The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-15
LESSON IN NERVE CONTROL.
How george kennRn Came to Be q
Siberian Specialist.
lington latter in New York Post.

Washington Letter in New York Post.
Russia's inhospitable treatment of George
Kenna shows that she has not got over
smarting from his exposure Of the bar
baritles of the Siberian deportation sys-
TEN. 1t must be rather fattering TO a
mans sense OF his Importance IN the
world that his mere bodily presence in one
of the greatest countries of Europe can
give its police system a tit of Mysteries.
1t is interesting, in view of the place
Remnants Siberian explorations have Won
Tor him, to know how ne came to undertake
them. 1t was, II a certain sense, pure ac-
cident. He mad been working as night
manager of the Associated Press in WASH
ington for a good while, and experimenting
his salary by occasional lectures, mostly on
the subject or his travels In the caucasus
some years. before. one OF his lecture
trips was made TO Orange, N. j., and the
member Of the local committee who took
charge of him for the night was Mr.. Drake,
the head of the illustration department OF
the Century Magazine. While they were
chatting about foreign experiences KEENAN,
remarked that IL would be a good thing IL
scmo writer for the press, with trained
covers of observation and the instinct OF
an explorer. were TO go to Siberia and de-
scribe in detail. with abundant pictures
the system followed there with deported
convicts. Mr.. Drake seemed much struck
with the idea, and a while later there came
to Washington from. Mr.. Glider, the editor,
a proposal that KEENAN, should himself un-
dertake such an enterprise. KEENAN, was
unwilling to do SO without going abroad
the field. This he did; but, realizing bet
ter its difficulties and dangers, he was re-
luctant TO make the venture. An offer
which in these days seemed muniicent.
however, changed his mind, and he went,
with results which are now history
Most readers will find it hard TO believe
that a man who could address himself, with
his eyes wide open to what lay before him,
10 such a task as the Siberian expedition
had ever been timid. But, according. to his
own account, KEENAN, was apprehensive, all
through his younger days, that il he should
be brought face to face with real danger
he should play the coward. The way he
took himself in hand TO overcome this ten
dency was heroic. He was then three or
four years short of full manhood, and was
employed as a telegraph operator In a
Western city somewhat noted Tor Its law
lessness. His duties kept him out late at
night. and he knew that he was liable TO
be beset by footpads at any time while
going home TO bed. At first he used TO
avoid all the streets where there seemed
the least liability of an ambuscade and turn
a corner sharply IL he heard the voices of
midnight jewellers on either side. Then he
said to himself: This is foolish, and must
stop. Men can harden themselves TO any
kind of danger. and cultivate GOODNESS and
nerve. l might as we'll be killed with "A
dirk or a bludgeon as die OF fright or get a
bullet in my back" So thereafter he put a
pistol into his pocket every night and kept
his thumb on the hammer and his forefin-
ger on the trigger as he sought out the
most dangerous quarters of the city through
which TO make his way home. If he saw a
free fight going on he. would deliberately
walk through the crowd, and he made IL a
point OF honor with himself to enter every
particularly noisy barroom he came to,
and TO interfere wherever he saw one man
attacking another at a disadvantage. He
had two or three narrow escapes from trou-
BILE and saw a good deal of blood-letting
and other crime, but in the course of one
winter he succeeded in ~conQuering so thor
oughly the qualms which had once I'M
nerved him that he has never since lost
his self-command when called 10 face even
deadly peril. little as he has enjoyed it