Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-04-23

| where he was raised by his grandmoth-
| er. He was educated in the public
schools and for many years was en-
ployed as river driver, securing by that
employment what was necessary for
his schooling and learned the trade of
miilwrlght and wood turner. When in
school he contributed several articles
| to weekly papers and when on the
drive sent daily paper items of inter-
est regarding the lumber business. He
| took vacations from school to report
important cases from court, and left
the lathe for the same purpose. Long
before he accepted an office position he
| reported murder cases and important
civil cases all over Maine.
When the last expedition was I'M
dertaken against Louis Riel in Mani
| toba Mr.. McCone went along as a cor
respondent. He was member of the
Maine National Guard at the time and
was called a good tactician, which rep
utation he bore until his death.
He was one of Names brightest and
| most active newspaper men, although
he had been almost totally blind for
the past - years. Since his blindness
| the deceased handled the famous The
riault murder case from start to finish
He was the only newspaper man in the
Moosehead Lake section during the
first week of the investigation of the
case. He took personal interest and
| was q warm friend of the respondent
The deceased was always a student
on military matters, following closely
all foreign engagements, and would
have accompanied the expedition
against the Spanish in 1898 had his eyes
not failed him at that time. His blind
ness began in April of that year and
on this account the opportunities that
were offered by the Spanish War, the
campaign in the Philippines and that
of England in South Africa, were lost
to him. But his sad aff1iction did not
lessen his interest in the outcome of
any of the engagements and during the
Russian-Japanese war he followed each
engagement minutely. Prevented from
reading the news himself, he had the
papers read to him each morning, mas
| tering fully each detail. His retentive
memory was remarkable and in many
| instances during that engagement his
| opinions were regarded as authority.
Although following the newspaper
| business for the greater part of his
| life, he was widely known in other cir
Giles. In the military world Jack" or
Captain McCone, as he was commonly
| called, was influential. He was men,
Der of the Skowhegan company of the
National Guard for many years and
| because of his proficiency he soon be-
came leader He was a member of the
| fire department of that town for many
years, and was captain of the Hook &
Ladder Co. Many thrilling narratives
| have been related by him of the days
| when tine apparatus was not as plent-
| iful as it is today and fighting flames
was done under more adverse condi-
tions.
Mr.. McCone for several months was
| clerk at the Rockingham hotel in Lew
| iston, prior to his accepting the posi-
ton as city editor of the Kennebec
Journal in this city. He assumed the
duties vacated by Charles B. Davis
and came here with reputation as a
man of experience, as he was formerly
connected with the Journal and other
| papers.
Remaining with the Journal for sew
eral years. he later decided to publish
all independent paper. The Iconoclast
| was the name of the semi-monthly pa
per Of four pages, with seven columns,
that was started by Mr. McCone New.
| Is. 1900. The paper was Independent in
| politics and was one of the first pa
| pers to suggest resubmissiOn of the
prohibtory constitutional amendment.
The paper was given over to the sup
port of license; attacked the methods
of the Christian Civic League: INDUCED
in forcible editorial comment and died
as its editor expected 1t would during
| it's infancy. The circulation of the pa
| per was chiefly among the enemies of
| the prohibitory law and politicians and
reached 1000. Mr.. McCone started the
paper for personal reasons without
suggestion from any person and hav-
| ing no financial backing the life of the
paper was limited by the amount Of
cash the proprietor could secure be
tween issues. The Iconoclast closed it's
| career with the seventh number.
He had a varied experience after TAX
ing up the work and bore his affliction
with great fortitude, never complaining
when things went wrong and his ready
witty stories gained for him great
prominence among the leading writer's
of New England. He used the typewrit-
! err in all his work and his ability to
run the machine was remarkable. Of
late years he was correspondent for
The Associated Press, the Boston Daily
Globe and the Bangor Daily News,
writing occasional stories for other pa
pers. During the recent municipal cam
paign he won great distinction by his
articles published in favor of the Re-
publican party, of which he was
staunch friend. He always took an ac-
tive interest in the local government
/ and was generally consulted on mat
tiers of greater Importance.
In his home life. although solitary.
he was cheerful and his large circle of
friends always found him a ready en-