The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-14
Anfe-Bellum Floating Palaces ot the Alabama River and the Good Old Times Tn Dixie
 No. 19

NO. During the year 1920, there was born
 son into the county of Louth, in the province of Leonster, of the Emerald Isle
 land ruled by the iron hand of the Briton, and yet a land of the poet and
 warrior alike, the statesman and the hardy man of toil-and at the altar of the Church of Rome was Gods blessing asked
 by the rich-robed priest upon the life and
 fortunes of Owen Finnegan, who at the
 early age of 16 started out to carve his name by turning his face toward the
 west, where then the star of empire took
 It's way'-that new and untrled land
 where no potentate wielded scepter, and
 where the true and honest of all nations might venture to scale the ladder of prosperity and the hill of fame. and thus overcome all obstacles by the sheer force of their own worth and exertions.
 From the dedk of small sailing ves-
 sel Owen Finnegan stepped to the levee
 at New Orleans in the year loo1 alone and unaided, and with no hope nor prom ise of succor save that which he could look for from his strong body, his ready hand his honest and impulsive heart.
 
 as his calling, and for more than 65 years he has at times filled every laborious position filled aboard our high pressure
 steamers; he was first on the great Father of Waters, then on the Missis- sippi Sound, and at last he made the blue waters of our own beautiful Alabama his home.
 As a fireman at the doors of the Sea Bird, he made his first trip up the Mis- sissippi river. He was afterward In the splendid steamer Nashville, plying be- tween New Orleans and Louisville, and when asked if he could not clean out the boilers of that four-boilered packet, he replied, T will try and do my best, !" and the work was so satisfactorily ac- complished that the engineer asked that he be transferred to him as a striker, his first promotion.
 At the close of the Mexican war we find him at his chosen profession on board the General Taylor, a neat little packet which was afterward bought by Capt Hamilton R. Johnston and brought to Mobile to run on the Bigbee in the interest of the Columbus and Aberdeen trade and Owen Finnegan was aboard as watchman and second mate; afterward he was made mate, from which position he rose to be one Of the leading commanders in the his- tory of Alabama waters; indeed we cannot recall any one man who has had command of a greater number of our packets or who has owned, in whole or in part, more of our floating pal aces than. has owen Finnegan, nor has Mobile ever had a warmer supporter or more deserving patron than this son of old Ireland, against whom in her varied career-whether in poverty or wealth-he has never turned his hand. And his name is not only known favorably in Mobile, but in every hamlet, hill and dale from the Coosas rapids to the gulf, and to the farthest branches of the Little Bigbee is his name a household word and his spontaneous wit is the theme that draws many together when is re- lated some original thought and sparkle of mirth which he had let slip upon some fitting occasion and which all delighted to hear oft and again
 For time Captain Finnegan was in what was called the lake trade between New Orleans and Mo bile, and he is now the only man liv- ing, except Capt. Luck Wainwright. who remembers the great packets of the 4Os. The James Hewitt, with her s5o0 bales capacity, is as familiar 10 him, both in form and under headway. as are the boats of today
 In the city of New Orleans. Owen f1nnegan was married to Margaret Houghery. a young woman who was porn in Ireland. and who after many years of welded life, left him on the zoth of December. last 19O3). to await his coming in a better land Theirs was beautiful life together; indeed the | greatest virtue that crowned the ca reer of Owen Finnegan was his devo- ton to her who had forsaken all oth- | CTS to go with and urge him onward | ana upward. He always addressed her as "Ma," and always spoke Of her as Mrs. Finnegan-never as the "old woman" Hanging at the | head of his bed in the neat little cot age nome of his beloved adopted city, are two pictures of this well-mated | pair' that were taken in the sos. In ms nall is seen an oil painting of a 'iVer scene and upon the water Is seen me handsome Maggie F. Burke, n boat 'uiit py the venerable captain and oamed in honor of his little grand laughter. who bore her grandmother,a name; and perhaps no other Of the many crafts owned by the old hoat nan touched tenderer cord than inc 'he bearing the name so doublv dear Q him. The Maggie r. Burke was con 'ldered one of the most complete ef -orts at maritime architecture sinca ne war and so today Is the one for whom she Is named regarded as ono 'i 'ne truest types of Christian woman hood, bringing solace to the old man who Is passing the declining days of long and useful life in peace and plenty. This painting of the steamer vas oone by Miss Cussen of Selma. who 'hristened the boat as she was launched 1t Jeffersonville
 captain Finnegan's first charge as monarch of all'' was the steamer montgomery. and if the writer is moi mistaken he next became associated vitn capt W. w. Buckley. then with Japt. Charles Miller on the fine steam. 1T Saiile Carson, and latterly with ames A. Mooring, a commander in lnte-bellum days. He afterward fIung HIS pennant to the breeze from tha iagstaff of the Jennette
 captain F1nnegan thinks his greatest 'oatihg Feat was the making Of eighl occesslve trips in one season to Aber- eeh' gong and coming, guards to | re aiterward took charge of the len ne bealIe, Duke and others durino Una var and having accumulated consid- rapIe money he became interested i, ne Trade company and commanded ina plehoid steamer Henry J. King until was destroyed by the enemy. Hear ng or the approach of General Wi on while his boat was lying at Mont oMery' captain Finnegan took his aluable charge up to Deadman,s Lake oove the capital City, where he SUD-