The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-09-18

and as the Mexican war broke out while tele-
graphing was yet limited to the one line hence
to baltimore il became matter OF extraordln-
erv imnortance when exciting news arrived.
NEwsMEs IN 1916.
r,,o no1t;ynore Sun in those days ran asbrisk
oomnsfition for news with the New York press,
andfhappe nins.s have the GOOD ioTtane 70 pc
zealous.and fertile Mr.. l., was seldom beat
en-. MNew York Hewssagent, frequently out
stripped or duped by the cleverness or theener
gy of his competitor, arranged for an agent on
board each boat of the mail line from Aqua
Creek, on the Potomac, to Washington {by
which the latest news was received from the
SOUTH whose business it was to announce
while the news agent stood on high nouset1p
in the city, by preconcerted signals, whetner ne
had important news, long before the Doas ro,nd
ed the wharf The agent thus on the $1,000
would be ready for his colleague WIZ, %, Office
would hurry to meet him at the teieg o"o
with his news and be engaged III L i.e raturnino
sion, while the Sun ma man difference MSe was but
lv few minutes, but that gave priority IN 5me
use of the telegraph. L-- observing .nas' IN
nroved nnon it by method mucn slnipier e anu III:
less expensive He lodged tr,ent hniId;nr
OWL OWL in ;,,strnctions to watch the New York man
WI Taiian,s house. If the latter in business
manner gathered up his flags, spy-glass, etc.
and descended, he was to infer no news and
sipDlfV accordingly ny coihiC PiSSOASCheoN INV
ton, visible to L--, who would be sitting in
the telegraph Office opposite. If, on the con-
trary the New York man seized his things and
precipitately struck for the street, the signifi-
cant impetuosity was to be limited. Both
would be thus made equally ready when their
respective colleagues or other informants could
be reached, and everything was narrowed 10 a
struggle for the earliest demand on poor Fro
fessor Morse, manuscript in hand-for ne had
established the rule of first come hrst served,
49,
Hostilities had not yet broken out, but the
public anxiety was extreme.
NEWS OF PALo ALTO.
One day in May, 1S45, L-sman on the
postoffice housetop saw the New York man on
Callan's house instantly drop his flag, huddle
everything hastily together, allow his hat to
roll down the roof and rush headlong out OF
sight. The news must be extraordinary. L.
was on his way to the wharf before the New
Yorker had recovered his hat. Jumping ON
board ahead of all others, he learned that bat
tie had been fought, a great victory gained,
and Major Ringgold killed, but the mail agent
had given his only copy OF the Mobile Register
extra to young man on behalf of the New
York press, who, before these inquiries could
be made had hastened of. IA .ss tf s.s
What was to be done? No time was to be
lost. L--- called q confederate, instructed
him to gather accurately each of the few de-
tails contained in the newspaper slip, which
could be recited by half the people on board,
and hurry to the telegraph office with all speed.
Meantime he would drive in gallop, in the
hope of reaching the professors wonderful APP
paratus first, with or without news, trusting
his genius would evolve some way to turn his
priority to account if he could once get it,
Rushing to the shore, he saw the young fellow
who had the slip about to mount the mail car
to ride up. Surprised that he had not made
better speed, the youngster informed him that
the professor had made new rule to send off
no news messages until the arrival of the mail
car. L. now thought he would have his
own carriage, and try his chance in outwitting
the YOUTH He cheerfully confessed himself
badly beaten this time and assumed look of
entire despair. No trick for getting copy or
even perusal of the precious extra, succeeded
however, though the young man was inveigled
into taking seat within, leaving l. the
most eligible seat to jump from. Here he
heads and Introductory words of despatch,
while the car, driven at gallop through the
streets, with flying flags, &C., was greeted with
vociferous cheers from the excited thousands
no thronged the sidewalks and followed it UP.
The moment it reached the building where
Professor Morse operated, II sprang from
his outside seat into the door, rushed to the
Professor, declared most important business
despatch must go before news, first come,
first served" &c. His genius had served him
The news men protested, but the Professor
sternly upheld his rule. 'f'i t' tii
ExEcUToRY DEVICES AND GLORIOUS NEWS
SO a,rs BULLETINS. 90 nslH5 4
II began, line upon line, the Professor
hurrying it off as fast as the tardy customer
furnished it, a prolix and unvalued report of
some negotiations with a Georgetown owner
of piece of real estate which purported to
have been conducted on behalf of Mr.. Abel,
editor of the Baltimore Sun, and an endless
string of contingent offers and stipulations-
why all this detail, my dear sir?" impatiently
inquired the perplexed Professor. "Mr. Abel"
repeated L., lis exceedingly exact in BUSH
ness and expects the greatest precision in real
estate matters--please do not delay and con-
ruse me Dy interruptions-lets see-I was
about saying'-and again he resumed the in
terminable Details na o. ssgHa 81
Meantime, at the Sun Office, Mr.. Abel, who
had not the rem0test notion of any such bar
gaining, read paragraph after paragraph of
this astonishing and highly expensive COM
/ municati0n with the utmost amazement-
About the time L. had got to an exposition
of question, involving the title of this mystic
rious property, of an executory device made
by remote ancestor, his confederate entered
breathless, and the subject changed, but not
LIS countenance. GLORIOUS news" follow
ed, without even the introduction of a dash.
some cold verbosity of the law, and Mr.. Abel
was relieved. His "Sun Extra" was barely in
time for the mail train north, and the country
was electrified without the enterprise of his
New York rivals. The chagrin of the enter
prising competitors may be imagined.
asss oijalg5aI hiAa lMILToNIUs.
81 81 gt1t5Tl tsssfEGEfE +HE JaGf aftlf.Ir1