Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-05

n;gh,,- He was the western CORE
spondent of the Cincinnati Commercial
Gazette. He is described as "a man
of iron character. unyielding opinions
and one of the most combatiVe WRITER'S
of the capital"
James Rankin Young. who was tnen
chief of the New York Tribune hu-
reau, and Francis A. Richardson are
the two sole survivors OF the WASH
ington Correspondents CLUB. organ
lied in 1866, forerunner OIL the Grlu
iron Club of today, which ii antedated
by about twenty years. The charter
and list of charter members of the
original press-representatives dining
club are now in the archives of the
Gridiron Club.
Mr.. Richardson well remembers the
DAYS when it was daily custom for
the leaders in legislative and execn-
tive life to haunt the old newspaper
row along 14th street north of Penn
syivania avenue. "All condolences of
public men Were regarded as inNio-
late" he says, land / can recall no
incident of consequence where they
were BETRAYED To the contrary. the
correspondents have faced the formal
displeasure of the Senate and House
repeatedly rather than give up the
name of their informant. lie recalls
that in 1871 two correspondents of the
New York Tribune submitted to i'm
vulge the name of the senator who
had supplied them with q certain Sc
ere: treaty. One of them. while stand
ing at the bar of the Senate. said tina.
had they acted otherwise they would
have been deemed ignominious by
, their associates and suffered ostracism
a their hands.
How James Rankin Young. who was
later member of Congress and is
still living here at 1906 X street
northwest. was dispossessed of his
position as executive clerk OF the
Senate. charged with giving out in
| formation regarding the executive
! session of the Senate. is also recalled
| by Mr.. Richardson. while this in
Justice was being perpetrated.' he
said. the senators who had commu-
nlcated the inforapation complained oil
sat silent in their seats"
! The use of the "interview'' i'll news
, paper writing originated with "a Wash
! ington correspondent. Mr.. Richardson
| gives the credit to ]. Il. McCullagh
who. at the time of his death. wa.
| tor-in-chief and one of the proprietor
Of the st. Louis Globe-Democrat. DR.
Russell of the London Times in h.
journal OF a visit to the United States
tells of being interviewed at Willard
f, Hotel on March IS, 1861. after ha wing
dined with President Lincoln McCu!
lagh made his big achievement in tn,
way of interviews in 1867 and 1858
| when President Andrew johnson. durin.
| Mis- bilter controversy with Congress
talked in the first person i'm the news
papers through McCuIlagh Mack wa
; the!? correspondent Of the Cincinnati
Comm. rcial. His first notable "inter
view was with Alexander H. Stephens
when ne drew OFT Il vast amount OF in
formation r,ga riding the internal histor.
of the rebellion. "Mack's'' interview
! with President Johnson Were practical
ly all about the impea chment proceed
! inSs: no notes We're taken down. an,
he always scrupulOusly observed til
wishes of the President regarding wha
he Shout leave imprinted OCCASIONAL
he sent mis- s..lttary to inyite Mack
to come and interview him. He said h
h preferred this to sending a message I
Congress. because Everybody seems I
read the interview and nobody seems t
a read my messages"
HIHTHILE there was a great deal q
criticism regarding the President
speaking directly in the first person
the rewspaDer,. the interview soon gre
HspeDu,ar and Johnson had many follow
ers. especially among the more obscuI
,5men in Congress- who saw AN oppol
tunity to rush into print. Gen. Gran
who succeeded President Johnson. w;l
willing TO b. interviewed. and K. De
keinl. then one of the most pro,ninei
Of the Washington correspondents. al
tached to the New York Herald, usual.
did the Interviewing. keim could 81
Grant 10 talk almost any time and mad
Il fortune out of ii. because he cOul
find q, ready market in many new'
: papers for such copy.
To Benjamin F. Butler of Mass
cl:usetts. unsuccessful candidate for IL
presidency in 1854. goes full credit II
authorship OF interviewing himself. Fl
. was unwilling for d correspondent