Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-03-15
How the News was Carried Forty
Years Ago.

How the News was Carried Forty
Years Ago.
If not the oldest Of all, Mr. w. F.
Miskey. now of Medina, Pa, is certainly
one of the oldest newspaper men in the
State. His journalistic career began in
October. 1885. when he entered the ser
vice of the United States Gazette, of
Philadelphia. which was then published
at No. 66 Dock street. Mr.. Miskey, in
reviewing his early experience az
newsgatherer draws upon an almost ex-
hzustless fund of interesting reminis-
cences. One of his achievements was to
get a copy OF Gov. David r. Porter's
message from Harrisburgh to Philadsl
phia in time for publication the morn
ing after it was read. Snow had OBJ
strueted the track, but the conductor
needed the earnest appeals of the solita-
ry messenger, who was the only passen-
ger on the train, and made up time
enough to strike connecting train a.
Lancaster. That conductor was John
Brown, now a clerk in the Philadelphia
Postoffice. The editor af the Gazette at
that time was Hon. Jos. r. Chandler,
and in commenting on the message he
said that, "haying no extra hands at our
Office, we rather dragged in the publi-
cation. for it is of most learned length"
| A noteworthy incident of Mr.. Aisk-
ey's experience was the manner in which,
before the telegraph came into exist
eHce, the first news of the vote in the
Presidential election of 1870, as cast by
the voters in distant county of New
Jersey. was forwarded to New York.
Mr.. Miskey tells the story TINS: at was
hoped that the. lower counties In New
Jersey, Cape May, Cumberland and Sa-
lem would give their votes to Gen. Har-
risoD. and, As the Presidential election
was not held. as now. on the same day
throughout the United States New
York State voting the day after New
Jersey, it was thought if the result was
favorable for the Wings, that the news
should be sent in time to New York to
influence the election there. Mr.. Bur-
CESS, news ageut, arranged to bring in
by express those three counties. and it
was settled that should bring in the
returns from the most out-of-the way
county in the State-Atlantic. This
county had no railroads, and 1t was
then strongly Democratic, and was i'm
portant to get the vote Immediately af
ter the polls closed, so that IL very
close vote was cast it could not be tan-
pered with to elect Van Buren,. | en-
gagged livery stable keeper in Camden
to put three good horses on the road
at Mays Landing (the county seat,
Blue Anchor Tavern and Haddonield-
and a few days before the election | ar
ranged with persons in Mays Landing
to bring by express the vote of the eight
ed. The last of these riders came in
about one o'clock in the morning, when
my ride was to begin. 1t was foggy,
lark and driZZling-a real November
night. To attempt to see or pick out
he road was out of the question, so
concluded to give the animal his head
and 'ge 1t blind The horse was spirited
and away we went thro' sand and snail
streams. over bridges and log roads, but
arrived safe in good time at the first
change. where landlord and hostler
awaited me. From Longscoming to
aaddontield the country is more open.
md before got to Camden g,esmS Cf
daylight were perceptiole. l was in
,oo1 time for the a. N. train for New
York The Whig Executive Committee
decorated the locomotive with flsgs, an
Extra was issued by the Gazette and all
he Wings held grand jubilee.-Phila
lelphia Recorn.