his novel idea until cooler weather came. But he made a good governor and Governor Thomas never feared leaving the affairs of state in his hands. It is said that he also declined railroad courtesies while he was lieutenant governor. It is a strange coincidence that he, with Davis H. Waite and former Adjutant General T.J. Tarsney, were among the organizers of the original Populist party, all of them having died within the past six months. Mr. Carney was always enthusiastically endorsed for office by the labor unions, which found in him an able champion. During the absences of Governor Adams, when Lieutenant Governor Carney was acting governor, many incidents occurred which caused the state house employees to remember and revere him. Upon one occasion an old woman who had persistently annoyed Governor Thomas with appeals for charity came to the office. The private secretary peremptorily refused her admission. A half hour afterward, when the private secretary and some callers were chatting with Acting Governor Carney, the door was opened and the old woman walked in. Without waiting for an initiation, she began her story and poured out most volubly a tale of woe she had conned and committed as a child learns a recitation. Mr. Carney waited until she finished the yarn and then asked: "Where do you want to go?" "Ouray", she answered. "All right. Here's a dollar. Anyone who has the good sense to go to Ouray must be all right." Apparently the mendicant had learned that Mr. Carney had built the town, and that the tide of his local patriotism ran high. Francis Carney, lieutenant governor of Colorado from 1898 to 1900, was born in the county Fermanagh, Ireland, on the 20th day of September, 1846. County Fermanagh is in the north of Ireland, a distinction immigrants from Erin's isle are always very careful to have understood. When he was 13 years of age, he came with his parents to the United States and located at Corning, N. Y. Three years later They moved to Watkins, New York. It was here young Carney obtained his education in the school of the town and afterward at Watkins academy. Young Carney earned his first month's salary as a bookkeeper, but, the work was too prosaic and confining to suit his sanguine temperament, so he resigned, and after learning the stonemason's trade he came West. After spending a short time in the state, he located at Ouray, where he has since made his home. It is nearly thirty years since he first came to Colorado. Here he branched out as a builder and contractor, and every building of any consequence in Ouray was built by him. He usually worked side by side with the men he hired. In 1879 Mr. Carney was elected county commissioner of Ouray county for a term of three years and served in a most satisfactory manner as chairman of the board until he found that his devotion to the county's affairs was hurting his business, when he resigned. In the fall of 1892 he was elected to the house of representatives on the Populist ticket. He was a leading and influential member of the ninth general assembly and special sessions. In 1894 he was elected to the state senate and served four years with honor to himself and satisfaction to his constituents. He was elected lieutenant governor of the state in 1898 and his long experience of state and legislative affairs made him one of the best presiding officers Colorado ever had. The fairness of his decisions caused him to be held in high regard. During the convention that nominated him as lieutenant governor he was working as a stone mason on a building, and even when nominated he refused to leave his work. Notwithstanding this he was most grateful for the honor and so expressed himself to everyone who had voted for him. When he first went to Ouray, the Indians were yet hostile, and it was the custom to go to Ouray by a round-about route in order to avoid passing through the country where the Indians lived. Mr. Carney, however, coming back from the East, sent his brother John with the wagons and supplies by the longer route but he himself struck across country with his pack pony and went through the heart of the Indian country. Later he and Chief Ouray became great friends, and it was due to Mr. Carney's influence that the former warrior exhorted his people to preserve the peace. A Friend of Labor From the earliest time that he became interested in politics he was an ardent friend of labor. He was largely instrumental in organizing the Federal union, an auxiliary to the miner's union in Ouray. In many other ways he showed his practical sympathy with the cause and most consistently he always granted to his numerous employees the privileges he advocated theoretically. Among the labor unions of the state of Colorado no other name is more highly revered than that of Francis Carney. The story which Mr. Carney was fond of telling was the way in which he put Lieutenant Governor Coates into politics. Mr. Coates, it seems, was due to make a speech at Silverton, and was considerably nervous about it, as it was his maiden effort, and he was anxious to impress the people favorable. He went to Mr. Carney and told him his tribulations. After trying to infuse more confidence into the yon man, Mr. Carney reluctantly promised to drop his work long enough to go with him. on the long drive to Silverton, Coates grew more perturbed as he neared the town. Finally he persuaded Carney to open the meeting and to speak until Coates had acquired his presence of mind. Mr. Carney did as he was requested, but he launched off into a talk about labor, his favorite subject, and he forgot all about the anxious Coates, now ready and more than willing to begin. By dint of strenuous signs and stage whispers, Coates endeavored to get Mr. Carney to yield the floor to him, but it was not until after an hour had passed that he happened to recollect Coates. By this time the younger man was more at a loss what to say than ever, for Carney's speech had been a most brilliant one, and unconsciously Carney had covered much of the ground for which Coates had prepared. it was the most inauspicious occasion imaginable for a young man, and Coates insisted upon backing out. Mr. Carney, however, went on with the introduction to the audience, and then grabbed Coates by the arm and practically led him to the front of the rostrum. Then he stood close behind him, ready to prompt him whenever it was necessary, but a sudden inspiration had come to the young man, and he made a splendid speech. Nevertheless, he admits that had it not been for his friend Carney he might have disappointed the people that day and made impossible the career that has since been his. Mr. Carney made many friends, and since his recent illness hundreds of inquiries have been made concerning the probabilities of his recovery. In some respects he was one of the most remarkable men who has taken part in the making of the history of Colorado. =================================================== Contributed for use by the USGenWeb Archive Project (http://www.usgenweb.org) and by the COGenWeb Archive Project USGenWeb Project NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the internet, this data may be used by non-commercial researchers, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format for profit, nor for presentation in any form by any other organization or individual. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than as stated above, must obtain express written permission from the author, the submitter and from the listed USGenWeb Project archivist.