Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-10-19
RUSES OF REPORTERS.
A Brief Dissertation on the Art Of
Gathering News.
Cheek, Chance and Cunning the Chief Re-
llances of the Newsgatherer-Tor-
tune, Though, Does Not Al
ways Smile Upon the
Bold,


Perseverance is a prime requisite in
a reporter. The faculty OF holding
tenaciously to clue and the knack of
absorbing quickly all there is in case
and not allowing himself to be driven
away by rebuffs make q man valuable
In this profession. The one who can
do this and not be thought bore is an
artist in his work, but he is a good
man who holds to his purpose though
he knows the victim he cross-questions
wishes him at the antipodes. When to
perseverance and tenacity the element
OF good luck and degree OF tact or
cunning are added, reporter is pretty
thoroughly armed for his work. Chance
and cunning play great part in the
success OF u reporter.
Guests at hotels, if they desire to
avoid reporter, are harder to reach
than under almost any other circum-
stances, for the proprietor of the house
is bound to guard them against intru-
sion. Trickery and cheek sometimes
succeed in gaining admission for a
newspaper man, but In such cases the
guest is SO incensed that the interview
is chilly and brief, even if the reporter
Is not unceremoniously ordered out of
the room. Chance frequently aids the
reporter and gains him his wished-for
interview, when all cunning might
meet with defeat. Senator Hoar was
once at the Grand Pacific, and certain
reporter had tried all the afternoon to
see him. Regularly every hour he
sent card to the Senator's room only
to receive each time the answer: TOO
busy now to see any one." Evening
came on, and half-past nine o'clock
had rolled around and the reporter.
though tired of trying, still held to his
purpose tenaciously. He sent his card
up again. Tho bell-boy, on the same
trip, had card from some other
visitor to a friend in some room on
the same floor with the Senator, and
when he returned he had things slight
ly mixed. He informed the stranger
that the gentleman was not in, while
to the reporter he said Come up at
once. The reporter had shadow of
suspicion that a mistake had been
made, but he was not around rectifying
other peoples errors. Here was his
chance and he took it quickly, resolved
to trust to luck for the outcome. He
knocked at the Senator's door and
heard q cheerful Come in," and as he
advanced into the room that gentleman
came to meet him, but surprised the
reporter by saying; "Glad to see YOU.
sir; Mr.. Ellis, believe" The scribe
owned at once that his name was not |
'Ellis," and he told the Senator he
was the reporter who had been trying
all day to see him. How dare you.
sir, intrude here, and by subterfuge.
1t is a dishonorable cheat, sir, to send
up the name of a gentleman | am ex-
pecting to see; you have gained admis-
sion hers by fraud, SIR The reporter
fastened to say that he had not done
any thing of the kind; he declared he
had sent up his own card and that the
oell-boy had told him to come up. and
he had responded; he said If the bell
boy had made mistake he was not to
blame, and he told the Senator about
he boy having two cards when he came
upstairs. Senator Hoar picked up the
card from the table and looked at ii
closely.
well, declare" he said. II be-
ieve that is Welles, and not Ellis
lfter all; I am expecting a call from a
sentleman named W. Ellis, and that
'eally looks like it, doesn't itPr and in
'vident good humor he handed 1t to .
he reporter. That serene young man
aid it was most natural mistake and {
dded that the Senator was perfectly {
xcusable. And now, sir, that YOU {
re here, what can I say to youPn asked
senator Hoar ''You evidently are |
nxious to see me from this pile of '
ards you have sent up; If they had the '
pots there is enough OF them to play |
uchre WITH" and the Senator laugh a
ngly seated himself The reporter '
howed the old gentleman clipping, r
ccusing him of using certain language s
some person, and as he had 0
OF seen it or heard Of it he was inter t
sted at once. He denied it in toto and t
egan talking on the subject thus n
rought up, and gave the reporter all v
ae interview he wanted. Tenacity g
hance and tact had gained success for F
le newspaper man. lt
During the political campaign Of 1884 b
le Democratic Central Committee held s.
leir meetings in room on the groun d D
oor Of the Palmer House. A reporter a
orlkinq on q Rennhlican raner nrne In {.