Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-11-11
Union Heads
Costly Yacht
Career Told
Labor Minstrels' Tirode
at Sportsmen Deridedh
By wESTBROOK PEGLEE'

BY WESTBROOK PEGLEE
AN ORGANIZATION of radi.
n cal unioneers has been
turning out a series of phono-
graph records for use at or
ganizing rallies in which q
troupe of class-conscious min
strels sing sad but angry songs
about the toilers' poverty and
the luxurious life of the bosses.
In one of them the bitter re-
frain goes:
IL don't want your millions,
mister,
Il don't want your pleasure
yacht :"
Well sung in plaintive camp
meeting style to an excellent
string accompaniment, this
numbers effect might be Sc
riously compromised, neverthe-
less, If, at future recitals some
realistic prospect among the
candidates for the more album
dant life should intone a read
ing of the following information:
The late Frank Feeney Of
Philadelphia and Atlantic City,
who was for many years presi-
dent of the Elevator Construc-
tors international Union, of the
building trades department of
the AFL, was one of the most
enthusiastic yachtsmen of his
time.
LIS career in craftsmanship
IA began in the time of the
bitterest depression and poverty
in the United States, dating
from 1890. the year after the
panic shook down the stock
market into a crumbled ruin
when the full effect of the d
aster was just beginning to b.
felt and millions of toilers ac-
tually were desperate.
While men and women were
selling apples on the street COR
ners Of New York in the bitter
winds OF Winter and hungry or
phans of the economic storm
were budding in their shack
towns by the city dumps the
Salisbury Shipbuilding Com
pany of Salisbury, Md, was
building for Feeney's order the
auxiliary schooner Widgeon III,
a n-footer designed by Thomas
d. Bowss.
This was a millionaire type
yacht and the fact that Feeney's
tastes in pleasure craft was
that OF the veritable millionaire
Is proved by the fact that his
Widgeon III. at secondhand. is
today the yacht of Frank Gan.
nett, the millionaire chain news.
paper publisher.
THE Widgeon II. suitable for a
l. millionaire at secondhand.
was not quite up to the taste of
the nautical unioneer. however,
for in 1882 he had disposed OF
the old hulk and had placed his
order with the Messrs. Master
son and Slagle, custom yacht
builders Of New York, operating
at the New York Yacht, Launch
and Engine Company's plant. for
a better one.
This new plaything was II
feet long, powered with Diesels,
carried a crew of four hands.
had two double staterooms and
two singles for the owner and
his guest.
Feeney was tough bargainer
In buying yachts. but though he
demanded the best he always
paid faithfully for what he gon
This second vessel was call
the Antonio and the cost of op5
Grating her was from $4,000 to
$4,000 a year.
The skipper. who worked the
year around. got $3.50 a month,
about $50 a month more than
the average for such craft, and
Feeney had a 100-foot private
dock at his premises in Atlantic
City at which the Antonio often
tied up.
There many of his altruistic
fellow servants of the humble
toiler would 60 aboard her for
cruises away from il all TO con-
template the crying inequality
between the worker and the
BOSNIAN.
TURING of the Antonio about
L 1885 or 1896. or perhaps feel
ing that such luxury was I'M
seemly and that he should cruise
more modestly, Feeney sold her
and commissioned Dawn Cruis-
ers, Inc, of Clason Point, N. Y.
TO build him a demure little
thing of only 50 feet, called the
Tonia.
Although smaller, the Tonia,
nevertheless, was described by
one of her builders as "a beauti.
full boat" with the additional
comment that she was "the best
thing you could put together"
Feeney died in 1893 and his
son, who had grown up in the
union business. has now risen to
the post of international secre-
tary-treasurer of the same union
In which the old gentleman was
so active.
The new president is John Nc
Donald of Boston, an old-timer