FORM A Circumstances of Interview
NAME OF WORKER Mr. Bessie Jollenston ADDRESS Ogallala, Nebr.
DATE 1937 SUBJECT John McCarthy
1. Name and address of INFORMANT Mrs. McCarthy, Ogallala, Nebr.
2. Date and time of interview Oct. 19, 1936
3. Place of interview In her home in Ogallala, Neb.
4. Name and address of person, if any, who put you tin touch with informant
5. Name and address of person, if any, accompanying you
6. Description of room, house, surroundings, etc. The {Begin inserted text}{Begin handwritten}south{End handwritten}{End inserted text} west room of her home. {Begin note}{Begin handwritten}[??]{End handwritten}{End note}
NAME OF WORKER Bessie Jollenston ADDRESS Ogallala, Neb.
DATE Oct. 20, [1938?] SUBJECT Folklore
NAME AND ADDRESS OF INFORMANT John J. McCarthy
John J. McCarthy was born Nov. 8, 1860 with in view of where " [Carberry?], Hundred isles" [nestle?] on the edge of the broad Atlantic. In Irelands premier County of [Cork?].
His father Chas. M. McCarthy, was an active participant in the stirring times of the O'Connel Repeal movement, and in the earlier days of the Parnell Land League addition, he took a prominent part.
Before attaining his majority, Mr. McCarthy left home for Louisville Kentucky, where he lived from 1880 to 1881, when he moved to [Pettowettomie?] County, Iowa, where be remained until the spring of 1884, when he came to Keith County Nebraska, and made a homestead entry on the N. W. 1/4 of [sec.?] 24-12-39, now {Begin inserted text}{Begin handwritten}[/#?]{End handwritten}{End inserted text} in Perkins, County.
During the winter of '84 and '85 he was one of about 25 people who wintered in all the great stretch of tableland between the south Platte river and the stinking water.
Early in the summer of '84. He commenced working for the Ogallala Land and Cattle Company at the Keystone Ranch, of which Dick Bean was foeman, the best known and the most [famous?] of the eastern cow [men?], known from the Gulf Coast of Texas to the [Canadian?] Border, and in all that wide Expanse there was not an outfit gathered at a roundup, but some one had a story to tell about Dick Bean. From 1884 to 1888 Mr. McCarthy had charge of the ranch for him and kept his accounts and looked after his correspondence.
{Begin page}When the big herds left Keith County he went ranching on his own hook, in the horse business. After three years of privation and exposure, when his {Begin deleted text}heads{End deleted text} {Begin inserted text}head{End inserted text} had increased to nearly two hundred, the great prairie fire of 1893, that burned [ofer?] 14 western Nebraska Counties. Destroyed 50 head of [choicest?] horses of the bunch, and the gray wolves killed as many more. The balance [?] disposed of to meet his obligations, and started in again without a dollar.
On Feb. 2, 1888 be was married to Mary H. Holloway, the oldest daughter of D. P. and Susan Holloway of Keystone, Neb. and now of [SpokaneWashington?].
His family consists of four girls, Margaret, {Begin deleted text}[Blaer?]{End deleted text} {Begin inserted text}{Begin handwritten}Elenor{End handwritten}{End inserted text}, [Marye?], and Justina, and one boy, John jr.
In the fall of 1884 when white tail [presinct?] was organized, taking in all the territory north of the north river, and west of the Paxton [presinct?] to {Begin deleted text}ol'{End deleted text} {Begin inserted text}{Begin handwritten}old{End handwritten}{End inserted text} Cheyenne Co. The polling place was at the old Keystone ranch, (destroyed by the prairie fire of 1893.).
Here Mr. McCarthy cast his first ballot, and next day swum the river through slush ice to bring the returns to Ogallala, the county seat, from the R. R. bridge at North Platte to the Wyoming line. There was at that time only one bridge (the old toll bridge at Camp Clark), on the Deadwood [Stage?] Route.
In religion Mr. McCarthy was a Catholic, and a member of the Knights of Columbus, Council #1211 of North Platte, the only other fraternal order he belonged to was the M. W. A. Camp 2228 of Ogallala. {Begin deleted text}the County [?] fr{End deleted text} and one of its oldest and most active member. In politics {Begin page}he was more of an Idealist than a Democrat, yet that party in its platforms, and principles, and as at present organized, [ceimeiding?] with his views, he was an active member of that party.
His party honored him by being its candidate for state Senator in 1904. And a member at the Democratic [Con?]. from 1902 to 1904, and took part in the all night battle of that committee, in Mar. 1904, when we reorganized, tried to capture the state committee, and discredit Mr. Bryan, in Neb., before the state laws Nov. 1907. He was elected Treasure of Keith County. He still held his old homestead at Keystone, and maintained his legal residence until he passed away. Given to me by Mrs. J. J. McCarthy.