The Cairo bulletin., 1908-05-21
CALL FIN FIRST CITIZEN
That Because He Invari-
ably Casts Ballot No. |.
MICHAEL. J. FINNERTY
That's His Name-He Runs n Lit
tie Hotel ON Washington Street,
Looks Like Tom Foley the Tam
many Leader and Always Roirs
His Hat To the Hale Statue.

Iney nave called him New York 1
first citizen" because on each elec
ton day for many years he has been
the first man to vote In the FRS,
election district of the First AS.
sembly District
Among his neighbors Michael J
Finnerty is called simply The olj
citizen. old" possibly because
he Is sixtysix years of age, and cit
izen" because OF his almost religious
devotion to the obliga tons of citl-
Zenship, a devotion curiously ILLUS
tlated in his steadfast determination
year after year, to vote ballot num-
Der one.
Michael j. Finnerty runs a littls
hotel, called the Bally Langford. at
No. ll21s Washington Street.
In 1857 he came through Old Cas-
tie Garden, boy sixteen years old.
He came alone to seek his fortune,
and knocked about New York doing
odd jobs for ten years. when he
bought out the little hotel which IS
He married soon after arriving
IN this country. and had at one line
a family of five boys and two girls,
and a happier man could not be
found than he was. But" said Fin
merry yesterday TO World reporter,
| buried the five young men and
the two Young ladies, then | buried
their mother. and II IL wasn't fof
my good humOr | would be over
IN Greenwood to-day"
Attention was called to the fact
that he had a large Irish flag out
la front of his place. Yes" wos
the reply, II always have that lag
out, You see, was born in Ire
land, but came to this country a
young sort OF lad. and when / came
! came 10 stay ! came to make
this country my home and didn't
waste much time, | tell you, in
taking out my papers and becoming
q real American citizen. | am an
American to-day. tomorrow and for
ever. This is my country and
would lay down my life for her this
minute
DO you remember what Nathan
Hale said when they were about %
hang himup here in City Hall Park?
He said: II regret that | have but
one life to give TO my country"
That's me, too. And | never pass
that statue of Nathan Hale up there
that l don't take my hat off and say
: God Bless him.
The first vote | ever cast was for
General George Mcclellan for Pres
ident when he was running against
Abe Lincoln, and have never miss
ed voting on election day since.
1t was the pride of my young
life in this country to vote. OF
course I was here several years be
fore | could vote, but just as soon
as the right was mine | took hold
OF it and considered it then and 10
now consider 1t sacred duty of an
American citizen to go to the POLLS
on election day and cast his J4l-
lot
Casting the first ballot in my dis
trict was hardly intentional in the
beginning, that is, Il was not a mat
ter of being the first man TO vote
with me, but matter of voting, and
went to the polls early before any
body else was there, and when the
polls opened there | was, and had
put my ballot In the box and left be-
fore other voters had wakened up.
After awhile 1t occurred to me that
| had been the first man to vote
for several elections, then | decided
to keep on being first.
When | had been first for twenty
five years, however. | decided to re-
tire and let some other fellow put
ballot No. / in the box, but just
about the time | had made up MY
mind to do that | heard that certain
FELLOW that | had little love for
was boasting that he was going to
beat me out on the next election
day. so put off retiring and have
been putting It off ever since.
well, maybe voting ballot No.
| don't amount to much. don't
count any more than ballot No. l01,
| know, but 1t means something TO
me. and last Tuesday when l heard
the clerk call out Michael ]. Fiji
nerty votes ballot No. ! there was
more than simple satisfac-
ton touched my heart, something
more than enough to make me got
up hext election day in time to hesr
that call all over again.
They say look like Foley. Do |
you think so? and the old citizen"
took of the little white cap he wore
and removed a pair of spectacles.
Yes, everybody says ! do" And
everybody's right, for Finnerty.
while not as large nan as the new
has face and head that
Are remarkably like that of the other
NON