Provo Daily Enquirer | 1891-06-05 | Page 3 | M'carthy's "Thought Exchange."

MCCARTHYS THOUGHT EXCHANGE senator Stan forda private secretary mode of amusement did yon ever hear about mccarthys McCar thys thought exchange one of a group asked in restaurant the other day chos mccarthy somebody asked why john B mccarthy senator Stan fords private secretary said the first hes an odd genius and so handy that the california millio nare gives him his own salary of a year in addition to the 8 a day allowed by the government to attend to his affairs im reminded of his thought exchange by reading the to reporter who bad witnessed SOO execl eions the gentlemen present said they bad never heard of the exchange well said the first speaker mccarthy used to be a newspaper reporter he has worked in new york and in san francisco and a good many towns between them before he became stan fords secretary he was in washington a reporter on the old national republican he complained that life was BO drill sunday nights that it worth living so he organized the thought exchange he printed a notice in the republican that anch an exchange had been argan iced and that all people who had any views on any subject would be welcome and invited to speak he rented a hall on tenth street and the next sunday night about fifty were present there were spiritualists who wanted to give exhibitions of their powers there were labor agitators there were socialists and temperance workers everybody was allowed to speak the following sunday the attendance was larger and the speakers of about the same sort the hall rent was eight dollars an evening A collection was taken up which usually amounted to a dollar or two more than that and that was clear profit the thing went along until the owner refused to rent the hall and so the exchange was about to move out to a little hall near twentieth street and pennsylvania avenue bat it did not make the change what has this to do with a man who had seen executions some one asked As I 1 said mccarthy used to be a newspaper reporter he had been hang ings in a dozen states about forty in all is hia record I 1 think he saw guiteau executed and had been present at lynch ings in missouri and elsewhere on the last night the exchange was to meet in the tenth street hall no speakers came forward something had to be done and mccarthy was equal to the occasion he went upon tho platform and announced that he would give a lecture his subject would bo the comparative merits of the long and short drop at executions he went at it and discussed the subject as coolly as one would discuss whether washington or napoleon were the greater general he talked for two hours he cited several executions be had witnessed as showing the merits of the two systems he described one or two horrible affairs where a rope and a mob and a bridge were the principal accessories the ladies present got up and went away at that and the others of his audience were either dazed or charmed with his audacity after talking for two hours he announced the change in place of meeting for the next week and said he would deliver another lecture on the same subject giving especial attention to lynch ings one of the long haired men present came to him after the lecture and said of course your lecture was very fine and it certainly shows you havo had some remarkable experiences but dont i you think it would be wise for the next time to take something in which we could all be interested next week there was no audience and the thought exchange waa dead It long aft er that that mccarthy was appointed private secretary by mr stanford new york times t oh sweet reality long deferred blest hope so fair and and love notes trembled in each soft word till soared my spirit like some glad bird whose heart to kenderest ten derest deeps is stirred and my soul harbt forth in no fear gave warning or doubt demurred faith lulled in slumbers long that same sweet symphony oft recurred and dearer each time heard like wood note wild 0 a love mad bird whose being is lost in ah page of destiny dim and blurred with tears of pain and ah moans of agony ell blind fool to trust in a comans womans nay never again ahall this heart be stirred by glories of ann or montgomery M folsom in atlanta constitution old jokes are good A professional humorist said the other flay there is a great truth about jokes which both readers and writers recognize in practice but do not often formulate it is this A good joke improves no less with age than does wine once upon alime there was a famous speaker whose tolerably bad lecture started off and ended with two of the most exquisite jokes ever invented people traveled ailed and sat patiently through the same leca ure year after year to split their side laughing at the same old jokes affee the effect of the introductory joke had worn off there was always perfect sij si j lence until the lecture was three anar done when the anticipations of an audience which had never been swindled would begin to break out in gurgling laughter nods winks and whispers of its co and when at last this well seasoned old chunk of wit brought the performance to a close the very roof was raised but one fatal night there was a bad case 0 dyspeptic pessimism in a front seat it is true that when he roared chestnut at the first joke nearly mobbed him but the lecturers tender spot was touched ho a new lecture which began and ended fresh dokea when the lecturer walked upon with his new manuscript iw his hand ha received anoya tion YS the joke seemed to stupefy the popl batta few sentences of the new leclare woke and they rose as boneman and demanded their money ft the box offices at town th lecturer amhed fae oh abkes lecture and all weIL that hem still cracking thein constantly in creasing success chicago mail A HoBa elesa Novell gt amr david christie murray haa been recounting to the good people of south abw he becomer bec omea novelist on his first arrival in london he found like BO many others the difficulty of getting employment on the press before the turn of the tide came be saya he had four days wandering in the streets and at nights sat on the benches of the thames embankment in most curious company he was at last helped kiy the late john lavell Lb vell of the press association afterward of the liverpool who invented some work for him and sent him two guin easm a pill bor labeled to be taken imme dia tely london tit bits i A callons apache belief the apache indians religious belief prevents them from committing murder in the if a dozen apaches should discover a man sleeping by nis camp fire at night no would hire them to attack him until came up they believe that if they ddll a man at night their own souls will walkin walk in eternal darkness forever Knowing this curious superstition hunters scouts trappers and others i traveling through the apache nation move about during the night retreat during the day st louis republic saurian degeneracy the average fionda crocodile brought north by tho tourist is seven inches in length and he has sea room enough in a cigar box we look at the little cuss and then of his ancestor whom we saw geography of our boyhood days carrying off an ox in hia jaws we conclude that the augustan age for crocodiles is past marthas vineyard herald