Daily Republican., 1880-07-23
UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
The TROUBLES OF Gathering News
One Instance.

UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
The Troubles OF Gathering News
Ono Instance.
Ninety-nine people ont of hundred
have no idea OF the difficulties with
which the reporter Of a city daily meets
in his rounds for news. They read the
paper regularly every night, but pos
sess not the faintest conception Of the
weary toll required to put the articles
into readable shape or of the obstacles
which at times have to be met with
and overcome in securing the required
information. And these people are the
ones who are the most liable to COM
plain and suggest corrections, and to
wish that they had the chance of show
ing editors how to run newspapers.
An instance Of the vexatious troubles
of news gathering,-one of many,-was
the experience Of REPUBLICAN reporter
the other day. Word was brought to
the Office late in the forenoon that a
certain skif had been found bottom
upwards in the river, good piece from
shore, with marks Of boot heels on top
as though the occupants had climbed
there for safety after the craft capsiz-
ed. Sosnting an item of sensational
qualities, and with pleasant thoughts
filling the alleged newspaperial brain,
the fend of the notebook and Faber,
sailed forth. A drenshing rain was
falling, and as the hour for going to
press was approaching, 1t behooved
him to waste no time.
The first man called upon was he
who had sent the information to the
office. He knew nothing about it, but
heard that three boys had taken the
boat; didn't know their names, but
Mr.. So and 80 owned the boat, he be-
lieved, and may be he could tell. Mr..
So and 80 was pattern maker, but
where he worked no one knew. Shop
| aftsT shop was visiteas. out no So and SO.
With every disappointment the re-
porterial pace was quickened as the
time for going to press approached with
unseemly rapidity. At last the man
was cornered at his work bench.
With throb Of joy in his bosom the
newspaper man rushed up in frantic
haste, whisked out his note book and
pencil, and exclaimed:
"Tell me about the upsetting OF that
skiff Of yours and the drowning of the
three little boys"
"Crazy, aint your" sueried the
man when he got over his surprise.
The reporter thought he was, when,
presently after the cause of the visit
had been explained, the man told him
that be had sold the boat two months
ago to two young men; had not heard
about it since; didn't know the names
Of the owners of the boat, and had no
great liking for newspaper men any
how. He however directed him to a
young man in a shop in another part
Of the city who had charge of the boat
as he had heard.
This party was next searched for
and found after long walk through
the pattering rain, and along flooded
streets. He was also ignorant of the
rumored cstastrophy, and had not
been attending to the boat since it had
baen sold.
"Who in thunder does know any,
thing about the confouhded boat I"
asked the disgusted news seeker.
The man told him. One owner work
ed in a morocco factory in a distant
part Of the town and the other was in
another establishment in a different
locality. Another desperate sally was
made and one Of the proprietors was
tound. Wrong again. This man said
be had not been around to see the boat
'or week. They never hired it to
any one but loaned it sometimes, and
he other fellow, he said, might be
able to tell about it. The reporter is
not fighting man. His soul under
ordinary circumstances is as gentle as
} lambs, but he felt like whipping
the young man for owning boat.
Tired out by his exertions and sick
If the whole affair the news man re-
.urned to the efice. The other owner
,ould be reached by telephone and ne I
ried this as a last resort. II turned
'ut that the young man worked about S
he place and had never before talked
through the sbcny boxes. And so a
Vhen the reporter howled to him If he
7as the owner of the skiff which upset
0 tell him who was in it, he simply Il
"Hey Speak louder" Fl
And he did speak louder. Not once,
or twice, but a dozen times until the n
oise almost disarranged the exchange
nd the exerton caused the talker to Y Y
IL back exhausted. But he couldn't
ear, and when one used to the tele- m
hone came to his assistance, he said tf
any one had taken the boat within
10 last three days he was not aware of cO 81
, and the reporter gave the matter
p as a bad job. pl
OF course it turned out that nothing X
IS in the affair, the boat having =,
oxen away and gone adrift in the y, II
YER in storm, but it gave trouble
ough to be one of the most terrible of
cal events that ever startled Will ia
Ington. m;
Cucumbers AA0at. I'LL
During the rain yesterday afternoon ey