The Washington times., 1913-03-08
Nox Mccain Carries Out Old Saw of
Newspaper Game, Says Julia Murdock
Once in the Profession, Always
in 1t, Proven in Case Of
Travel Lecturer.

~ nee a newspaper man always q
newspaper man. The profes.
sions may call and beckon with
promises for the most allurins
| and marvellous future. yet the pulpit
the lawyers toga. and even the more
| humble pursuits like the bricklayer's
| trowel. the butchers cleaver, and the
artists brush are forsaken for the call
Of the great newspaper game. Once
learned, once INDUCED in, although II
may be given UP for a time, the old
methods remain and the ever abiding in
stinct for being ION the job" and get
ting that news which is Of the greatest
import. has been the means of accomp-
fishing wonders in other professions
which may have been taken up by the
ex-newspaper man.
Nox Mccain, the lecturer. who has
been giving series Of travel talks on
Sunday nights at the Columbia Thea
ter in the last few weeks. is a living
justification for this statement, for
thirty years in newspaper work gave
him the preparation for the career which
he has elected to follow-that Of trav-
eler over all the world for the purpose
of gathering in picture form the most
interesting world sights Of the day. No
one but a man with the news" in
stinct developed to a remarkable degree
should attempt the gathering Of such
game, for the arrangement OF data
and methods of attacking a big story
calls for all Of the resourcefulness and
even balance possible.
Early in Mr.. McCain's career as a
journalist-and, as / have mentioned,
he has had thirty good years Of II,
working himself up from cub re-
porter to editor-in-chief. managing ed
itor. and later a newspaper owner-the
proof he gave daily of being a man who
could tell story simply, briefly and
forcefully, won him perhaps the most
hazardous assignment he ever had.
Since entering the travel-lecture field
the experience that Mr.. Mccain re-
members most vividly occurred in Con-
stantinople four years ago. He had
just finished gathering the material and
making the photographs for his course
Of lectures for the incoming season. and
was stopping in London a short while
before sailing for America. compiling
his data. One morning at breakfast he
read that the kettle had boiled over in
Turkey. The Young Turks party had
gathered strength, having previously
plotted the overthrow of the old regime,
and were preparing to march in and
claim the capital.
Mr. Mccain had made previous
visit 20 Turkey, and had become
thoroughly familiar with the people. not
to mention the politics. of the country.
His newspaper experience was too deep
rooted to permit him to resist the chance
of a SCOOP" Within the hour he de-
cided to return to Constantinople. with
the hope OF being in the city when the
Young Turks army entered. He caught
An early boat across the channel to
Calais, and night found him settled in
his compartment in the Orient express
bound for the Mohammedan capital.
On the Turkish frontier the troubles
of the lecturer commenced with
the most serious catastrophe whicn
could have befallen him. His cameras
we're taken from him by the authorities
even before he had arrived in the capi-
tai itself,
Immediately upon his arrival in Con-
stantinople Mr. Mccain set out to find
and recover them. and they were finally
returned.
And now to work. The city was in
an uproar. The Young Turks. several
thousand strong. were camping in the
municipal thoroughfares. The day be-
fore Mr.. Mccain arrived had been the
one set by the adherents of old Abdul
Hamid for the wholesale massacre of
Christians in Constantinople. The
Young Turks came sooner than en-
pected. however. and curbed the revolt
ing project. But what greeted Mr.. Nc
Cain were thirteen followers of Abdul
Hamid dangling lifeless from gibbets in
the public square. Sixy-three in all