The Biographical Dictionary and Portrait Gallery of Representative Men of Chicago, Milwaukee and the World's Columbian Exposition

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BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY.
Medical   Society, and   the  Chicago   Pathological Society.
He is a member of the Presbyterian Church. A Republican in political belief, he is yet non-parti¬ san, and in casting his ballot has regard for prin¬ ciple and men rather than party. From youth up, he has possessed remarkable equanimity of demeanor and a full command of nerve, and is thereby peculiarly adapted for the practice of medicine. A man of excellent principles, he is held in high esteem, especially by those Avho knoAv him best.    Although one of the old-school,
orthodox practitioners, he is entirely free from prejudice in his attitude toward the representatives of other schools of medicine.
In 1876 he Avas married to Miss May St. John, an accomplished and popular lady, the daughter of the late Samuel St. John, a Avell- knoAvn citizen of St. Catharines, Ontario. Mrs. Copeland is a sister of Professor L. St. John, one of the founders of the College of Physi¬ cians and Surgeons of Chicago. They have tAvo daughters, aged, respectively, nine and sixteen years.
JAMES  W.   TUOHY,
CHICAGO,  ILL.
THE remarkable success of him whose name heads this sketch Avas the result of perse¬ vering and well-directed effort in the line of his native talents. He had a purpose in life, and Avorked Avith a Avill for its attainment. He Avas born in Carey, Ireland, near the Lakes of Kilar- ney, on the 8th of July, 1849. He Avas the son of Edward and Elizabeth (Crenin) Tuohy. When James Avas fifteen years of age he came to the United States, whither his father had preceded him some years. The mother, now seventy-three years of age, resides at Utica, La Salle county, Illinois, Avhere our subject passed his boyhood. He received such education as the district school afforded, and at an early age accepted a clerkship in the dry-goods store of Mr. Dennis Lynch, of Utica. From Utica he removed to Streator, Avhere he Avas in the employ of D. Heenan and Company. The next step in his successful career was to enter into partnership with Mr. F. Shields, of BraidAvood, Illinois, under the firm-name of F. Shields and Company, and Avhere he developed remarkable aptitude for mercantile pursuits. In 1873, Avhen but tAventy-four years of age, he pur¬ chased Mr. Shields' interest, assuming full con¬ trol of the business. A little later he. established a second store, at Wilmington, Illinois, both of Avhich he conducted Avith great success, winning for himself the title of the "boy merchant." Desiring a Avider field of operations he disposed of his business at BraidAvood and Wilmington in 1880, and   removed   to   Chicago, locating in the
West Division of the city. He opened a store at the corner of Madison and Peoria streets, where he continued until 1883, and then pur¬ chased from Carson, Pirle, Scott and Company their dry-goods establishment at the corner of Clark and Erie streets, on the North side. This Avas conducted as a department store, and under his able management came to rank among the leading retail houses of the NorthAvest. The encouragement Mr. Tuohy had received thus far in his business caused him to further extend his field of operations. Accordingly, in 1886 he opened a store, in a building designed and erected especially for his use, at the corner of Madison and Wood streets. Upon the removal of Messrs. Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company from the West Side in the spring of 1877, Mr. Tuohy, Avith characteristic foresight, secured their former stand on West Madison street. The department store Avhich he opened there became one of the most extensive in the city. This immense establish: ment, together Avitli his other three stores, he conducted Avith marked ability and eminent suc¬ cess until his decease, Avhich occurred June 9, 1890. Stricken doAvn in the prime of his man¬ hood and in the midst of prosperity, Avhen long- cherished hopes were being realized, his early death Avas a shock to his extensive circlc^f busi¬ ness friends who had predicted for him still greater achievements, and to his immediate family an irreparable loss. Mr. Tuohy enjoyed the reputation, both in Chicago  and throughout the