Expert: Ted Nesbitt - 7/12/2003

Question
I have been seeking a poem titled "From Finnegan to Flanigan" (I think) about recurring problems on a railroad and the character Finnegan writes a lengthy report and his boss tells him to be more succinct so he comes back with "On again.  Off again.  Gone again.  Finnegan."  I have found a number of references to this poem, particularly the last line, but not the poem in its entirety and would greatly appreciate any guidance.  Thank you very much

Answer
Kym:

Here is the complete poem.  Having the correct spelling of the names might have turned up a better internet search.  The Irish brogue is very apparent:

FINNIGIN TO FLANNIGAN

    Strickland Gillilan

Superintindint waz Flannigan;
Boss av the siction wuz Finnigin;
Whiniver the kyars got offen th' track
An' muddled up things t' th' divil an' back
Finnigin writ it to Flannigan,
Afther the wrick wuz all on agin:
That is, this Finnigin
Repoorted to Flannigan.

Whin Finnigin furst writ to Flannigan,
He writ tin pages-did Finnigin.
An' he tould jist how the smash occurred;
Full minny a tajus, blunderin' wurrd
Did Finnigin write to Flannigan
Afther the cars had gone on agin.
That's th' way Finnigin
Repoorted to Flannigan.

Now Flannigan knowed more than Finnigin-
He'd more idjucation-had Flannigan;
An' it wore 'm clane an' complately out
To tell what Finnigin writ about
In his writin' to Muster Flannigan.
So he writed this here: Masther Finnigin:
Don't do sich a sin agin;
Make 'em brief, Finnigin!"

Whin Finnigin got this from Flannigan,
He blushed rosy rid-did Finnigin;
An' he said: "I'll gamble a whole month's pa-ay
That it'll be minny an' minny a da-ay
Befoore Sup'rintindint-that's Flannigan-
Gits a whack at that very same sin agin.
From Finnigin to Flannigan
Repoorts won't be so long agin."

Wan da-ay on the siction av Finnigin,
On the road sup'rintinded be Flannigan,
A rail give way on a bit av a curve
An' some kyars went off as they made th' shwerrve.
"there's nobody hurted," sez Finnigin,
"But repoorts must be made to Flannigan,"
An' he winked at Mike Corrigan,
As married a Finnigin.

He wuz shantyin' thin, wuz Finnigin,
As minny a railroader's been agin,
An' his shmoky ol' lamp wuz burnin' bright
In Finnigin's shanty all that night-
Bilin' down his repoort was Finnigin
An' he writed this here: "Muster Flannigan:
Off agin, on agin,
Gone agin.-Finnigin."

Ted Nesbitt

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As you are aware, I spent many hours searching for the information, in order to answer your question.  Since you have not acknowledged receiving my answer, I am assuming that something has happened to Allexperts, and you never got my lengthy messages.  I had planned to go to the library to do more research today, in case the song I send you was not what you wanted.  But, I'm waiting to hear from you.  

When you get this message, I would greatly appreciate your responding to me.  My mother is criticially ill -- actually, she is dying, and I'm trying to help you, while dealing with the family members who are coming here to say their last goodbyes to her.  I will continue to do my best to answer your question, but I am actually BEGGING you to respond to me.  If I have already provided you with what you need, then the time I am spending doing research for about Finnegan can be spent with my family and especially, my mother.

THANK YOU for letting me know if you get this message and if it has been at all helpful to you.

I would really appreciate your response -- just some little acknowledgement that you have actually received my answer, so that I will not have to keep working on your question and sending you more responses.

Thank you very much.

Ted Nesbitt

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AN UPDATE:

I found the complete sheet music at the Levy Collection of the Milton Eisenhower Library of Johns Hopkins University.
Go to this site:  <http://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/otcgi/llscgi60>

You must bring up each page separately.  The chorus has the words you have quoted.  Now, Collin Davis most certainly devised the lyrics from the old Irish story.  But this is the closest to an actual poem that I could find.

I hope this will help you a little.  If you have trouble with the site I gave you or cannot enlarge each page, get back to me WITH YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS.  I have downloaded each page and will forward them to you as attachments.  I cannot send this information to you through the allexperts site.  It must be done in an individual e-mail.

Ted Nesbitt

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I cannot PROVE my theory, because I don't have access to the sheet music, but I believe you are looking for a popular song, written in 1910, NOT a children's poem.  I did find the first line of the song, words written by Collin Davis, but I could not locate the entire lyrics of the song.  You might ask your local library to try to get a copy on INTERLIBRARY LOAN for you.

Here is some information taken from various internet sources.

Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451"
p. 92: In again out again Finnegan : this is a common nonsense rhyme indicating the lady's lack of concern about the war and her husband's part in it. The quotation restates "Off again, on again, gone again, Finnegan", which is a telegram about a rail crash, sent from Finnegan to his employer.
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Here's the story of the poem -- often attributed to Liam O'Flaherty but actually by Strickland W. Gillilan -- that sparked the name of this innovate little layout. The story is set in Ireland.

"On the Great Western Railway there was a Roadmaster named Mike Finnegan. As Roadmasters do, Mike would head out whenever there was a derailment, supervise the cleanup, and wire in a report to headquarters covering the details of the event and its resolution.

"After one particularly nasty accident, Mike laid out the entire situation in his lengthy report. Headquarters, unimpressed, wired back for Mike to keep to the essentials and forego the nuances.

"A few weeks later, the Great Western's top manifest dropped a dozen cars on the ground, and Mike went out to investigate. All night long the light burned as Finnegan toiled over the derailment report to be wired. As the sun came up it read, 'Off again, On again, Gone again -- Finnegan.' "

The phrase became immortal!

{KYM -- I seriously doubt the authenticity of the reference to the POEM, since I could find no mention of it under either Gillilan OR O'Flaherty! -- TN}

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POSTER -- From Irish Song, words by Collin Davis, music by Nat. D. Mann
<http://posters.barnesandnoble.com/search/product_large.asp?userid=5005623JVE&btob=Y&EAN=9780587004905>
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From the library at Indiana State University:
Title: Off again, on again, gone again.
First Line: On a railroad section there was much objection
Chorus: Off again, on again, gone again Finnegan
Music by: Mann, Nat. D.
Words by: Davis, Collin.
P/P/D: Chicago and New York : Victor Kremer Co., c1910.
Location: SPC, KIRK PS 1900-1913
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KYM -- You can see a popular 'poster' of the sheet music cover at the poster site above.  Unfortunately, Indiana State University gives ONLY the first line of the first verse, "On a railroad section there was much objection," and the first line of the chorus, "Off again, on again, gone again Finnegan."

Please see if your local public library would be willing to contact the Indiana State Library . . . or, if they won't, you could try contacting themselves.  Library-to-library is the best bet -- that's why the process if called Interlibrary Loan.

Good luck.

Ted Nesbitt

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If you appreciate my response, please take the time to evaluate me.  Thank you.  TN