Capt. James McSherry

Capt. James McSherry of the Tymon & Murphy Company, and master in the steamer A. J. Tymon, is a comparatively young man, as he was born in Toronto in the year 1861. He was educated here in the old Richmond street school, afterward taking a course in Mr. Conner O'Dea's business college. When he was eleven years old he began sailing, shipping as cook in the schooner Echo, owned by his father, in the year 1872, her first voyage after his going aboard being from Toronto to Oswego with lumber. Altogether he stayed three years in the Echo, the last season as mate. Going out of the Echo, young James shipped before the mast in the schooner West Wind, under Capt. John Parker, remaining in her for two years.

The West Wind was wrecked off Cobourg in 1879, and after that Capt. McSherry shipped before the mast in the schooner Belle Sheridan, another ship owned by his father, Capt. James McSherry, after whom the present Captain is named. In that vessel he remained until she was wrecked in the fall of 1880, during one of the fiercest gales ever recorded on Lake Ontario. That was a terrible experience for the Captain. Everything was made as snug as possible before the gale struck the vessel very hard, but so fierce was the blow that cordage and spars and masts were finally carried away, and the Belle Sheridan drifted, a helpless log, on to Weller's Beach, on Lake Ontario, near Consecon, and all hands were drowned, excepting young James. Thirty-two people lost their lives off the Belle Sheridan that bitter November night. That was the same night, November 7, 1880, that the big vessels Norway and Zealand were cast away. As by a miracle young McSherry finally drifted ashore on a piece of the schooner's deck, having witnessed the overcoming and drowning of his father and three brothers. He was wet from midnight on Saturday until 4 o'clock next afternoon in a freezing wind.

Capt. McSherry, after the sad Belle Sheridan disaster, abandoned sailing for one season. Then he went steamboating and sailed the steamer Arlington for two seasons on Toronto Bay. He was the first master to pass the examination for competency at Toronto, in 1883, when he was mate, and in 1884 he took charge of the Arlington as Captain. He has had command of steamboats ever since, except for one season, when he was mate in the steamer Eurydice. He had charge of the steamer J. L. McEdwards, and was in the steamer Theresa at the time of the great Toronto Esplanade fire in 1885, when his vessel was burnt to the water's edge and sank. A portion of the following season he sailed as mate in the steamer Eurydice, or Hastings, as she was called in those days, and for the subsequent three seasons he was Captain of the steamer Kathleen. When Capt. Tymon built the steamer A. J. Tymon in 1892, Capt. James McSherry was appointed master, and he has continually sailed in her. Two seasons out of the five he ran her on the upper lakes between Crystal Beach,Buffalo,Cleveland,Port Stanley and other ports.

Capt. McSherry is a single man. He is a Liberal of the staunchest kind and has worked much for the party in East Toronto. He is a member of the order of United Workmen.

Capt. James McSherry, sen., father of the present Captain, sailed for 40 years, ten on salt water and thirty on the great lakes, and among the vessels which he owned on the lakes were the Echo, the West Wind, and the Belle Sheridan. He left two sons, Capt. Jas. McSherry and Capt. P. McSherry, both of whom are well versed in the trade of the great lakes. Capt. James McSherry has been with the same company, Messrs. Tymon & Murphy, since the year 1883.

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