The Washington herald., 1908-05-03
ROLLING STONE MCINTOSH.
What lie Has Adventured and What
lie Hopes to Do.


life's work. but this is what Burr Nc
Intosh has done. Mr. Mcintosh. who is
to give his lecture. with Secretary Taft
IN the Orient; or. The Situation To-day"
at the Beiasco Theater tonight, has been
in Washington for several days. not only
gathering some highly interesting facts
regarding the army and navy. which will
be told this evening. but also preparing
for what he calls his future life work &"
Mr. Mcintosh, as many know. was not
only a champion college athlete. one of
the best amateur pool players In the
country. as well as an expert card ma
ntpulator, but he has also made successes
as a journalist, actor, author, photog-
rapher, publisher, and now a lecturer.
Possibly it is the old story of the pro-
verbal rolling stone;" but while the
world thought he was success in each
Of his vooations. 1t develops that he has
not been-at least TO an alarming de-
gree-hnaneially. But now that Is TO
come, judging from the opinion expressed
by himself yesterday 1t seems almost
foolish TO hear Burr Mcintosh speak of
twenty-five years ago when one locks
at the youthful and vigorous face, but ne
seemed to have no desire to hide his
age"
Yes. TO be candid. I feel that life is
just beginning for me, although l can't
say that I'd have any right 10 complain
if it ended now. instead of began II
anybody has made any more successful
failures than have, don't want to meet
them" said Mr. Mcintosh, with smile.
because I'm now at peace with all the
world and I hope TO remain so, for a few
moments at least"
Would you mind telling me. Mr. Nc
Intosh, just how you happened TO follow
so many vOcations. especially when you
seemed to be successful at each? You
started 10 be business man. didn't
you?'
Yes. When I left Princeton. just
twenty-five years ago this month-you
notice il was before the end OF the year.
and my junior year at that-I was IN the
coal business In Pittsburg with my father
for year"
Why did YOU quit that?"
Lost all the money I had. and then
some. betting that Blaine would be
elected in 1854
And them"
Went TO Philadelphia to earn my own
living as a journalist The late Moses p.
Handy gave me job at $40 week Aft
er a strenuous two months Of exposing
thieves and dives. Barley Campbell Of
fered me an opportunity tn try TO be-
come an actor
How long did YOU remain on the stage
and why did you leave?"
Remained off and on. for sixteen
years, but because Of keeping myself busy
during the summers / acquired a reputa-
ton of not sticking to anything. Why did
/ leave2 Oh, well, I had ambitions which
could not be grstihed if I was a wan
dering actor, and so / became a photog-
rapher.'
why did YOU quit that?"
Il didn't ] still have my studios but
chiefly to make prints from any Of the
25,000 negatives. II is a pretty valuable
lot too. There are several thousands OF
these interesting people in every walk OF
life among them But IL is the outdoor
things I'm chiefly interested in
How about the Burr Mcintosh Month
ly?''
I'm still interested in It. though not in
the active management, For the first year
and nine months / posed every picture
and wrote every word there was in II.
Mr.. Hobart, the editor. was with me all
Of the time and is carrying out ali Of the
plans as had hoped. There are 60. 900 Of
them going about the world every
month"
And yet you say that YOU are giving
up all Of these interesting vocations TO
follow new one.
Yep, And a bigger and better one in
every way than all OF them combined.
and yet they will all be an integral part"
And what is this wonderful new thing
under the SUM-
Il am going to devote my entire future
10 presenting a lecture TO be called The
United States To-day
DO YOU think the people OF this coun-
try will come for that in sufficient num-
Der 10 make it prohtabie?"
Optimism is something I've always
had, possibly TOO much. But proper tudg-
ment has, I fear, only come during the
past few months. The success Of my
present lecture has, however, shown me
how deeply the people OF the United
States are interested in any allusion to
the needs and welfare Of the country.
I've been working for several months on
the new lecture and already have over
] 500 photographs or slides. every one OF
which seems absolutely essential. Dur
ing the coming months I expect to add at
least 1000 more Then the elimination
will proceed until only about go are left"
What viii be the nature of the lecture.
and what will YOU try to show?"
History, beauty. bgness manufactur-
ing, agriculture 1t will be constantly M
TO date, and each year shall visit lead
ing towns and cities at about the same
time until the end Of my chapter Why.
do you know that not more than one out
of 5000 persons IN the United States to-
day has the slightest conception OF what
the United States means? I've been knock
ing about quite a good deal in every
State and Territory in the Union during
the past twenty years and I've been a
fairly keen observer. I thought l knew
something about II all until I began pre-
pairing this lecture. I find that know
hardly anything. But I shall. and ] am
going to tell others what 7 learn. I really
believe that those Who see the pictures
and learn the facts will be benefited to
an untold degree. Il will be my earnest
endeavOr to please the eye and intellect,
but I shall constantly try to incuIcate q
growth of patriotic sentiment Politics or
selfshness will not enter into it. But If
see a menace in the growth Of an uude-
sirable form Of imagination. or large
strike, or any other condition which IS
damaging the country. I shall show pho
tographs and tell plain facts which the
rest Of the country should know. But It
is not the dark side that 7 am looking at
now or shall in the future. The paralyz-
ing bigness and beauty of this country
can be but poorly told at best, but
venture the prediction that every honest
American will come away from seeing
and hearing The United States To-day
ready to fight in a second, and also.
hope, ready 10 put an end to the puny,
pessimistic politicians who are thwarting
the viii of the people in not making our
borders safe from any attack as long as
our country shall last"