Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-12-31
CONGRESSMAN FINERTY.
some Points in His Career.

Washington Cor. PAiladelphia Record.
Finerty, of Chicago, does not look half
so fierce as he sounds. He is a tall,
broad shouldered Irishman, with large,
grave, but pleasant face, dark hair, and
reddish mustache and gOatee. He moves
in large, slow way. He is generally
seen on the street with his pretty Young
wife, and sometimes their pretty little
baby is with them. All three are young.
Finerty is very earnest, sincere man.
lie is not patriot for revenue only. He
is an Irishman of Irishmen. He has the
faults and virtues of his race. He is high
spirited and hot-blooded, but kind-hearted
and very sensible. He is absolutely fear
less. He was with Custer's COM
mand on the Rosebud, and in
the preliminary skiTmishes rode in
front OF the troops, although his duties as
anewspaper correspondent did not de-
mand 1T. The correspondent of a rival
Chicago newspaper could not stand the
sight of flowing blood, and after the first
little fight made the best of his way back
to civilization. He returned to Chicago
about the same time as Finerty, and fig
ured more prominently than the latter at
banquets and supperS given in their hon.
or. At one of these the little coward was
more than usually eloquent in his descrip-
tion of the hairbreadth escapes, the bloody
trays and desperate adventures through
which he had gone. When they were put
ting their hats and coats on after the din
ner, Finerty, who had remained silent.
remarked to the braggart: ''You de-
scribed that very well. 1t was Just
about as you said; but you didn't
see 1t, you know" And this was the only
comment he made. The story often told
of Finerty we'll illustrates his character.
1t is, that while walking down Chicago
street late in the night upon which the
news of Sedan's fall was received he saw
on the other side of the way large Ger
man restaurant brilliantly lighted and full
of people. Crossing the street, he found
that the saloon was full of Germans
drinking beer and chOrusing their con-
gratulations. Full off the spirit of FontenOy,
Finerty dashed into the saloon and forced
his way through the thrOng to the farther
end. There he mounted the broad bar,
his long form rising two yards above
the crowd. Calling for schooner" of
champagne he shouted, s'Long liye
FranceW quaffed a great drink of the
sparkling@ wine, and then waving the
schooner Still half full, over his head, he
threw it and its contents into the middle
of the mass below and straightway leaped
after it. Landing on his feet, with his
customary good luck, he rapidly fought
his way through the angry Germans,
landing bleeding, tattered and torn, but
happy as only an Irishman can be, on the
sidewalk. Finerty is only little over 80
now. He was younger then, but his SYM
pathies with the oppressed and down
trodden are as warm as ever. Finerty is
well-tO-do. His first wife left him a small
fortune; he has made some fortunate in
vestments, and his Irish-American weekly
newspaper in Chicago pays handsomely
and grows all the time. He can come to
Congress as often as he likes. Finerty
has great many friends. All the Irish
men in Chicago are in his following"
and half the army officers know him as
we'll as they know each other. His threats
of a war with Great Britain please his
army friends. They are just spelling for
a fight