Evening star., 1935-12-21
KNOWN TO STAFF AS "P. c."
Glamorous Story Of Career Reads Like
History.

GlamOrous Story Of Career Reads Like
History.
By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, December 2l.-Time
tapped out go" today for "P. c.
the end Of the story for Paul Cowles.
For AZ years he had seen and heard
that signal "30"-the newsmans and
telegrapher's sign that he has come
to the end Of a dispatch or the days
work-flashed across unending wires.
He was Paul Cowles to the world,
but "P. c." to every one in the As
sociated Press.
The stcry Of his career reads like
pages torn bodily from a history OF
the last four decades.
He entered the Associated Press
service in 1890, and in 1898 he went
to Honolulu, Immediately after the rev.
olution, when Queen Liliuokalani was
deposed. In the island paradise he
remained six months to recite for
American newspaper readers the po-
litical and economic changes which
were the aftermath of the native rev.
olution.
Superintendent In 1898.
Then he returned to San Francisco
to become night manager of the AS
sociated Press office until his appoint
ment to the superintendency Of the
Western division in 1898.
Six years later a new power in the
Pacific, yet to test its own strength
leaped into the headlines. Japan and
Russia went to war. Cowles went to
the Orient. While the Cars forces
were being trounced by nation whose
voice was new to the family of ma
tions, Cowles was in charge Of the
Associated Press staff that kept q
finger on the pulse Of conquest.
In 1906 he was back in San Fran
cisco. Disaster struck. The proud
city which was the Western gateway
to America was ravaged by earth
quake and fire. Flames completed the
damage started by the earth shocks.
Cowles directed the coverage of the
event.
Twenty years later, in the same
city. a President died when he was
thought to be recovering p. c. took
nothing for granted. The story of
Warren G. Harding's death went first
to the world over wires which reached
P. C.'s office.
In 1912, as superintendent Of the
central division of the Associated
Press. with headquarters at Chicago
he directed coverage of the Eastland
disaster. A thousand persons drowned
in the overturning Of the steamship
in the Chicago River.
Saw Dayton Flood.
The disastrous Dayton, Ohio. food
too, came under his news jurisdiction
As houses were swept into the mael-
strom, Cowles and his staff pictured
to the news-reading public the stole
calm with which the populace faced
certain death.
In 1908 he was made superintendent
Of the Southern division, with head
quarters in Atlanta, and remained
there until his appointment as super
intendent at Chicago in 1912.
In 1920, at his own request, he wa!
sent back to San Francisco as super.
intendent of the Western division.
He was honored by DR.. Nichola,
Murray Butler in 1928 when the direc-
tor of the Carnegie Foundation fol
International Peace selected him tC
represent American journalism on
two-month tour of the United State:
by British journalists.
He had a wide personal acquaint-
ance among newspaper publishers and
editors in all parts of the country.
He retired from the Associated
Press in 1892 after service in New
York as executive assistant to the
general manager and became for Q
time editor and publisher of the SAINTS
Barbara, Calf, press, member ol
the organization he had served bril-
nantly as employe.