Rattler (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 21, No. 14, Ed. 1 Friday, April 19, 1940 Page: 6 of 6
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Page Six
THE RATTLER
April 19, 1940
Famous Mayor Callaghan
Once St. Mary’s Student
Romantic Character was Catholic, Politician,
Father of Modem San Antonio
By Bernard Wichlep
The prominency, progress, and advancement of San Antonio during the past
half-century is traceable, more than to any other person, to a former student of
Old St. Mary’s-Bryan W. Callaghan, nine times mayor of the city. Born in San
Antonio on April 6, 1852, the same year that St. Mary’s Academy was founded, Cal-
laghan enjoyed a life of sixty years, a life replete with adventure and activity.
The San Antonio Light of July
8, 1912, screamed the saddening
news of Callaghan’s death to the
mournful city: "After a stern and
stubborn fight against the inroads
of disease, Bryan Callaghan, nine
times mayor of San Antonio and
the “big man” politically of the
city, died this morning at 12:10
in the family residence on East
Crockett Street. While he was yet
conscious, Rev. Father J. H.
Quinn, rector of St. Mary’s Church,
administered the last sacraments
and gave the final blessing.”
Napoleonic Schooling
Receiving his rudimentary edu-
cation at St. Mary’s School, Cal-
laghan entered the Lycee de Mont-
pelier, in the department of Her-
ault, South of France, where he
for five years attended the school
founded by Napoleon III.
Upon his return to Texas he
entered the employ of Peter Gal-
lagher, who held valuable govern-
ment mail contracts. It was in
this period that he participated in
many stirring adventures on the
Texas plains, including exciting
engagements with bands of roving
Indians bent upon the robbery of
the mail coaches.
Bachelor of Laws
Ambitious for a professional
career, he enrolled at the Univers-
ity of Virginia in 1872, graduat-
ing in '74 with the degree of
bachelor of laws, immediately ini-
tiating a practice in San Antonio,
and soon thereafter wending his
way into municipal matters and
local politics.
In opposition to three other can-
didates he was elected mayor of
San Antonio in 18 8 5 for the two-
year term, and reelected in 18 87,
1889, and 1891. Defeated in
1895 in the mayoralty race, Cal-
laghan was elected judge of the
Bexar County Courts.
Running for Mayor he was vic-
torious in 1897, unsuccessful in
1899, elected in 1905, reelected in
1907, 1909, and again in 1911.
Many official acts enacted dur-
ing his various mayoralties were
severely criticized. But Callaghan
was not a grafter. He played
politics, it is true, for power; but
never did personal money consti-
tute his political objective.
His appeal was always to the
common people. His single am-
bition seemed to be to establish
for himself a durable reputation
by means of imminent services
rendered his native city.
A fluent conversationalist in
French, German, Spanish and Eng-
lish, Callaghan was never at a loss
for words. He kept in close con-
tact with both his supporters and
opponents, kept alive numerous
intimate acquaintanceships. And
when he exhorted, "Get to the
polls now and no monkeyin’—and
vote right or you’ll lose your job!”,
he was said to have been speaking
in his own private brand, or Cal-
laghanese.
Having more enemies and friends
than any one man in San Antonio,
Bryan Callaghan was regarded by
the former as stubborn and ob-
durate, by the latter as the right
man in the right place. "The
watch dog of the city’s treasury”
and "the best mayor San Antonio
ever had” were phrases often used
in referring to him.
One of the most important
characteristics of Bryan Callaghan
was his strict and scrupulous hon-
esty. Of dishonesty he never was
accused, not even by his most
bitter enemies. And his campaign
managers utilized this quality as
an effective political weapon.
Callaghan, a staunch member
of the Catholic Church and a de-
voted attendant at St. Mary’s
Church, took an active and sub-
stantial interest in the charities
Skake&jpeane (PlauA
With the Kentucky Derby coming up we herewith present
a version of the annual turf classic in the lingo of Stratford’s
Man About Town, the Bard of Avon.
"I have the riding wager, Where horses have been nimbler than
the sands that run i’ the clock’s behalf.” (1). "How shall I
know if I choose the right?” (2). "Here is the steed.” (3).
“To win this easy match.” (4)
"Loud ’larums, neighing steed, and trumpets clang.” (5)
“Steed threatens steed, in high and boastful neigh.” (6) "The
games afoot.” (6) "Hold out my horse.” (7) "I would my
horse had the speed.” (8) . . . "O woe, O woeful, woeful day!”
(9) "Fortune in favor makes him lag behind.” (10) ... "And
yet he rides it out.” (11) "Of all the horses!” (3) "Alas the
day.” (9) "I lose indeed, Beshrew the winners for they have
played me false.” (12) "A horse, A horse, my kingdom for a
horse.” (7)
(1)
Cymbeline
(7)
Richard III
(2)
Merchant of Venice
(8)
Much Ado About Nothing
(3)
Coriolanus
(9)
Romeo and Juliet
(4)
King John
GO)
Henry Vl—I
(5)
Taming Of The Shrew
(11)
Pericles
(6)
Henry V
(12)
Henry VI—II
and philanthropies of the Mother
Church throughout San Antonio.
