Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-01-02
THE LATE. Mr.. McCULLAGH
Interesting Stories Told Of His Career in This
v. City.
How He Happened to Leave the As
socfated Press - His ENperf-
ence a. TenderfOOt.

The late John B. McCuilagh. editor-in-
chief OF the ST. Louis obe-Democrat. was
fer many years reporter for the Associat-
ed Press in this city, and also at the same
time a correspondent over the sigma ture of
Mack" of the Cincinnati Commercial
Many stories are told of mis- peculiar:ties
while he resided in this city. Jesse Sarvis
was the only telegraph operator for the
press work of the Senate when McCullagh
was reporting there:
when McCullagh was reporting on the
moor OF the Senate, says Mr.. Sarvis. "one
of the senators from California made him
self disagreeable. McCullagh simply stopped
reporting what that senator said on the
floor. He never said anything against the
senator, but preserved strict silence con-
corning Kim. This SO irrtated the senator
lhat ne made speech one day devoted
entirely to personal attack on McCul-
lagh, who had to sit there and listen with
out the right to reply. McCullagh said
when he came up in the gallery. that he
was gong 10 California to defeat that sena-
tor 70" reelection"
Why He Was Removed
Mr. McCullash was succeeded as reporter
OF the senate for the Associated Press by
Mr. by. Conquest Clarke, now of the United
Press The reason for Mr.. McCullagh's
separation from the Associated Press
His was the first example OF a newspaper
man being started on d new and successful
career by the disfavor of the Senate The
incident was recalled 10 me when Jim
1oung was elected to the House after he
was turned out of his position in the Sen
ate.
"McCullagh's dismissal from the Associ-
ated Press was demanded by the senators
he was the Associated Press reporter on
the floor of the Senate and at the same
time corresponded over the signature of
MACK. he was a perfectly fearless
Hrlter: though just and accurate. In the
Mack letters some of the senators were
criticised very sharply. They could not
complain tina; any untruth was told abo,;
them or that any injustice was done hut
mat did not lessen their anger. The fact
tnat what Mack said was true made i;
hurt worse, and ii was offensive to them
70 see McCullagh occupying the privileges
OF the floor Finally they waited on the
manager of the Associated Press and de-
nanded McCulleg CHS dismissal. They
threatened to take from the association the
privilege OF having a reporter on the floor
OF the Sen tie If Mcrullagh was retained
Eventually, with great reluctance the man
ager Of the Associated Press had 10 Weld
This was the best of good fortune for Nc
Cullagh."
One of His Own Stories.
colonel McCullagh in the course Of his
career had many laughable experiences
and did not hesitate to tell a good story
even though the point was on himself.
Sitting In the old "Beanery" the oId-tim,4
gathering place for men of the note book
and pencil, in the fall of ~, he told the
following story to little knot of newspa-
per men, one of whom happened TO be the
writer:
Some years ago." said Mr. McCullagh.
went west TO make my fortune. i was
young and foolish. and in Butte, Mont. j
went broke l did not know a soul was
hungry, and how badly / wanted a drink of
good, old Missouri rye you can imagine i
walked up and down, past saloons and dug
outs, aud finally hit upon a scheme which
l proceeded to put into operation / walked
into saloon, noticed big cowboy leaning
up against the long bar, with a brace of
reviewers, large as young cannons, hang
ing over his hips. Approaching the bar
tender, | said: 1 understand they make a
man drink in this wild and woolly west
whether he wants TO or not?,
Yes said he, sometimes
Il decrled IL as an outrage and shame
gave short temperance lecture and des-
canted upon the rights of American Citizen
ship. and wound up by voWing that. even
though l were tenderfoot, no living man
could make me drink against my will
Just here 1 noticed the big cowboy finger
ing his gun nervously, and before 1 knew
it l was covered.
% Jim said he to the bartender. put six
drinks of whisky on the bar" To me he
said: Young fellar, you drink them six
drinks or, by CD, there will be a new ten
derfoot in hell tonight
Il spluttered around, made feeble pro-
test or two. but my cowboy cooked his
gun. 1 slowly drank my way to the end OF
the row of glasses, stopped and smiled.
The cowboy laughed and began a harangue
about q tenderfoots cowardice and bragga-
docio and when he had concluded, / said
to him:
Say, mister. If you will fill 'em up again
L will drink my way back to where 1
started from -