Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-04-23
A SMART REPORTERS.
How He Learned the Secrets of Legisla-
tive Caucus.

The Louisville Courier-,Jotundl, in a
sketch of Joseph j. Eakins, a young re-
porter who has been made clerk by the
new mayor, relates some illustrations
of Eakins' journalistic enterprise while
he was serving at Frankfort as capital
correspondent of the Louisville Com
naercidl:
HE was only 10 years old then, but
he attracted the attention of Col KEEL
ley. When the session of the legisla-
ture began in October the colonel re-
solved to send him to Frankfort MS that
papers correspondent He instruct
ed him to 60 there at once and make a
red-hot partisan fight for '.the only re-
publican daily in Kentucky. There
was never a better show for an active
reporter. Col. Kelley told Joe that
previous correspondents had always
been afraid to attack the state govern
ment, and that he wanted him to make
no such mistake. Joe was Democrat,
and all his people were before him, but
he knew what his duty to Republican
paper was, and he promised to carry
out the coloners instructions. If he
he did so because he was obeying or
ders. He went to Frankfort with the
determination to unearth sensations,
and he succeeded.
Many were the devices to which he
had to resort to obtain the news in spite
of the hostility of the members. One
OF the cleyerest and most amusing was
the way in which he obtained the pro-
ceedings of the Democratic caucus.
For the purpose of excluding him, it
was resolved to admit no newspaper
men. A reporter is not easily daunted,
however, and Eakins considered that
all things were fair in the enemy's
camp. The first evening thereafter he
went into the upper gallery of the house
and hid under a row of back seats.
When the caucus was assembled, how
ever, search was ordered, and Joe's
feet were discovered sticking out from
under the bench by asergeant-at-arms.
The official, with a laugh, ordered him
to come out, and when he emerged,
covered with dust and humiliation, he
was greeted with an enthusiastic chorus
of derisive yells. He walked out, but
he did not give up the fight. A pipe
from the stove in the house passed back
into the cloak-room. Securing step
ladder he mounted and, placing his ear
to the pipe, heard every word that was
uttered. The voices of the members
were perfectly familiar to him by this
time, and his dispatch was unusually
full and complete.
There was great wonder the next
day, and this was intensified when that
evenings caucus proceedings were also
reported in detail. 1t was at first
thought that he was in the confidence
of some member, but the next day the
secret leaked out The door in the
cloak-room was locked and the step
ladder removed. Still, this did no good.
Eakins found means to be introduced
into the house early the next afternoon,
and secreting himself behind book
case, where, at the cost of some person.
al discomfort, he remained during the
caucus session. He was able to do so
only that time, as the person by whose
connivance he had effected it was
afraid to longer assist him. Another
resource was discovered, and for two
more nights the faithful reports of the
proceedings were kept up.
The third evening, after the roll had
been called, the Hon. Laban r. Moore
arose and stated that the secretary had
omitted the name of one who had al
ways taken deep interest in their de-
alterations. He desired to suggest that
the secretary call the name of Joseph
Eakins, member from the state-at-large.
His words were greeted with cheers.
and when the secretary called out the
name voice said Here from one of
the windows. Looking out they found
the interchangeable correspondent seated
on the limb of huge tree which grew
at distance of forty or fifty feet from
the window. He had climbed the tree
and crawled out on a huge branch,
whose extremity almost touched the
shutters. 1t was not a comfortable
position up there, but the reporter had
a piece of soft paper and was writing
up the proceedings rs they went on.
As fast as sheet was finished he dropped
it to the ground, when it was picked
up by messenger and taken to the
telegraph office. The spirit of opposi-
ton had not quite died out the next
evening, and a guard was placed over
the tree. The day following, however,
it was resolved to hold the session with
open doors, and when Eakins came in
a. little after o'clock he was greeted
with perfect ovation of shouts, yells,
and cheers. His plucky fight had won
the hearts of all present, and he had
much smoother sailing the remainder