Featured in Post
Callaghan himself and the city
of San Antonio received extensive
publicity in a feature article
which appeared in a 1911
issue of The Saturday Evening
Post. Commenting on the colorful
career led by Callaghan and his
active political life, the Post paid
the following tribute to San An-
tonio’s mayor:
"He allows no person to mis-
understand his position. He is
the mayor! Likewise he is the
boss! Many San Antonians think
he is a very detrimental feature of
the scenery of that fine city, and
many others consider him more
of an asset than the Alamo. With-
out drawing any conclusions, it
may be said of Callaghan that he
has the courage of his conversation
and of his convictions. He never
dodges. He stands out in front in
the position he takes and he fights
it out in the lines he has laid
down.”
As one friend of Mr. Callaghan
has so eloquently put it:
"He was preeminently the
father of modern San Antonio,
and his service to the city was in-
spired alone by high and generous
motives. He possessed remark-
able foresight, and in his youth was
able to forecast what the result of
the natural resources of the city
meant, and in consequence he vig-
orously employed the best part of
his life in developing them and in
heralding them to others. The re-
sult of his labors is obvious and
his monuments are everywhere.”
-o—-
Production Success
Leads to Audition
For Stars
Who were those men who rushed
into the telegraph office Sunday,
April 7th? Everyone was won-
dering about their enthusiasm and
what they were about. Now it
is known that those individuals
were talent scouts who had just
seen "Campus Capers of 1940.”
The spectacular acting of the
cast can be cited as a reason for
its great popularity, but much
credit goes to the director, Brother
Leo Drexler, whose Cecil B. De-
Milling of the cast made possible
the presentation of such a master-
ful performance.
Overnight the members of the
"Capers” turned from amateurs to
matinee idols and heroes of the
First Nighters.
A reliable source states that the
ballet composed of those delicate
gridiron beauties has been invited
to appear in Siberia. Eddie Ed-
wards and his band have been sent
a two-year contract to play in
an establishment on the Gold
Coast, while Audry Conner and
Maurine Grant along with Jim,
Jam and Jive have been requested
to make a personal tour of the
Lesser Antilles and Jamaica.
But it is learned from a more
serious source that two of the
cast have really received profes-
sional offers. Within a short time
Richard Carr, composer of those
sweet and tuneful numbers sung
during the show, will audition
with a well known New York
musical show. Lemoyne Flaherty,
singer who took the feminine lead,
will audition with the National
Broadcasting Company.
However as to the show itself:
did it fulfill its purpose? Why
just look at the tremendous in-
crease in the sale of Bilgcwater
Brew.
Definitely Milder
Cooler-Smoking
Better-Tasting
. . . these are the three good
qualities that every smoker
wants and every smoker gets
in Chesterfield.That’s because
Chesterfields are made of the
world’s best tobaccos, blended
in the right combination.
You cant buy a better cigarette.
"The Yankees," says JOE McCARTHY, "win cham-
pionships because they're good in the box, at bat
and in the field". . . CHESTERFIELDS win more
smokers every day because they're tops for
cooler smoking, better taste and real mildness.
Today’s DEFINITELY MILDER, Cooler-Smoking, Better-Tasting Cigarette
Copyright 1940, Liggett & Myers Tobacco Co.
| Issues.....
(Contimied from page 4)
pages.
Then Martin Duggan hit on a
sensational innovation last year,
when he printed The Rattier in
three colors, red, white and blue.
Thus we terminate our study
of past Freshman Issues. We fish
of ’40 have attempted to excel
the field.
| ROHDE & GITTINGER \
“Sure Insurance”
REAL ESTATE—RENTALS
LOANS
{ Suite 400 Gunter Bldg. G-3158 j
j “Honestly, It’s the Best Policy” j
| Players.....
{Continued from page 5)
The Cameo Players do not pre-
sent plays which call for dialect.
.Such parts would open a greater
field for the players, but at the
same time they might be an im-
pediment to an aim of the Cameo
Players—that of improving speech
and' diction.
The Cameo Players the last
four years have presented about
twenty-five one-act plays, which
have enabled seventy-five men and
forty-eight women to disport their
talent. During this time they
have accumulated a library of one
hundred fifty-six one-act plays
and forty-five three-act plays.
When Brother Hess began di-
recting dramatics, most of the
players were juniors, as the most
important function of the year
was the Junior Frolics. During
the last two years, however, fresh-
men have had the largest repre-
sentation in the Cameo Players.
This year’s Open House presenta-
tion featured all freshmen players
St. Mary’s should be proud of
the success and popularity which
the Cameo Players have enjoyed in
the past, and the University may
be sure that under the very cap-
able leadership of Brother Hess
they will rise to even greater
heights.
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St. Mary's University (San Antonio, Tex.). Rattler (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 21, No. 14, Ed. 1 Friday, April 19, 1940, newspaper, April 19, 1940; San Antonio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth841895/m1/6/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting St. Mary's University Louis J. Blume Library.