The Panola weekly star. (Sardis, Miss.) 1882-18??, 1885-05-30
NEWSPAPER GOSSIP.
Several Casos of Interviewing
Undor Dinlcultloa,
How Arthur Fooled the HepotierH The
Northwestern Press Association
A strange Case of Absent.
Mndchnrsf, Etc,

people think" remarked nh old
newspaper man day or two ago, "that
because we arr necessarily forced 10 up.
pear more or less before the public in
any one Of a dozen roles, we do not
know any snch quality as cmharrass-
mcnL But toll you right here, that
very often the best newspaper man Is
the most subducd and retiring, A man
may 60 through fire and water when
duty requires 1t, hut rs no great pleas.
urc for him People who have been in.
tcrylcwcd on some topic or other aud
who mas moi wonder NJ the supreme
GOODNESS OF the trained newspaper man,
and we'll they may, But II they had
seen, ~ | did, the boys try TO interview
President Arthur, their wonder would
have suffered terrible stroke Of paraly-
sis. When Arthur returned from the |
Y ,llowstuno in the summer of 1883, he |
stopped over day Of the Grand Pacific, |
Chicago. Each of Us papers sent its
best man Ia interview the President. |
giving each man carte blanche a. 10 |
topics 10 bo discussed. When the first
man arrived ynd sent up his card, the
President was busy. One by one the
boys dropped In. Zach eyed the other
nsknncc but could do nothing When
all wcre present, the President sent
down word that he would see the nowc-
paper men in n body. There was no
help for II, so up they nll went Mr..
Arthur had u su.io Of rooms
The boys filed into tn parlor and
stood in row, hat In lianA. Soon the
inner door opened and lilo Presidents
well.known features hove iAsght lie
bowed gracefully. The boy. bowed F.
not quito go gracefully Tho prcsldcnl
stood IN the position of attenU )n for n
few minutes. The boys looked blank
aud miserable. One nudged hDolhcr
aud 80 Il went down the line. Tho
President saw that they wcrc oribar-
rasscd AMI gradually smile stole over
his countcnnncc lie waited In ypln.
Suddenly ho said; We'll gentlcmrn,
what Is itp Not word could any ore
say ideas seemed gone. First one
and then another tried 10 ak a Qucs-
tion but Il was no COOL. The President
smiled and tho boys turned red IN the
facc. This was kept up for what seemel
hours 10 them. Then they nll turned
and walked ont. They could hear Ar
thur laugh rs the door closed. The no
ports the next day were not very dif-
fuse as regarded IN Interview with the
President Even 10 this day II Is u
standing Joke M 10 how tho five best
men In Chicago didn't interview the
President
Talking about cool nerve in the
newspaper man when duty calls for n
display Of that quality" continued the
veteran. after ho had taken Whit or
two at his cigar. Billy knox, one OF
the handsomcst men on the Daily Mems.
and one Of the best all.round men In the
West. took the prize some three years
ago. Bills WAS on tho Herald NJ the
time. John +. Ballantync, now Of the
Mems. wns city editor and general
supervisor Of the Herald then. That
paper was making a fierco fight on the
Associated Press. The Northwestern
Press Association branch Of the As
sociated Press-was IN the habit II
holding rs annual meetings In Chicago.
Ballantynr got on TO the fact that there
was much dissatisfaction with the scry.
Ice presided over by William Henry
Smith. How to get the full proceed
lngs was the question. Billy Knox
dressed quietly. hal big blonde mus.
taclic and wore n sl0uchcd hat liz
looked enough like an editor Of a paper
In a town II medium size to pas.
muster. Ono u the other boys on tho
Hcrah whs instructed 10 20 to the room
where the Northwestern Press wa.
meeting. walk in just before the meet
ing began and IL down. lie. II eonr,c
would bc fired Ms an inierlopcr Ther
Knox. who was to be on hand, wa
ordered 10 walk In and slt down quiet
". The plan worked like y charm. 4
happened that one II the Northwestern
mon was absent lie was not wei
known and II was taken for granted
that Knox represented him. Knox. o
course. could not take notes. but hi
memory was excellent After the meet
Ing the young fellow who had becn Their
! NJ first and becn fired, returned ani
pretended 10 get the points. Kno
/ watched him but pretended not 81 knov
him. Then Knox went 10 The Office an'
wrote full report. The next day th
Northwestern Pres men were astonnd
ell ~ was Knox. or 30 be prctcnde
. 20 be. The second meeting was held Il
} secret n was.lhe first William Hcnr
,, Smith was called up and hauled oy,
The Goals In royal shape. knox store
the points In his memory. When III
meeting adjourned for good he hade N
country editors goodbye. said be va
|. going back home. wrnt to The Heral
Office aud wrote his report The nes
day two of the country editors oalle
upon Ballaniyne and asked him how !
: bad got his report They were astouns
4 ci when told that Hera'dreportcr ha
/. becn IN the room al the time. One |
/, them offered one hundred dollars 10 -
the man who had taken them mp
neatly. but Ballentyne was not gisir
points away Just lhrn.
D sDhl you ever hear the facts ahol
9 the lam1uS public b. 4 d interview
J Mo- Well will tell you ali about Il, I
. happened 10 b. IN Chicago when
: WIS published iani ran give sou the .
7 nrs fac's. There Used 70 be and M
: BE- still for all know--a young fslld