Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-10-24
HEROIC TRAINING.
How George KEENAN, Overcams his
Fear of Danger.


Russios inhospitabe treatment Of
George KEENAN, shows that she has not
got over smnrting from his exposure Of
the barbarities of the Siberian deporta-
ton system. II must be rather fattering
to a mans sense of his importance in the
orld that his mere bodily presence in
one of the greatest countries of Europe
can give its police system a fit of hys-
terics.
1t is interesting, in view of the place
Kennan's Siberian explorations have won
for him. to know how he came TO UNDER
take them. 1t was in a certain sense
pure accident. He had been working as
night manager OF the Associated Press in
Washington for a good while and sup
plemcntng his salary by occasional lee
lures, mostly on the subject of 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 on The
Century Magazine. While they were
chatting about foreign experiences Ken
nan remarked that it would be good
thing if some writer for the press with
stinct of an explorer were to go TO ST.
IBERIA and describe in detail. with abundant
pictures, the system followed there with
dcported convicts
Mr.. Drake seemed much struck with
the flea, and awhile later there came to
Washington from Mr.. Glider, the editor,
a proposal that KEENAN, should himself
undertake such an enterprise. KEENAN,
n do
abroad first and making n preliminary
survey of the field. This he did; but.
realizing better its difficulties and dam
gers, he was reluctant to make the ven
turc. An offer which in these days SEEM
ed munihcent, however, changed his mind,
and he went, with results which are now
history.
Most readers will find it hard to be-
licve that man who could address him
self, with his eyes wide open to what lay
before him, to such task rs the Siberian
expedition had ever been timid. But, ac-
cording to his own account, KEENAN, was
apprehensive all through his young days
that if he should be brought face to face
with real danger he should play the cow
ard.
The way he took himself in hand tC
overcome this tendency was heroic. HI
was then three or four years short of full
manhood and was employed as tele
graph operator in a western city some
! what noted for its lawlcssness. His du
ties kept him out late at night, and hi
knew that he was liable to be beset b,
footpads at any time while going home t
bed.
At first he used to avoid all the street,
whore there seemed the least liability o
an ambuscade and turn corner sharpl.
if he heard the voices Of midnight revel
lors on either side Then he said to him
self: This is foolish and must stop. Mel
can harden themselves to any kind o
danger and cultivate GOODNESS and nerve
| might as well be killed with dirk or
ludgeon az die of fright or get bulle
in my back"
SO thereafter he put pistol into hi
pocket every night and kept his thumb o.
the hammer and his forefnger on tn
trigger as he sought out the most danger
Gus quarters Of the city through which t
make his way home. If he saw FIRE
fight going on, he would deliberatel
walk through the crowd. and he made
q point Of honor with himself to enter ey
cry particularly noisy barroom he cam
10 and to interfere whenever he saw on
man attacking another at a disadvantage
He had two or three narrow escape
from trouble and saw good deal O
bloodletting and other crime, but in tn
course of one winter he succeeded in col
ouering so thoroughly the Qualms whic
had once unnerved him that he has neve
since lost his self command when Gale
to face even deadly peril, little as he ha
euioyed it sometimes.-New York Post.