The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-10-11
Sketch of the Famous Cores
pondent's Career.
HAS HELPED MAKE HISTORY
A Quarter ola Century in News
paper Work.
AND is STILL A YOUNG MAN
He Has Been Into Every Quarter OF the
Globe and His Letters Copied
in Every Civilized
Country.

There are some men who take pos
session of one from the very beginning.
After the first introduction we feel
as if we had known them always, and
all our secrets, our nmost thoughts, as
piraItions and hopes are theirs. Their
very personality wins and holds us.
Such a man is James Creelman, with
whom the newspaper world is familiar
through the wonderful letters that he
is sending to the New York World
from all parts of this broad country.
He is now writing about politics, and
though his views are often strongly
preiudiced in favor of the gold stand
ard. the story is ever new, ever fresh
and charming under his magnetic
touch of genius.
Occasionally he turns aside to de
scribe some prominent personality who
is impressing himself upon the world
and making history, like Mr.. Bryan; or
to tell about some unique and original
character like Watson. But always
there is that indescribable charm in
his sentences, THAT subtle fascination
in his philosophtc theorizing and his
descriptions, that indicate the master
ship of genius and make people buy
the World, just to see what Creelman
says He touches the ordinary hum
drum things of everyday life, and rem
derS them interesting; he describes the
people with whom he comes in daily
contact, and we have a greater rever-
ence for humanity.
1t was this fact which made his APP
pearance in Raleigh Tuesday an event
of so great interest, and yet of no sur
al ha eSfr RS
people pointed him out and said,
'sThere goes James Creelman." He was
no stranger, though they had never
seen him before. Nobody ever thought
to ask, ''And who is James Creelman?'
Everybody had read the New York
World, and every reader of the World
knew-that he was the famous news
paper correspondent whose letters they
had read.
Mr.. Creelman is remarkably hand
some man. You would hardly think
that he is SO years old. As he sat be-
fore the fire at the Park Hotel
smoking a cigar and talking to the
writer, he looked Like a great big jolly
young fellow who takes life just Sc
riously enough not to let things worry
him He has lived much in England
looks like an Englishman, and his
views ON the financial question CORES
pond with his looks.
"A round, good-natured face, with
Vandyke beard and rudy cheeks, clear
brown eyes, beaming on you in
shrewd but friendly way, handsome
nut brown moustache concealing a
mouth that indicates great strength
of character and will power-that is
his picture.
He is a fine talker and better lis
tener. indeed, that is his business, to
listen and learn all he can. But he
never laughs unless he is pleased, and
then it is a quiet little laugh that
shows genuine appreciation.
Though he is famous man, nobody
would ever dream of being afraid of
Mr.. Creelman. The most bashful nov
ice in politics would tell his profound
est secrets to him and never dream
that he was doing anything wrong.
He doesn't try to act great or pose as a
pompous person. He is as plain in his
manners as an old shoe. He talks SIM
ply and freely, and with all kinds and
classes of persons. He studies the po-
1tical situation of this country like Mr..
jefferson did that of France, by going
among the people, seeing how they live,
what they eat and wear, what their as
pirations are, their hopes and fears.
He takes them into his confidence, and
they in turn tell him political secrets
that would make the shrewd leaders at
headquarters groan did they but know
it. And it is this that makes Mr.. Creel-
mans letters have the flavor of the sec
ton about which he is writing and
which never allows him to grow tire
some or repeat himself And what is
better, it is this method of investiga-
ton that enables him to so accurately
forecast the results in the various
States he visits. Of course, he some
times errs, he would not be human If
he didn't. He erred, and erred griey-
ously in his estimate of North Carolina.
But as a rule he is not rainbow
chaser. He tells you of conditions as
he finds them, no matter how it hurts.
But above all and everything else he is a
Democrat, and he tries to deal fairly
with his readers and those about whom
he writes. He lis not a reformer. He
simply tears up by the roots,
with some of the earth still clinging
to them, the sentiments that he finds
ripening among the people and says
Here's what find growing there to-
day and tomorrow this must be the
harvest. Can a man reap Democracy
from a growth of Populism or a gold
standard victory come from free silver
voters?"
He is not tell-me-what-you
or-your-life kind of a newspaper man.
There is nothing prying or impertinent
about him. He is most gracious in his
manner and as gentle as woman, but
intensely in earnest. When he scents
some bed rock fact, the primal causes
for which he has been laboring his face
lights up with strange eagerness and
his eyes contract into blazing points
beneath his heavy brow and seem to
burn holes through you TO detect that
which you would conceal.
Such is the man who is perhaps the
most famous newspaper cores
pondent in this country and
one whose letters have been