Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-26
M,cARTHY's THOUGHT EXCHANGE"

Mode of Amusement.
"Did you ever hear about McCarthy's
Thought Exchange'?" one of soup
asked in restaurant the other dayst
who's Mccarthy somebody asked.
why, John B. Mccarthy, Senator
Stanford's private secretary" said the
first. "He's an odd genius, and so handy
that the California millionaire gives him
his own salary of $1,000 year in addi-
ton to the So day allowed by the gov
ernment to attend to his affairs I'm
reminded of his Thought Exchange by
reading the story of Clyatt, the London
reporter, who had witnessed 800 execu-
tions."
The gentlemen present said they had
never heard of the Exchange"
"Well," said the first speaker, INC
Carthy used to be a newspaper reporter.
He has worked in New York and in San
Francisco, and a good many towns be-
tween them. Before he became STAN
ford's secretary he was in Washington, a
reporter on the old National Republican.
He complained that life was so dull Sun
day nights that it wasn't worth living,
so he organized the Thought Exchange.
He printed a notice in The Republican
that such an exchange had been organ
lied, and that all people who had any
views on any subject would be welcome,
and invited to speak. He rented hall
on Tenth street, and the next Sunday
night about fifty were present.
"There were Spiritualists who wanted
to give exhibitions of their powers.
There were labor agitators. There were
socialists and temperance workers.
Everybody was allowed to speak. The
following Sunday the attendance was
larger and the speakers of about the
same sort. The hall rent was eight dol
lars an evening. A collection was taken
up which usually amounted to dollar
or two more than that, and that was
clear profit. The thing went along until
the owner refused to rent the hall, and
so the Exchange was about to move out
to a little hall near Twentieth street and
Pennsylvania avenue; but it did not
make the change"
"What has this to do with man who
had seen 300 cxecutions?" some one asked.
"As said, Mccarthy used to be a
newspaper reporter. He had seen hang
ings in dozen states-about forty in all
is his record, think He saw Guiteau
executed, and had been present at
lynchings in Missouri and elsewhere.
On the last night the Exchange was
to meet in the Tenth street hall no
speakers came forward. Something had
to be done, and Mccarthy was equal to
the occasion. He went upon the plat
form and announced that he would give
lecture. His subject would be The
Comparative Merits of the Long and
Short Drop at Executions He went at
it and discussed the subject as coolly as
one would discuss whether Washington
or Napoleon were the greater general.
He talked for two hours. He cited sew
eral executions he had witnessed as
showing the merits of the two systems.
HE described one or two horrible af-
fairs where a rope, and mob, and
bridge were the principal accessories.
The ladies present got up and went away
at that, and the others of his audience
were either dazed or charmed with his
audacity. After talking for two hours,
he announced the change in place of
meeting for the next week, and said he
would deliver another lecture on the
same subject, giving especial attention
to lynchings.
Zone Of the long haired men present
came to him after the lecture and said,
OF course your lecture was very fine,
and it certainly shows you have had
some remarkable experiences, but don't
you think it would be wise for the next
time to take something in which we
could all be interested? Next week
there was no audience, and the Thought
Exchange was dead. It wasn't long aft
er that that Mccarthy was appointed
private secretary by Mr.. Stanford.
New York Times