The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1884-11-14
LUDICROUS BLUNDERS
Committed by Newspaper Reporters Not
quite Up to the Tricks of the Trade.
Detroit Free Press.

Detroit Free Press.
Competition among newspaper re-
porters sometimes lead them into ways
that are dark and tricks that are vain.
A reporter was once sent to report the
sermon of a celebrated but very de-
vout and solemn Presbyterian clergy
man. 1t was the funeral Grafton of a
distinguished member of his church.
The reporter did not rise early enough,
and when he arrived at the church the
clergyman had finished. Waiting up
on him after the service he asked the
loan of the preachers manuscript. The
obliging clergyman took it out of his
overcoat pocket and handed it to the
scribe, who, delighted at his easy task,
wrote a hasty Introduction, and, with
out further delay, went off to spend
the Sabbath with his best girl. 1t was
a funeral discourse, the subject of
which was q man well known in the
city for his great piety, sincerity, puri-
ty and benevolence. Being Sunday,
the discourse got into the printers
hands, and the night editor was horri
fled at its beginning thus:
among his friends and dupes he ac
quired by persistent hypocrisy repu-
tation for sanctity, which, by means of
a doleful whine and obtrusive cant, he
maintained to his very last breath. So
inveterate was his habit that when on
his death-bed his spiritual adviser whis-
pcred that there was pardon for the
vilest sinner, he retorted: 4 am glad
of it; there are so many of them that
a ho, do, - afo
Had not the editor put his blue pencil
through the whole article the city would
have rung next day with this scandal
Gus discourse about this worthy man.
The obliging clergyman had, accident
ally, on leaving his house, put on his
sons overcoat, and instead of his SER
mon had handed the reporter maya
zine article, written by his son, about a
notorious and pious fraud who had died
in England about 100 years before.
In another case a reporter who was
on trial was told to ''write up Sheri-
dan''-Gen. Phil Sheridan-who was
expected in town the next morning.
Anxious to show how well he could ac
complish his new task, he resolved to
'scoop the other fellows" by long
and elaborate biographical notice.
Turning to the cyclopedia, he began to
read about Sheridan, but had scarcely
cast his eye over it when it was ru
mored that the general had arrived in
the city. Hurrying away to get the
later and local facts about him, he had
to finish his biography without further
aid from the cyclopedia. Doubtless to
Sheridan's great surprise, he learned |
from the next mornings paper that he
was an Englishman by birth; before
coming to America he was the proprie-
tor of London theatre, and wrote
THE School for Scandal, 1.-The Ri
vals'' and other plays. Soon after his
arrival in this country he abandoned
the stage and play writing for mill
tary life. That reporter was given an
indefinite leave of absence.
An overworled reporter was on his
way to a fire long distance off when
he met an acquaintance whom he asked
about the fire. Learning all the de-
tails, as he supposed, he went back to
the office and wrote vivid description
IF the event. In the building, he said,
was large quantity of sawdust,"
which only added fierceness TO the
lanes. "Several blocks were sur
'ounded by the fire, and it was only
With the greatest difficulty that the
lanes were subdued, and it was not
until the building and all its contents
we're reduced to ashes" Much to his
he discovered next day
hat his friend was practical joker,
md that instead of sawmill, as he
it was an ice-houce that was
N fire.
A reporter was sent to ascertain the
ruth of rumor that a well known
itizen had gone insane. That report
RS career ended then and there when
he paper next morning had the follow
no paragraphs: "There was report
esterday that something was the mat
err with Mr.. Sanders head. 1t was as
ound as it has always been. There is
othing in it."
A reporter was sent to attend the
lneral of prominent gentleman. He