The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1889-09-27
CONNECTING An ITEM.

CORRECTING AN ITEM
| was sitting alone in the office the other
day about noon, when couple of gentle
men came up who were evidently exceed
ingly angry. Their temper had not been
improved by climbing the long flights of
stairs that led to the editorial room, which
flights they had been compelled to walk
up, as the elevator was not running be-
tween twelve and one.
Look here, said one of the men, this
is Capt. John Boom, of Northern Michi-
gan. Yonr paper this morning publishes
scandalons and utterly untrue item about
him, and we have come up here to get
retracton made or there will be trouble. y
Eyes, said Captain Boom, hopping his
heated brow, 'there will be trouble. 1t is
perfectly outrageous the way newspapers
publish items in which there isn't word
of Truth, utterly reckless of what damage
they may do, and
''Of course it isl broke in the other,
''but I'll bet you dollar and half well
have that thing fixed"
''Well,' said, gentlemen, am very
sorry. indeed, but it isn't in my depart
ment. l have really nothing to do with
the matter at all. The proper man to see
would be the city editor"
"What did tell you?'' cried Captain
Boom. "You wanted me to come up
here, but knew it was no good. l knew
they would shift it off just that way. l
told You we would never find the fellow in
that wrote it,"
you'll find him in all right enough"
l said, ''if you call up at five o'clock"
''Five O'clock cried Captain Boom.
''Why, by that time will be on the rail-
way for home. No, sir. You correct that
item right here, now, or there is going to
be trouble
'sAll right" said, "what is the item?
l will make whatever corrections there are
to be made in it and hand it to the city
editor. He will only be too glad to cor
rect it, if he has been in the wrong
TOO glad" Numbered the other, "don't
correct the damage he has done"
what is the item?" asked, unfolding
a COPY of that mornings paper.
''Here it is, he answered, putting his
finger on the place.
The item was as follows:
Captain John Boom, of Jogawauk,
Northern Michigan, is at the Cadillac. He
is interested in the development of some
timber limits ON the Jogawauk river, and
is here to induce capitalists to go into the
scheme. Captain Boom has acquired the
right to 80, 900 acres of valuable timber
land, and has engaged Mr.. Theo. Dolite,
the surveyor, to go up there and run the
lines. He is negotiating with Captain
Briney for the purchase of tug that will
navigate the raging Jogawauk.
"Well," said, when had read that
through, what is there wrong about it,
'It's all wrong cried Captain Boom.
''There isn't a word of truth in it. I want
you to say in to-morrow's paper that you
were entirely misled, and that there wasn't
a word Of truth in the item relating to
Captain John Boom You have got to do
that or stand the consequences"
st can't be all wrong" l said; 'there
must be some foundation of truth in the
matter. The reporter has no reason for
classifying things.
You can take it any way you like, but
you have got to retract that thing or there
will be music, now l tell YOU
.'Captain Boom" said the man who had
come up with him, sis worth 500, 600 and
he don't care darn what he spends in
order to set himself right, now. tell
you"
'.Well,'' answered, che doesn't need to
spend cent of it. The paper is as anx-
ions to get it right as he is to have it
righted, but let's see where the wrong is.
In the first place, Captain John Boom, of
Jogawauk, of Northern Michigan, is at
the Cadillac Are you Captain John
Boom -
Eyes, sir, am
Every well, then. that much is right.
Are you from Jogawauk.
''Yes, sir, am from Jogawauk.
rs Jogawauk in Northern Michigans''
Eyes, il is.
And are you staying at the Cadillac"
''Yes, am"
''All right, then. There is nothing
wrong with the first of it, is there?"
'No, it isn't that; L."
"Well, let's take the second sentence.
Are you interested in some of the timber
limits on that riyer?"