The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-10-21

mage of the Great Lakes is discharged.
THE rule on the docks was the rule of
Drawn. The man who could whip most
men got leadership. Those who got
to the top fought their way there with
their fists. Corners was fighter and
he had shrewdness and courage He
took advantage of conditions.
while Corners was a boy he got the
nickname of 'F1ngy that sticks to him
still. He was on the docks. Another boy
had q rusty old pistol I wisht | had
sumpin to shoot att said the boy
Shoot at that said Corners, holding
up his right hand with its thumb stick
Ping up. The boy shot and shot off the
thumb. Corners went home and told his
| mother he had lost his 'flngy,' and the
, nickname was Immediately applied and
has stuck ever since
Young Fingy' came to be known as
a handy man on the docks. He could
whip anybody in sight, and he had no
hesitation In jumping in at the drop of
the hat. He got to be the boss steve
dore of one of the lake lines IL his
men did not do their full stunt Corners
cursed them or fought them. as seemed
| best at the moment. If there was any
recalcitrant Corners knocked him into
, the river with balehook or whatever
| was handy. The rule Of Drawn pre-
vailed. The best man with his fists got
|
scoopers, were men of elemental pas
sions and prone to jump in for any griev-
ance real or fancied.
"Scooping grain in the hold of boat
| is frightful work. The dust blinds the
| eyes and clogs the throat. The scoopers
| must have drink. A 'scooper's high BALI
is big drink of vile whisky, to cut the
dust followed by a schooner of beer
or mixed ale. The holes of the ships
are very hot. The men stagger
out after their stunts wet and weak.
| Naturally they turn to saloon, and
naturally the boss scooper, holding the
| livelihood of these men in his hands, saw
another opportunity for enslaving them.
He opened n saloon, or several saloons.
Then when the men wanted drink he
gave them a brass check and they had
to go to his saloon to get their drink
| 1.-THE first considerable money Corners
made came not alone from his freight
| contracts but from forcing the men he
! had in his employ to drink at his saloon.
| If they drank anywhere else they could
get no work, and If they did not give
| back to him over his bar a certain large
percentage of their wages each week,
| they got no more work. Settlement night
was Saturday. The men were paid off at
the saloon. They got their wages with
| the stamped value of their brass cheeks
| deducted. That was the beginning of the
| Corners fortune"
Since then he has bought a newspaper,
the Buffalo Enquirer, and has never let
up in his campaign for responsibility and
political preferment
"Fingy'' is such a picturesque charac-
| ter that some of the stories told on him
In the Herald the other day are worth
quoting.
''Fingy'' went into the Waldorf-Astoria
one day and espied f. d. Underwood sit
ting at a table with two other men at
luncheon. One of the other two men
| was E. II. Hartman and the third was
the general solicitor for the Union Pacific
! railroad. AS Corners passed Mr.. I'm,
derwood's chair he mussed UP the hair of
the Erie railroad president. addressing
him in an unconventional manner.
| WHO is your friend?' asked Mr.. Harrt
man with eyebrows elevated.
He was told that 1t was "Fingy" Con-
ners, who handled all the package freight
ated.
Bring him over" said Mr.. Hartman.
1--WE will have some fun with him."
Corners came back, and without wait
ing upon formalities ordered a walter to
bring bottle. Then. glancing quizzi-
cally at Mr.. Hartman, he turned to Mr..
Underwood and asked:
who's yer frind, underworld"
why, this is Mr.. Hartman. Mr.. Har-
riman, my friend. Mr.. Corners of Buff
falo."
"F'ingy' ignored Mr.. Harrimans bow,
bit the end off a fresh cigar and inquired:
ANY relative of Ed?"
| why, this Is Mr.. F. II. Hartman
himself" explained Mr. Underwood.
1.-THE hell, you say" remarked "Fingy."
ED Hartman, eh. Will, Will! Mr..
Hartman, tn CRATE president of tn Union
Pacific. Will, will! have got $4,000
of yer stock this minute. Mr.. Hartman.