The San Francisco call., 1897-01-01
CaARAcrEE OF MoCUL1AeH.
Incidents ia the Life of the Great Netcs
nnne1 HTou

Incidents in the Life of the Great Netos-
paper Man.
During the siege of Vicksburg McCul-
lagh was doing newspaper work and was
in the wheelhouse of blockade runner
when a cannon-ball took away half of the
frame structure. McCullagh turned to
the terror-stricken pilot after removing q
hitherto undisturbed cigar from his mouth
and asked: ''Do you suppose that fellow
intended that shot for us?"
McCuliagh admired manly men above
all things and hated a coward. In his
newspaper experience in Cincinnati,
Chicago and st. Lous, and especially in
the latter city, his personal nerve was
frequently put to test and was never
found wanting. His correspondence for
the paper he represented during the
Civil War was graphic and mastery and
the letters he wrote for the paper have
served to-make history.
McCullagh was an indefatigable worker.
He not only managed the Gobe-Democrat
as far as its editorial policy was concerned,
but wrote its leading editorials and
editorial paragraphs. He was master of
epigrams, and his editorial paragra phs
were always terse and full of meat. He
was always at his best in the face of
defeat. He did his most brilliant work
after the defeat of Blaine in 1888.
McCullagh's greatest endeavor in life
was to build up paper for the masses,
and when he had full sway of the Globe
Democrat he came near to doing this.
His idea in journalism was to make a
paper that would be of interest wherever
it might be taken up by readers. Pursuing
this course, he made the Globe Democrat
a paper that was read by travellers every
where. There was never a piece of news
afoat that McCullagh did not get. He
had a sublime disregard for telegraphic
tolls, and would often order bit of cable
intelligence from q European capital,
which would not make more than dozen
lines, but yet would cost the paper
princely sum. Still it was the news"
and that was what McCullagh was after.
Under his management, when he had
things his own way on the Globe-Democrat,
its telegraphic tolls were tremendous. He
had special correspondent in almost
every town and hamlet in the United
States and in all the principal cities
abroad, and he knew almost every one of
them by name and demanded from each
of them the news.
What is news" was never a conundrum
to McCullagh. He knew what news was,
and got it.
McCuilagh was thoroughly democraticin in
way. He was passionately fond of bill
liard.playing, and always INDUCED in a
game or two before dinner at the Southern
Hotel. One could always find him there
at o'clock in a genial. kindly mood,
ready to roll the ivory balls with any one
who cared to play with him. AS he was
an expert IN the newspaper business so
was he an expert at billiards. The time
he spent at the billiard-table was probably
his happiest, except when he gIoa:ed over
some great coup that he had made for his
paper.
When playing billiards he was always
approachable. A young fellow once called
upon McCullagh in his Office and asked
por a position on the paper He was
briefly told that there was no place open
for him. That night he strolled in the
Southern Hotel billiard-room and found
McCulIagh rolling the balls around the
table in listless way that betokened
desire to have some one challenge him for
game. The young man took a cue from
the rack, the balls were lined up and they
entered upon the contest. The young
fellow out of d job proved to be the
superior player and defeated McCullagh.
AT the END of the game the managing
editor turned to the solicitor for position
on his paper and said:
''Come down TO the Office tonight. l
have something for you to do"
And W en- the young man went down to
the Globe Democrat Office he was given
position on the telegraphic desk at very
good salary.
These are but incidents that indicate
something of the character OF Joe McCul-
lagh. He was one of the old-time news
paper men that loved his paper above
pelf and fame. He had keen apprecia-
tion of the dignity of the newspaper pro-
fession, and happy faculty of I'm buing
this feeling into the minds of all the men
who worked for him. He was a courage
Gus man, a rafting good newspaper man,
good fellow and it is pity that he is
dead.