My Genealogy Hound

PATRICK KEATING, Bloomington; was born in County Limerick, Ireland, in August, 1837, and is the son of Patrick Keating. In 1846, he emigrated with his parents to America, landing in Quebec, Canada, and from there they went to Albany, N. Y. He states that the first money he made was here, as newsboy for the Albany Evening Journal, edited by Thurlow Weed and Mr. Seward. In 1855, he became fireman on the Albany Northern Railroad; in 1856, he came to Chicago, and was fireman on the Illinois Central Railroad, and Galena Railroad; he returned East, and was fireman on the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad until 1860; he then returned to Albany, N. Y.; here he enlisted, in 1861, in 25th N. Y. V. I. (Albany Burgess Corps); this regiment did a good three months’ service in the Eastern campaign; Mr. Keating was at length mustered out; he then returned to the New York Central Railroad as fireman; in 1864, he came West as a locomotive engineer; he accepted a position on the Chicago & Alton Railroad; he has been connected with this road ever since; he has run a passenger engine on the Chicago & Alton Railroad, from Bloomington to Chicago, for ten years; perhaps there is not an engineer on any line running out of Chicago better known and liked than Patrick Keating. In 1875, he was one of the invited guests with a very prominent party to a trip to California. He is now engineer on the pay-car train, which position he was appointed to in 1875. In 1877, his friends in the Fifth Ward elected him as Alderman; this office he is now filling with honor and credit. Mr. Keating is a Democrat in politics.