CHAPTER XXX 



START ON THE DAILY EXPRESS 



Engaged as Sporting Editor — Recommendation for Journalism — 

 Attracting the Racing Man 



It will always be reckoned a great stepping-stone 

 in my journalistic career when, after leaving Paris, I 

 joined the Daily Express. At that time the paper was 

 doing perhaps not more than one hundred and forty 

 thousand a day, so it is permissible to think that my 

 efforts had a great deal to do with one of the most 

 successful papers in modern journalism. Early in 

 1899 Mr C. Arthur Pearson had decided on bringing 

 out a halfpenny daily which should prove as attractive 

 as the Daily Mail. I had been to Henrietta Street in 

 1899 trying to sell him the little theatrical paper I 

 have spoken of — the Queue. Mr Kessell, who is still the 

 secretary of the Daily Express Co., had been associated 

 with Mr Pearson ever since the latter broke away from 

 the late Sir George Newnes and started on his own. 

 There were several interviews with Kessell, and when 

 I saw the sale of my rag was fruitless I tried to get a 

 job on the new paper; but there was nothing, so it had 

 to be left until a year or two later. Thus I became 

 sporting editor of the Express^ and wrote the racing 

 article, under the nom de plume of " The Scout," 

 which position I held for ten years, until I had the 

 wandering fever on me and resigned. 



While associated with Mr Pearson I also wrote under 

 the name of " Magistral," when he acquired the St 

 James'' s Gazette, and when this paper was amalgamated 



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