Omaha daily bee., 1910-05-21
AN ADVENTUROUS JOURNALIST
Ohio Urged to Honor Native
Son with National
Statue.

1t is suggested by one of the New York
papers that Ohio should present to Stat
uary hall a marble or bronze presentment
OF Januarius Aloyslus MacGahan,
How many American hero worshipers
there must be who have hardly heard OF
MacGahanl Yet he was heroic In a useful
service, and died as the result Of his obedi-
ence to the scriptural injunction to minister
to the sick.
MacGahan, like most Americans who
amount TO anything was born in the brush
and bred in poverty. His birthplace was
near Lexington, o.. and in 1874 that section
OF the United States was net the hub of
the world, He died in Constantinople in
1878. Half of his thirty-four years of life
were rich with experience. His career was
picturesque, but its net results were not
negligible.
AS a youth MacGahan tried this and
that calling In the west and studied law
at night. Afterward he went to Europe
to study in Brussels. Upon the outbreak
OF the Franco-German war In 1870 we went
to the front as a correspondent for the
New York Herald, to whose columns he
had contributed unsolicited matter. This
was the beginning OF his career as a war
permission to accompany a Russian ex-
petition sent out to smash the Mohamme-
dan brigands OF Khiva, a vassal state of
Russia traversed by the Oxus and skirting
the Sea OF Aral. and inhabited by Talks
Uzbeks, Karakalpaks. Turcomans. The OBJ
| jeot Of the car was to impress an outlaw
Khan with the majesty OF Russia. Forbid
den to accompany the expedition, Mac
| n,
crossed the waste places of central Asia,
arrived in advance of the Russians. after
enduring incredible hardships, and was on
the ground to report the fall Of Khiva for
his paper, His report was regarded by
officers as a masterpiece OF military Journ-
| alism.
In Cuba MacGahan reported the Virginiui
affair the same year, when war was al
most caused between Spain and the United
States because the Spanish man-of- wal
Tornado captured the American vessel, anC
Skipper Joseph Fry and thirty-six mel
were shot as hlibusters on their way L
aid Cuba in It's ten years war with Spain.
When he was reporting the Carlist up
riting In Spain, clad in a Carlist uniform
MacGahan wOs captured and sentenced 4
be shot, but was saved by the Intervention
in search of adventure, MaoGahan wen
With the Pandora Arctic expedition. Tn
following year he Joined the Turkish arm
as representative Of the London News, an
his description of the Bulgarian atrocitie
which stood the test OF hostile investiga
ton and remain today a chapter in Euro
peon history-attracted the attention Of tn
world In behalf of Bulgaria he appeals
to Russia, and in the Russo Turkish wa
that followed he was at the front. Halle
as deliverer by the Bulgarians who's
Independence resulted largely from hi
I journalistic undertaking" OF Turkey, IN
r intrepid young man from Ohio became
. hero In that country. While nursing
friend afflicted with fever he contracte
fatal illness and died In the Turkish cap
, tai Under the Northern Lights" "Turh
, ish Atrocities In Bulgaria" and Campaign
ing on the OKus and the FAN Of Khiva
survive him, and the Chic legislature mad,