Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2013,
                           All Rights Reserved
                          U.S. Data Repository

    Please read U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on this page:
                <http://www.us-data.org/fineprint.html>

Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott
for the US Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/
=========================================================================
U.S. Data Repository NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced
in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization.
Non-commercial organizations desiring to use this material must obtain
the consent of the transcriber prior to use.
Individuals desiring to use this material in their own research may do so.
=========================================================================
Formatted by U.S. Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott
All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded.
===========================================================================
History of the Great Lakes
Illustrated, In Two Volumes, Vol. II
Chicago, J. H. Beers & Co., 1899

  72-73

        Captain ROBERT COONEY is one of the best known sailors between
     Kingston and Port Arthur. In the city of Chicago he is so well known
     that he thinks the "Windy City" a good place to steer clear of, for
     was not he the intrepid mate who assisted Captain IRVING, master of
     the good ship Edward Blake, to carry off McGARIGLE in his famous
     escape from justice, landing him safely on Canadian soil. Captain
     COONEY was so written up and pictured in the Western papers at that
     time that his name was nearly as familiar as that of the President.
     When the gallant Captain becomes enthusiastic over the institutions of
     the glorious United States, and some friend asks him pointedly, "Why
     don't you go over there, then, if you are so fond of the country?"
     his answer invariably is, "I would if I could, but I can't, and if I
     can't, how can I, can you?"
        Captain COONEY was born at Port Dalhousie, Canada, in the year
     1862, and in this town attended school until he was fourteen; and it
     is said of him that he was so adverse to school discipline that the
     doors and windows had to be locked in order to keep him in the
     building. Thus, it is only natural that the boy's adventurous spirit
     should lead him to choose the life of a sailor at a very early age.
     His first boat was the barkentine Cecelia, which was engaged in the
     grain trade between Kingston and Toronto. Then he was on the schooner
     Gulnair for a time, and afterward on the American schooner Senator
     Blood, of Oswego, which carried grain between Detroit, Toledo and
     Buffalo. On the schooner Jamaica he attained to the position of mate,
     this boat running between Kingston, Oswego and Chicago, after which he
     served on various boats, mostly schooners, which included the John R.
     Noyes, the Guido Festor (a schooner carrying 60,000 bushels), the
     Lizzie A. Law, of Chicago, the Comanche, and the Edward Blake, on
     which boat, during the year 1888, was safely conveyed to Canadian
     shores the boodler-politician McGARIGLE, when escaping from the
     political sleuth-hounds of an opposite party, who were metaphorically
     thirsting for his blood. In 1889 he entered the employ of the Hamilton
     Steamboat Company's line, serving at different times on their two fine
     boats, the Macassa and the Modjeska. These boats were built on the
     Clyde, and sailed across the ocean to enter into their fresh-water
     service on the Great Lakes. They are the two most commodious and
     best fitted up steamships on Lake Ontario, and the only one having the
     many advantages of compound triple expansion engines and twin screws,
     they being capable, by means of the latter, of turning round within
     their own length. Five years ago Captain COONEY became commodore on
     the fine side-wheel steamer Garden City, which plied between Toronto
     and the various lake ports, remaining on her many seasons.
        Captain Cooney can recall many exciting episodes in his career, not
     the least interesting of which is his experience on the Comanche, when
     she was dismasted and wrecked on Lake Ontario in 1886. He is a lake
     captain who has had wide experience, and is one whom his employers
     implicitly trust at all times, although, as he says himself, he has
     often had to shoulder their sins as well as his own. When at home the
     Captain resides at Port Dalhousie, which is situated at the Lake
     Ontario entrance to the Welland canal.

===========================================================================

If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access more
information about Great Lakes Maritime History by by going to the
following URL:
http://www.us-data.org/mi/glm/
===========================================================================