HON. MICHAEL H. FARRELL, a very popular and highly respected citizen and dealer in marble, granite, etc., at No. 208 West Washington street, Indianapolis, is a native of Cambridge City, Ind., was born April 22, 1854, and is a son of Dominick and Katherine (Powell) Farrell, the former a native of county Longford, and the latter of county Tipperary, Ireland.

     These parents came to America single and were married in Richmond, Ind.  Dominick Farrell was a contractor in railroad work and assisted in constructing the first telegraph line in the west, and also constructed three sections of the Panhandle railway.  They had born to them four children, viz:  Francis, Thomas, Michael H. and Margaret.  Of these, Francis is a telegraph operator in Chicago, Ill.; Thomas is an engineer on the Big Four railway, with his residence in St. Louis, Mo.; Michael H. is the gentleman with whom this memooir will have most to do, and Margaret is deceased.  Both parents ended their days in the Catholic faith in Cambridge City, the mother dying in 1886, aged seventy-four, and the father in 1889, at the age of seventy-nine years.

     Michael H. Farrell was educated in the public schools of his native city, there learned the marblecutter's trade, and there grew to manhood.  In 1880 he came to Indianapolis and opened his marble yard, in which he now gives constant employment to four men.  He at once formed a connection with the democratic party of Indianapolis, having been a member of the same in Cambridge City, became very popular, and on this ticket was elected to the state legislature in 1884, served from 1885 to 1887, and was especially active and earnest in pressing several bills through that august body.  He also served as a member of the city board of aldermen from 1889 until 1891, or until its abrogation, and in 1890 was elected a member of the board of county commissioners, in which he served three years.  Since that time he has not aspired to official position, yet has taken an active part in promoting the success of his party at each succeeding election.  He now devotes his entire time and attention to his business affairs, which he never neglected at any time, but during his official career gave to it his personal and close supervision.

     The marriage of Mr. Farrell took place at Cambridge City, October 11, 1877, to Miss Theressa Metz, Rev. J. B. Kelly officiating.  Mrs. Farrell is a native of Hamilton county, Ohio, and has blessed her husband with five children, viz:  Catherine, Francis, Edward, Thomas and Vincent.  The family are members of St. Bridget's church, under the pastorate of Rev. D. Curran, and are a representative family in church, social and political circles.  Mr. Farrell, by close attention to his business and through skill, industry and thrift, has secured a fair competence, and the productions of his yard are unsurpassed for excellent workmanship by any in the state of Indiana."

     THE LARKIN BROTHERS, merchants of Loogootee, Ind., and doing the most extensive trade in the place, are the children of Patrick and Mary E. (Montgomery) Larkin and are both natives of the state of Indiana.

     Patrick Larkin, the father of these two brothers, was born in county Kilkenny, Ireland, in 1809, and when a young man of twenty-one came to the United States and for several years was a cotton broker in New York.  He married, in that city, a Miss Bowen, and a few years later came to Indiana and settled on a farm near Montgomery.  Here his wife died in 1848, leaving three children, vis:  Mary, who married Henry Campbell, but died in Loogootee, without issue; Elizabeth, who united with the Sisters of Providence, and is now known as Sister Mary Borgia, and Anna, who was married to James Adams, resides in Louisville, Ky., and is the mother of six children.  In 1850 Mr. Larkin married, for his second wife, Miss Mary E. Montgomery, a native of Montgomery, Daviess county, Ind., and to this union were born six children, of whom two only reached the years of maturity--John L. and Patrick B., who constitute the firm of Larkin Brothers, as noted at the opening of this sketch.  Mr. Larkin was called from earth April 27, 1867, a devoted member of the Catholic church, and his widow still makes her home on the old homestead of 400 acres, near Loogootee, on which the family settled in 1860.

     John F. Larkin, the elder of the two surviving children of Patrick and Mary (Montgomery) Larkin, was born at Mount Pleasant, Martin county, Ind., July 29, 1858, was educated in the schools of Loogootee in the preparatory branches, and then passed two years in the university of Notre Dame.  He remained on the home farm until 1882, when the firm of Larkin Brothers was established, and he still manages the homestead, without in any manner neglecting his mercantile interests.  In May, 1881, he married Miss Ella Crane, a native of Washington, Ind., and a daughter of Patrick Crane, and this union of Mr. and Mrs. Larkin has been blessed with eight children, viz:  Mary, William, Clara, Helen, Alice, Frank, Anna and Joseph.

     Patrick B. Larkin, brother of John F., was born in Loogootee November 14, 1860, was educated in its parochial schools and at the university of Notre Dame, and for a year after leaving college worked on the home farm, and then joined his brother in 1882, as previously remarked, in mercantile trade.  In 1885 he married Miss Anna Reynolds, and this union has been blessed with two children, viz:  Bernard, born December 19, 1886, and Earnest, born January 4, 1894.

     The firm of Larkin Brothers has met with marked success; it began in a small way, but now owns a double store-building and carries the largest stock of general merchandise owned in the town of Loogootee.  They are extremely popular young business men, being polite and attentive to their patrons, and their social standing is with the best people in the country.

     JOHN F. MACK, of Indianapolis, was born in Michigan City, Ind., May 13, 1867, a son of John and Mary (Hayes) Mack, natives of Ireland and Canada, respectively.  The father was born in the year 1835, and for many years followed railroading as a locomotive engineer.  He removed his family from Michigan City, in 1867 to Pittsburg, Pa., thence three years later to Indianapolis, and later again became a resident of Michigan City, of which place he was a resident when he met his death, November 30, 1874, in a collision on the O. & M. road at Milan, Ind.; the widow then removed to Indianapolis, where she still lives.

     Of a family of five children born to John and Mary Mack, John F. was the first in order of birth; James died in infancy; William, a confectioner by occupation, resides in West Indianpolis; Thomas died at the age of seven, and Margaret, a young lady, is still at home.  Mrs. Mack was born in the year 1844, and is a daugher of Andrew and Johanna (Quinlin) Hayes, both natives of Ireland, where their marriage occurred.  Mr. Hayes served in the late Rebellion as private in the Thiry-fifth Indiana infantry, and died, from the effects of a wound, some years after the close of the war; his wife died in early life and is remembered as a most estimable lady and a sincere Christian.

     The subject of this sketch was eight and a half years old when his father died, in consequence of which he was early thrown upon his own resources.  While still quite young he manifested a decided inclination toward railroading, and in due time learned to operate a locomotive, which part of the service he followed for a period of eleven years on the Belt line.  During the A. R. U. strikes of 1894 he left the road, was reinstated in April, 1896, but resigned his position in October of the same year, since which date he has given his attention to other vocations.

     Mr. Mack is a single man, and, with the other members of his mother's family, belongs to the Assumption church, in the founding of which he took an active part.  He was a member of the board of trustees when the parish was organized and during the erection of the beautiful house of worship, and has otherwise been prominent in all matters tending to its best interest and development.  He is also a charter member of the Y. M. I., No. 274, of which he is corresponding secretary.  His sister, Margaret, is organist of the church, and also one of its most zealous and conscientious members.  Politically, Mr. Mack is a democrat and an ardent advocate of free silver, which he believes to be for the best interest of the country.