Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-06-23
THE WAR CORRESPONDENT.
interesting Experiences Of Mr.. William
Maxwell.

Maxwell.
The life Of Mr.. William Maxwell, the
great war correspondent Of the Lon
don Standard, Is as packed with ven-
ture and incident as q novel Of Du-
mas He is one Of the gypsies of jour-
nalism-representative Of all that is
exciting, picturesque and romantic In
seemingly drab-colored profession.
To follow his footsteps in recent
years Is to traverse the Soudan with
Kitchener, to enter Palestine with the
imperial majesty of Germany. to sit
out the peace conference with Sir John
Fisher, to walk the shell-wrecked
streets Of Ladysmith with White and
Ward, to ride with Roberts to Preto-
ria, to stand now at the solemn grave
Of Queen Victoria, and now at the
marriage altar Of Queen Wilhelmina,
to visit the rejoicing columns of Brit
ain with the Prince and Princess OF
Wales. to converse on European diplo-
macy with the Sultan Of Morocco, to
follow Kuroki into his most intimate
privacy, to look upon the mountainous
dead at the Shaho and the Yalu. to
witness, alone among newspaper cor
respondents not originally attached to
General Nogis army, the historic
handing over oe Port Arthur to the
Japanese. And tomorrow he will be
passing through India with the Prince
and Princess of Wales.
The public has its reporter In the
police court, its gossip in the lobby OF
the house of commons, and its critic
at the theatre These are journalists;
but the true journalist Is a nomad,
man acquainted with all nations, al
home in every capital, and familiar
with the craftsmanship and the GUS
toms of every people. He is the fire.
side guest from foreign lands at the
heart of the newspaper reader, the
delightful traveller whose tales keeI
the night ever too young for sheets
and counterpane. He Is the character
in a good romance who Unexpectedly
thrusts open the inn door and comes
out of midnight wind and rain with
splashed boots and clanking sword
calling for a tankard Of red ale as ne
strides to a place in the ingle.
Maxwell of the Standard.
To the general reader Of newspapers
the name of William Maxwell is hard.
ly known. but among people working
out either the salvation or destruction
Of Europe Maxwell Of the Stand
ard" has long been a familiar phrase
The old principle in journalism o.
anonymity has kept his name from
the public. but he has long been ar
influence in the affairs Of the world
and persona grata with the very elect
Mr.. Maxwell is chief Of our journal
istic gypsies by reason Of two gifts
he has first the same faculty for OBJ
servation which made George Steev
ems so gracious a writer, and he ha.
secondly the faculty for statesman
ship which secures for him the trus
and respect Of diplomats in almos
every country of the world. He no
only describes a battlefield, but h
forms the politics Of his reader. HI
brings the scene before the eye. ant
in the mind plants the seed OF tomor
rows result. He Is an observer Of thu
worlds movements, as we'll as paint
er of it's great pictures.
| His description of the battle Of ON
durman, which appeared in the oil
Standard, remains to this day as ont
of the most brilliant essays In wa
literature: and his picture Of Por
Arthur's fall was the only worthy i'm
preston received by Europe OF tina
great event. With such dispassion ant
coolness does he write that one Nigh
think he viewed battle through fielt
glasses at distance where bullets
never reached. And yet he has al
ways been in the very thick Of bat
tie, and has sometimes written his ac
count after thirty hours Of hungerint
and thirsting.
I asked him the other day In wha
| .he American lady would have called
his "pomme de terre" in London, wha
1t felt like to be in the midst Of an en-
gagement. stuck there as a peaceful
observer of death and destruction. HI
laughed as he admitted that the frs
sensation is one Of funk" Il thinl
that the first sensation Of almost ev
cry man is one Of funk. Then, quit
suddenly comes the conviction tina
you are about to die, that your life II
| finished. and that In a few minutes
you will have shuffied off the friendl!
coil of mortality and made acquaint
ance with death. With this comes re-
lief, a joyful feeling Of nonchalanc'
and exultation. Cowardice and terro
go: one awaits ones dismissal rather