Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1885-01-29
AN ENrERpRIslNa REPORTER.
How he Learned the Secrets Of n
LegisIRtive Cmucus.

Legislative Caucus
The Louisville Courier-J0urnGl, in q
sketch of Joseph ]. Ealins, young re-
porter who has been made aclerk by the
new mayor, relates some illustrations of
Eakins' journalistic enterprise while he
was serving at Frankfort as capitol cor
respondent Of the Louisville CoDsmA-
ciaE:
He was only nineteen years old then,
but he attracted the attention Of Colonel
Kelley. When the session Of the legisla-
ture began in October the colonel re-
solved to send him to Frankfort as that
papers correspondent. He instructed
him to go there at once and made red
hot partisan fight for {" the only Republi-
can daily" in Kentucky. There was
never better show for an active re-
porter. Colonel Kelley told Joe that
previous correspondents mad always been
afraid to attack the State government,
and that he wanted him to make no such
mistake Joe was Democrat, as all his
people were before him, but he knew
what his duty to Republican paper
was, and he promised to carry out the
coloneps instructions. If he made any
mistake in his vigorous fight, he did
90 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 re-
sort to obtain the news in spite Of the
hostility of the members. One of the
cleverest and most amusing was the way
in which he obtained the proceedings Of
the Democratic caucus. For the purpose
of excluding him, it was resolved to adj
NIT 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 as
sembled, however, search was ordered,
and Joe's feet were discovered sticking
out from under the bench bya sergeant
at arms. The official, with laugh, or
dered him to come out, and when he
emerged, covered with dust and humilia-
tion, he was greeted with an enthusiastic
chorus of derisive yells. He walked out,
but he did not give up the fight. Apipe
from the stove in the house passes 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 Sc
cret leaked out. The door in the cloak
room was locked and the step-ladder re-
moved. Still, this did no good. Eakins
found means to be introduced into the
house early the next afternoon, and Sc
creted himself behind a bookcase,
where at the cost of some personal dis
comfort, 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 dis
covered, 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 T.
Moore arose and stated that the secretary
had omitted the name Of one who had
always taken deep interest in their de-
iberations. He desired to suggest that
the secretary call the name of
Joseph Eakins, member from the
Sta.e-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 indefatig-
able correspondent seated on the limb Of
huge tree, which grew at distance of
fifty feet from the window. He had
climbed the tree and erawled out on
huge branch, whose extremity almost
touched the shutters. 1t was not COM
Portable position up there, but the re-
porter had piece Of soft paper and was
writing up the proceedings as 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 op-
position had not quite died out the next
evening, and guard was placed over
the tree. The day following, how
ever, it was resolved to hold the sessions
with open doors, and when Eakins
walked in little after 8 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 of the term.
What He Knew.