The Savannah morning news., 1902-03-30

| years ago that he knew more authors
| personally than any other man. Prob
ably that record is still his, though
| he is not actively engaged in business
now. Mr. Mcclure has had remark
able career. He was born in County
| Antrim, Ireland, on Feb. II, 1857. His
| father was a shipbuilder; his ances-
tors before had been carpenters and
builders. The fact may explain the
| capacity for establishing businesses
and conceiving great enterprises which
is a marked characteristic of the
| present day editor and publisher.
An accident in the Glasgow ship
yards brought the fathers life to an
untimely end and the mother face to
face with the serious problems of life.
-Four boys, the oldest 8, could not
| tighten the burden.
an uncle who had emigrated to
America wrote urging the mother to
turn all their available assets into
cash and to join him in the land of
opportunity. Friends were leaving the
old land by the hundreds and, with
the hope that, in the new country her
boys might find the means for better
things than were to be had in Ireland
she was swept to this side of the At
lantic by the great wave of emigration
which followed our Civil War.
The family made it's way to Indiana
and there on a farm near Valparaiso,
Samuel Sidney Mcclure grew into the
days of his youth. Few, save those
who have had a similar experience,
can know the story of his boyhood.
Fired by great ambition. he worked
early and late with a buoyancy of
spirit and energy of action that made
difficulties disappear before him.
From district school to the normal,
then CHS first great venture away
from home) the college. And this
meant more to him than to the young
man who leaves home for the college
in these days. 1t meant that he HAD
to get Dis education and living at the
same time. 1t is commonplace to say
that here also he worked hard. He
did what few men could have done;
he supported himself, established
college magazine, stood high in his
classes and, at the same time, courted
and won the daughter of the senior
professor. A poor student has many
aids in winning a degree; there are
none in winning the professors daugh-
ter.
Immediately upon his graduation
from Knox College in Galesburg, Ill.
Mr.. Mcclure went to Boston. 1t Is
related of him that after many
DAYS fruitless search for employment,
he CHANGED to pass bicycle pavilion,
In front of which hung a placard ad-
vertising the need of an instructor in
bicycle riding.
The young man rushed in and sought
out the manager.
Can YOU rider" inquired the latter.
'I've never been on a Wheel replied
the future editor, "but I'll show you
in the evening that l can ride if you
will hold the place for me-"
The manager laughed. Here was a
self confident youth, indeed, but the
eager manner and look of determine
ton compelled assent to the strange
proposal.
bicycle shop, rented a wheel. All night
long he practiced and early the next
morning presented himself at the pavil-
ion to take up his work.
Not long after this experience Mr..
Mcclure met Col. Albert A. Pope, and
the acquaintance led the young man
into the edtorship and management of
THE Wheelman," a position in which
he continued a year and a half. Then
he went to New York and for year
was variously engaged with the Cen
fury Company, in post graduate work,
etc.
1t was in the fall of "a that his great
idea came to him. He was recovering
from a serious illness, when suddenly
the thought came to him.
why not buy stories Of we'll known
authors and sell them to several pa
pers FOR simultaneous publication? The
Associated Press had been syndicating
news-mere brute factor thirty
years. Why not create and supply
market for the very best in literature?
The idea soon bore fruit. Mr.. Nc
Clure had the brilliant conception at
just the right time; paper was rapidly
falling in price, increased facilities for
printing brought about a demand for
news matter and success fell to him
because his capacity for organization
Joined his ability to see at once the
valuable and available in manuscripts
Rudyard Kipling once said that Mr..
Mcclure was the only man he knew
who could tell where an author was
going to be three years hence.
1t is difficult to estimate the results
which have followed the original syn
dicating idea. The business grew be-
yond the first dreams of its originator.
The work which was began as a means
of placing a short story in several
newspapers simultaneously expanded
into vast system for delivering in the
largest newspaper offices Of the coun-
try, specially illustrated articles Of
timely interest, women's and youths
pages, short and serial fiction of all
kinds.
From the authors point of view the
idea was revolutionary in its effect
They were paid better for their work
and their names were given a sudden
and wide publicity. A. new audience
has been discovered. For Mr.. Mcclure,