The Sunday globe., 1901-05-26
CAPTAIN JOHN F. FINERTY.
A Racy Anecdote About the Able
Irish Journalist.

Hon. John f. Finerty, a personal
/ friend of THE GLOBES editor and an
Irishman sdIS pear et SGneS reprodche,
is thus given a racy write-up by his
old friend John Livingston Wright, the
well-known newspaper man. Says Mr..
/ Wright.
! Now, there's John Finerty, John f.
| Finerty, the noted Irish orator., as
I Chicago loves to designate him to-day.
Well, now, don't / remember Johns
experience in reporting the dedication
at Aurora!
you see, it was like this. Finerty
was on the Tribune then, and one Sat.
urday night he was ordered to 60
down to Aurora, forty miles southwest,
on the Burlington, and report the ded-
, ication of the new Catholic cathedral.
1t was to be big event, of course, and
it was assigned to Finerty because, if
he was in good trim, he could do II
right.
"Finerty comes down to the sidewalk
and finds Mike Ahern.
Mike said John, I've got a soft
thing. I've been told off to cover that
dedication down at Aurora. Comes
off tomorrow you know, and | can
manage it dead easy. I'm up in the
church rites so | can real off a fat old
yarn. feed EN- all the slush about the
expense of the splendid structure. the
proud esteem Of the good Father B. in
the hearts of his parishioners, and all
that CUFF, tell of the flower girls bear
ing the garlands, the grand sacred NIL
sic, the Reyerends and Very Reverends
who assisted in the dedication services
and so on. Now, I'll tell ye, Mike, wen
mosey right over to the Joint and hit
the bowl and the poker tonight and
tomorrow. Then, I'll straighten up so
! can get at the yarn in the evening,
SeeP
"Well, over they went to the Dear,
born street place and set out for hign
old time. And they had it Clear
through the night and into the next
day did they carry their jollification,
Then the doughty John sought to
shake himself together to grind out
that fake. 1t was a superhuman effort,
but he did it. He turned out a corker
and marched in late that evening" as
solemn as a preacher, and laid his
package Of manuscript on the city edi-
tors desk, and as solemnly marched
out.
"The story came out next morning,
and it was a beauty and no mistake, re
plete with all the glib imagery for
which John was noted, and many were
the complimentary remarks he heard
about it.
Some days later, when John had
forgotten all about his Aurora assign
ment and supposed that matter was n
part of the past, he was called into the
city editors Office John scented trou-
BILE in the Office boys tone of voice,
and neryed himself accordingly. When
he reached his chief he noticed a cler-
ical-looking man seated by the city
editor.
"'This is Father B., of Aurora, Mr.
Finerty, said the city editor with a
peculiar expression of countenance.
"'Why Father Father, how do you
do how do you do? said the un-
abashed John, striving to show by his
effusiveness that he was, of course,
personally acquainted with the good
father, but had stupidity failed to rec
ognize him at first.
"'Mr. Finerty, / am very glad to
meet you. That was quite a remark
able report you made OF the dedication
of our church. observed the old man
with a mild twinkle in his eye.
why, father, why father, II hope
it was satisfactory. l always try to do
my best answered the unshakable Fin.
erty, making a profound bow, while
the city editor bore a look akin to dis
gust.
"'Oh, yes, Mr.. Finerty, it was all
right. II was all right Your descrip-
tions were really ornate and eloquent
in the extreme. There was only one
little error
"'Why, why, what was that, father
IL tried to do my best
"'Well,' said the bland old gentle
man, fairly shaking with mirth, there
was one mistake, nevertheless, and !
am very sorry considering that you
wrote such a really beautiful report.
The fact Is, Brother Finerty, IL rained
so like fury that we didn't have the
dedication
"And poor, wordy John got the
poke"