The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-01-14
A DISTINGUISHED MAN
Who Was Once a Citizen Of
Wheeling Recalls the Past,
FRANK KEENAN,, THE WRITER
ofthe Siberian Exile Articles for the
Century Magazine Writes to
an Old Friend, also a For
mcr Wheeling Man.

Since the first of the series of the
articles now running in the Century
magazine on the Russian system Of
political exile in Siberia the name OF
the writer, Frank KEENAN,, has probably
become more famous all over the world
than ever a writer's name became before,
Mr.. KEENAN, was once a telegraph oper'
ator here, in the employ OF the Western
Union company, and doubtless many
people here still remember him, The
following interesting chat about him is
from the Columbus correspondent OF the
Cincinnati Timss,Star;
George KEENAN,, the enterprisipg and
courageous Siberian traveller, whose ar,
tiicles In the Century have attracted
worldwide attention, is an Ohioan, and
years ago served the Western Union tel.
egraph at Wheeling, Columbus and Gin.
cinnati as operator Representative Me-
Kelvey, Of Belmont county, was in the
Wheeling office at the time that KEENAN,
was there and became intimate with
him, and recently wrote him, reviving
memories OF the time when they both
handled the key. KEENAN, replied and
wrote some interesting things in doing
so. The concluding sentences OF his
letter are full OF meaning, expressing
tho regard he has for his work, He
surely Is more than mere adventurous
traveller working for hire or the love Of
excitement; his heart has gone out to
the miserable beings whom he saw in
the tyrant.ridden land OF the Russ and
he wants the whole world to understand
the awful oppression that exists,
Representative MCKelvey says that
KEENAN, was an exemplary young man,
who put in every spare momentum study,
| have obtained his consent 10 publish
the principal portions of his letter, Us
follows:
"DENNYsvlLLE, WASHINGTON Co., MR,
"MY DEAR Mn, McKELvEY-If my
papers in the Century were not useful
or profitable in any other way, they
would have paid for themselves in tho
greetings they have brought me from old
friends whom the yiclssitudes Of liG
have taken beyond my horizon and out
Of my ken. Every week or two get u
letter through the Century company
from some old comrade or associate
whose name or face 4aSsnot seen in
more than scon ~ years / little
thought when opepe your letter this
afternoon that II would bsing me tldings
from one who was connected with part
OF my life as remote as now seems to me
my experience in Wheeling.
"When Icamc to Wheeling | left home
for the first time in my life, and
the most vivid recollection / have OF the
place Is the recollection OF being desper.
ately homesiCk there. ] had been accus.
toned all my life to flat open country,
and tho valley OF the Ohio, shut In by
hills as 1t is at Wheeling, seemed to me
then like a far.away foreign land. Three
years later ! was separated from my
home by the whole diameter ofthe earth,
and yet did not feel US dismal and
lonely Us ! felt that spring In Wheeling.
My homesickness finally became unCn!
durable, and asked to be transferable
Cleveland or Columbus, where | could
occasionally get on circuit that was
familiar to me.
II went To Columbus, from Columbus
10 Cincinnati, and from Cincinnati to
Siberia In the autumn Of 1864. My ex-
perienCe was in one respect similar to
yours. My health broke down in Gin.
cinnati as result OF long.Continued
overwork-particularly night work-and
II had not gone TO Siberia my bones
would have been lying in the quiet
graveyard at Norwalk more than twenty
years ago. / sailed from New York for
San Francisco pale-iaced, gloomy, NOR.
bid boy only nineteen years Of age and
weighing only 100 pounds. Rough out.
door life 80 quickly restored my health
that before had been in Siberia year
l weighed 1866 and could endure more
hardship and privation than half the
natives. The history Of my life since
that time is briefly set forth (though
with far too much friendly exaggeration)
in Miss Dawes sketch.
~ have failed in many OF the tasks
that | was setting for myself when |
office on the river 'front.' in Wheeling,
and my fortunes have turned largely
upon accident and circumstance but |
do not know that / would have my life
other than II has been. My last journey
to Siberia was a terribly hard and trying
one, as you will see before i finish the
history Of 1t in the Century; but 1t
opened to me a whole new world Of SEN
sation and experience, and has made il
possible for me to do the highest work
any man can do in this life-defend the
suffering and the oppressed, and help in
the gallant struggle Of q nation for lib.
erty,"