Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-02-09
MILLIONAIRE AND MAMMOTH
Albert E. Turner Talks Of a Bright
Young Man--Why Major Starr
Fired Press Agent for Fall
ing TO Grasp an Idea
BY GEORGE NOX MCCAIN

n
"A are always interesting and inspiring.
One which he recalled tended toward a con
tirmation of the adage that what man
dcsireth that shall he receive
He cited the case OF young man, whose
name for obvious reasons is withheld, for
he is today very prominent in financial cir
clcs in New York, who left country village
in the Middle West ton years ago with the
definite purpose of making a million in the
metropolis.
His only experience had been n clerkship
in country bank.
For months after reaching New York he
spent his spare time gathering all the avail
able information about the whms. hobbies.
ambitions, domestic and social relations and
life history of great men in the world OF
finance, with whom, some day, he hoped to
establish connection. One instance Will
serve.
A MEMBER of a certain family, kings in
the financial world and princes of phi
lanthropy. was. with his family con
sistent member of an uptown church. With
out thrusting himself into undue prominence,
the young man made it his business to attend
service twice a week at that church. Within
the space of a-month or two he rented pew
directly behind that occupied by the imam
cier. Naturally. they became acquainted
but for six months the newcomer confined
himself to pleasant but formal greetings
each Sunday
\ few months later he made it a point to
call at the Office of the gentleman in ques-
tion to institute casual inquiry upon
matter not connected with finance or reli
gon. That visit broke the ice.
A year or so subsequently, for he deter
mined to proceed with care and circumspec-
tion. after he had made progress along sim
liar lines with other capitalists and when he
had a solid financial proposition with con
vincing facts and figures, he appealed to the
great, investor.
He was accorded courteous hearing his
idea caught on, and out of that grew other
transactions which carried the shrewd and
far visioned young western man far along
toward the goal of his ambition.
NTAJOR GEORGE o. STARR, whom
AN1 older newspaper and theatrical men re-
call. was for years the confidential rcprosen-
| tative and personal friend Of =. I. Barnum.
Major Starr died since the beginning Of the
| world war In accordance with his desire
| expressed in his will, his remains were ere
| mated and his ashes scattered in the wake
| of steamship in midoccan upon which his
wife was coming to this country on business
! connected with his estate.
When the Barnum & Bailey corporation
| decided to invade Europe, Major Starr went
in advance. 1t was his duty TO prepare the
way for the great undertaking, whose initial
| performances were to be given in London.
A Nd this is apropos of Mr.. Turner's
~ rcminisccnce
| There was one particular editor of q great
| and influential London daily newspaper who
had the well established reputation of being
! hypercritical Of American invasions, both
| theatrical and commercial. All else was
! comparativcly clear sailing; so Starr set
|. himself. as he subsequently told me, TO win
| at all hazards this mans Endorsement of the
Barnum enterprise,
Like the shrewd young man described by
Mr.. Turner, Starr. on his arrival in Eng
land. gathered all the information he could
concerning this gentleman. Among other
things he learned that he was the author of
| several novels which had achieved but a mod o
| crate success.
Starr immediatelv purchased copies Of all
Of them. and for days assiduousy devoted his
| attention not only TO reading, but to fixing
characters incidents and passages firmly in
| his memory.
He called upon the journalist, only as be
had anticipated, TO receive a courteous but
! Indifferent reception.
After a while he managed TO drift their
conversation to medical subject for he had
been a practicing physician in his earlier
days. This opened the way naturally for
him to mention character who WIS physi-
clan in one of the editors novels.
With we'll assumed interest he mentioned
with liberal disregard of the fact, having read
the novel in New York.
When he left the editorial rooms he car
ried with him the unmstakable evidence
that his visit had been a success. The Bar
mum & Bailey enterprise had no more gen
erous critic than the author editor
But Starr never revealed his secret unit
years after.
A FTER the unfortunate collapse of thu
"A English corporation which undertook thu
exploitation of the big show on the Cont
mont Major Starr took up his residence il
London. He was elected managing director
Of the Crystal Palace. the largest and mos
dipnifed permanent enterprise Of its kind il
the world at that time II was a nationa
institution
The last time ! saw him was Al the palac
fen years ago We We're recalling old mem
cries at luncheon. when the chief of his pub
licity staff hurried in with the announcement
that Nine, Tetrazzlnl and her husband wer
on the grounds and We're wandering aroun,
, without guide
Instantly the young man was sent OF wit
an invitation and instructions to bring ther
to luncheon.
Starr was a princely entertainer and on
! of his profuse apologies for not having bee
: | annrised sooner of her presence when tn
diva appeared with her husband q rathe
+ Young man of nonimpressive personality
was that his Field Press Agent, who wa
charged with the care and direction of dis
tinguished visitors, was new man.
2 TINE circumstance which led to the chang
e J. of press agents, as he related it to ii
luncheon party was that few days befol
the Geological Garden had received a raj
= .specimen of dwarf elephant. Il brol
I loose the first night and the attendants hs
4 quite search before they located it in
c remote part of the grounds.
. As press agents story it was proper