The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-14
The Romantic Career Of
 Captain OlDen Finnegan

was soon a blackeaed hull. The cot ton was treated in like manner--and thus without a charge. and well-nigh penniless. our heroic boatman crossed over to the Bigbee, where many Mo- bile steamers had taken refuge after the fall of Mobile. True. Capt. Fin negan owned some likely slaves. most of them deck hands on his boat but they were soon to be freed but with all these disasters. he was not dis- heartened. for there was still left to him two treasures-his wife and babe.
 who. though in hostile hands. were more to him than all on earth besides. and to them. In the city of Mobile. ne must turn. On reaching Demopo- lis. he heard of the surrender of Lee. He engaged a skin, and in company with MT. Levi Williams. a noted pl- lot. they set out for the Gulf City. with only few negro oarsmen. With the final surrender. Capt Finnegan
 was not to remain idle. With the characteristic determination born in the breast of his race he began life anew-his own and the fortunes of the city of his love and adoption must be rebuilt. He secured the Jeff Davis. sidewheel steamer. and started In the lake trade. Landing at Ponchatrain. the United States Inspectors came down and. after looking over his boat. forced him to discharge what cargo had been shipped and condemned his boat as unseaworthy-the real 'casus bellf was the name of the craft-and thus was our captains first venture q decided loss. Learning that the United States Government was soon to sell number of transports. he passed | through the city. and visited the levee. inspecting several steamers that were for sale and selected a trimly built stern wheeler called Nyanza. price $34.000. Here was a dilemma. With only about $l0.000 at his command. sl4.000 at the outside. he sat himself down. and sat very hard to figure out the problem. Casually meeting with Capt. Fred Dolhonde. he related Capt. Dolhonde was New Oreans Capt. Dolhonde was New orleans refugee. former merchant of that city. and had lately commanded . Confederate organization stationed at Mobile. As Capt. Finnegan desired his boat for Mobile and for Mobiles good. the merchant of New orleans could not be expected to lend to their aid. but Dolhonde advised him to tel egraph Mir. Lee Weaver of Selma. who. If not prepared to assist. could secure the amount from MT. Phil Weaver, very wealthy and liberal citizen of the same city No time was to be lost. as the sale was to be made at once. and the amount must be In cash The tel egram was sent and the reply came Draw on Phil Weaver at sight for S20.O00."
 When Capt Flnnegan arrived in Mobile with his purchase, he secured pilots at sl00 per day, and began the most successful work of his life. With cotton at $15.O0 per bale as freight, soon secured for him the $20.0O0 to spare. and to the credit of MT. Weaver. be 1t said. he refused all interest Capt. Finnegan then entered the Trade Company. and for many seasons commanded some of the finest of our little river boats, beside owning whole or in part some of our best. In lS6s-9-7O-I and 72 he had a full hand in the Alabama River with the Great Republic Robert E. Laa. Maggie r. Burke. Lucy E. Gastrell. Lula D., the fine John T. Moore, palatial iron steamer built for the Red River trade at cost of $l10.000. At the last he commanded the Armstrong and Josie w.
 Capt. Finnegan never built nor su- perintended the building of any of the | above boats. except the Maggie F. Burke-all others were purchases. and
 were given him to commanders as a | boatsmans success Is measured as I much by his constructive ability as | by his commanding qualities, we say | that taking into account adaptability. | carrying capacity. faultless material. speed. beautiful lines. enduring quail ities and complete equipment on deck and in cabin, the Burke was the best boat that has landed in Mobile since the war. It was burned at the wharf at Mobile. together with several hum dred bales of cotton. The boat cost ing some $25.000 was insured for only $15.000 and though rebuilt. we did not consider her the complete craft she was at first
 owen Finnegan never loved a man for his wealth nor his influence. and courted no one for hls trade, nor greeted him fod what he might gain thereby--he loved all alike, and the world has been made better by his having lived therein; and how often have We thought that had he received the education that fell to some of the more fortunate men of his notion. with his sound common sense. hLs keen appreciation and knowledge of human nature. his scintilations of wit. his energy and his love for home, Alabama might never have claimed the honor of naming him among her sons-but upon the pages of Irish his- tory he might have figured among the great men of the "auld countrie."