South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-01-26
Uncle" Jimmie McKenna of
New Mexico is Famous K. of c.
Secretary on Duty Overseas

NEW YORK, Jan. 25.-Amongst
knights OF Columbus overseas sec
retaries are many notables in the
different walks Of life. These secre-
taries are hand-picked and selected
from thousands Of applicants for
their peculiar fitness TO best serve
the American soldiers and sailors as
knights of Columbus want them
i served.
Time will hang heavy on the
| hands OF almost two millions OF our
, fighters overseas while they await
orders 10 return home and they will
need entertainment Of varied char
acter and high order TO keep them
satisfied and comforta BILE.
To provide this entertainment. the
knights Of Columbus have selected
hundreds of especially qualified sec
retaries drawn from all ranks and
position in life. Sportsmen. actors.
special entertainers athletes, must
clans and all their kindred fields
have been raked by the knights for
suitable men. One of the latest ad-
ditions to their overseas secretarial
force is Uncle Jimmie" McKenna of
New Mexico.
Uncle Jimmie" is enthusiastic
over his mission abroad for the
knights Of Columbus, and says, he
regards it as the biggest thing in
his life.
I'm a bit too old to soldier any
more" he says. but I'm not too old
to help entertain and comfort our
boys-and that's why I'm going 10
France as a Knights OF Columbus
/ secretary"
In Big Demand.
Uncle Jimmie" is sure 10 he in
biz demand amongst our soldiers
when they learn who he is and what
he has done. He will help them
spend many happy hours while lis
tening 10 him narrate his many
thrilling experiences.
In him part Of the old west Of
this continent is going to the still
older west OF Europe TO coax the
sunshine back TO that continent. The
part is James 4. McKenna and the
Knights Of Columbus are making
ready TO send him soon to France
as one of their secretaries, figuring
that since this member of the fight
ing McKennas" first went out to the
plains in 20 and started rubbing ell,
bows with Geronimo. Kit Carson and
other persons who drove away mo-
notony and buffaloes in those days,
he has learned enough about men
and life to look after the comfort
Of the doughboys still over there
without losing any OF his luxuriant
silver hair.
Ever since he left home as
lad of 3 he has been polIing himself
into out of the way corners all over
the world about every two years. in
the belief that things were happen
ing there that couldn't very well get
along without him. He has been
through Indian fighting in the west
was captured and released. with the
help of a bear. He has seen bolo play
in the Philippines. winning the
medal OF honor. as he explains il,
for a little argument with some
mules" He has visited Japan and
engaged in mining in British Column
bia Central America and Siberia.
Consequently a good many per-
sons, especially IN the west, know
Uncle Jimmie" McKenna. He has
been a steamboat hand, rancher,
prospector. mining engineer, fore
man Of a section gang, scout and
United States army sergeant, and
about the only business that ever
really stumped him-he admits it
his lack of success in this being due
TO an oversight in not having been
born a Texan himself.
Also Poet.
And he has been a poet and OBJ
tanned cold cash at it. Having been
"A two-handed gunfghter in his time,
il was not diffident about taking up
a gentler line of industry, and like
everything else his hand has touch
ed. he has been able to turn 1t 10
gold.
While he was a Knights Of Column
bus secretary at Camp Cody. Dem
ing. New Mexico, the camp com
mander offered a money prize TO any
one of the IS, 600 men in camp who
wrote the best verse on the Flag and
Uncle Jimmie" never having been
known 10 pass up a dare. wrote a
lyric OF II 600 entries Uncle Jim
mie's' was adjudged the best,
though Uncle Jimmie himself thinks
that maybe there were some better.
He modestly explains that he guess
ed he won the prize because all the
sentiment had to be crammed into
20 lines, and his offering was concise
and 10 the point
Uncle Jimmie" is one OF the Nc
Kennas of Pittsburgh, who have
grown up with that town and are
mere a part OF it than its SCOT. His
hair is prematurely faded. having
turned gray as a result Of his mar
row escape from death at the hands
of Indians years ago. That is. he can
explain this If one can get him TO
talk about himself When that is
possible ne starts of like this:
Left Home i'm EOS. 26>sA
]. j. !. !. I
Il left home As a
ranch with
couldn't
thieves. AT
got DISCUS