Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-03-28
Mistellanu.
AN OLD STORY ABOUT THE NEW YORK
PAPERS.

In september, 1890, the Collins steamer
Arctic was lost at sea. Among her pas
sengers were many prominent citizens of
New York and the news of the dreadful
shipwreck carried poignant sorrow to hum
dreds of households. Early in October,
when the steamer had been long overdue
in the port of New York, on her return
voyage from Liverpool, vague apprehen-
sions of disaster began to prevail; and,
as day after day passed without tidings of
the missing vessel, wild rumors filled the
air. From day to day, the feeling of
dread became intensified, and the excite
ment hourly increased. Finally, late in
the night of the 9th of October, rumor
suddenly spread thro' the city TO the effect
that the Arctic actually had been lost;
there had been fearful loss of human
lives; that solitary survivor had returned,
and that this survivor had brought authen-
tic intelligence of the disaster
This report reached the ear of the aSsis-
tant who was in charge of the city depart
ment OF the Times but it reached him at
an advanced hour of the night, when all
but himself had finished their labors, and
had returned to their homes. Sending out
reports in all directions, with strict
charge to spare no pains in sitting the ru-
mors OF the night, he strove to gather an
thentic intelligence, but the effort was
futile. The reporters returned with news
that no trace of the survivors, move :nent
could be found A paragraph was accord
lngly written, announcing, in guarded
phrase, that rumors of the total loss of
the Arctic had been current during the
night, but that nothing of definite char
acter was known This announcement
placed in prominent part of the Times,
under a displayed heading, was all that
it was possible to say. Discounted, dis
couraged and apprehensive, the head of
the city department then departed for his
home.
But the adventures and the excitement
of the night were not destined to be SO
speedily finished The perturbed editor,
instincively feeling that there was some
thing yet unreyealed, mused while doing
in the horse-car. at the hour of three O'Clock
in the morning, and his strong nerves
made him sensitive. Scarcely had the car
gone half mile from its starting point,
when stranger, hurriedly coming down
side street, jumped upon the rear plat
form evidently in an excited state, and be-
gan conversation with the conductor in
the hurried and incoherent manner OF
man who had simultaneously heard start
ty. The disjonted sentences which fell
from the lips of this man furnished clue
to the watchful editor in the furthest corner
of the car, whose hearing was acute, as
his professional pride was seriously woun-
ded--for defeat in the search of news
sits heavily upon the soul of a newspaper
man. The words "Arcticn-'only man
who had got it"-'Burns' s'-''St. Nicholas
IIotel'-Herald office'-"all night
tired out''-''bottle wine"-conveyed dis
tinct ideas.
The words formed themselves into this
shape in the mind of the weary watcher
in the corner: a man by the name of
Burns has escaped from the wreck of the
Arctic; he is at the St. Nicholas hotel; he
has pushed on towards New York as fast
as possible after landing; he has gravitat-
ed to the Herald office, knowing that the
Herald pays well for exclusive news; the
Herald has got his story, and there is a
trick TO keep it away from all other pa
pers.n Out of the car dashed the Times
man; down Broadway he tore; across the
park, and up to the printingroom of the
Times he rushed. There he found the
foreman placidly putting on his coat in
preparation for departure. 'Stop the
press was the first order issued
''Why?" inquired the foreman. Because
the Herald has got hold of a survivor of
the Arctic, and is trying one of his old
games; but well beat yet!'
A bell tinkled a message went down
the speaking tube which led from the COM
posing room to the cellar; the great press
stopped. A workman in the press room
was called up, and these words passed:
South, you know the Herald office;
they've got hold of story about the Arc
tic, which belongs to all the press, and
they mean to keep it, and cheat US out of
it. l want copy OF it. | want you to
get it any way you can; will You do it?"
"How do you know they've got t?"
The circumstances We're recited.
"All right" said South, "I'll get it, pro-
vided you don't ask me any questions"
The promise was given. South depart
ed, to return few minutes afterwards
with the information that the Herald office
was all alight, (the hour was about four
O'Clock in the morning. that the press
room was fast locked, and that all the
carriers and newsboys had been excluded.
"What shall do ?" asked South.
Get the first copy that comes off the
press was the order instantly given.
Buy it, beg it, steal it, anything, SO long
as you get it and tomorrow you shall
get fifty dollars for your trouble"
Enough said,n observed South
Twenty minutes later he appeared in the
office of the Times (then at the corn of
Bcekman and Nassau streets) with copy
of the Herald, containing Mr.. George II.
Burns narrative of the loss of the Arctic,
entire, printed in double loaded type
Meanwhile the whole force of the Times
compositors had been routed out of their
beds by messengers sent in urgent haste;
each man stood at his ''case," 'stickn in
in hand, and when South returned, waving
the next mornings Herald triumphantly
over his head, mighty 'hurrah ~ went
up, which might have been heard for sew
eral blocks The Herald .'copy" was cut up
into four-line ''takes;" in an hour the
whole story was in type, and the people of
the Herald. blissfully unconscious that n
copy of that journal had been adroitiy alb
stracted, withheld all their city circulation
until 8 A. NJ, sending off only the mail
copies containing the long expected re-
lation of the dreadful disaster. By 8