The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-07-15
A REAL SCOOP"
How a New York Herald Nan
Reached a Telegraph Office,
And Thereby Made known the Truth of the
Purchase Of Alaska by Sec
rotary Seward.

Talking the other evening about newspa-
per scoops" and the many daring efforts
to secure the exclusive publication of news,
Manager Henderson of the Western Union
Telegraph Office in this city said: The
most noticeable thing of the kind that ever
came under my personal observation was
in Victoria, B. c., in 1868. The summer be-
fore, in 1867, Secretary of State Seward had
bought Alaska from the Russian Govern
ment, paying therefor $1,000, 900. 1t was
the first time for years that the United
States had bought any territory; Alaska
was sort Of terra incognita and people
we're interested in the transfer.
"The United States and Russian Com
missioners had gone up there, the country
had been formally turned over to the United
States, and the whole lot, including half
dozen special newspaper correspondents,
were on board the Sierra Nevada on their
way to Victoria. Each newspaper man had,
of course, a full description of the whole
thing and was anxious to get it off to his
paper and beat tile other fellows.
"1he Sierra Nevada stopped at Ma
naimo with some accident tC her machinery,
and it looked as though the steamer might
have to lie there three or four days.
''As | learned afterward, the correspond
ent of the New York Herald was a long
of ALDERMAN extraction. Some called him
Beauty others Adonis.'
'ADoNIs' WENT ASHORE
At Nanaimo, determined to secure a
scoop for the New York Herald, and
struck across the country. 1t is very rough.
yeritab!e wilderness, and lie must have
suffered great privatious.
"HOw he made the trip [ never knew.
but one morning | was startled when |
was lying nursing broken leg in Victoria
by an apparitioD, which looked like the
ghost Of what had once been man.
at was Adonis! The poor fellow was
almost skeleton. He had a few shreds of
what had been clothes; his eyes glittered
like those of maniac, as he staggered
rather than walked to my room. =
"His first thought was for the paper He
had not stopped when he had finally
emerged from the brush through which he
had fought his way, but made straight for
the telegraph Office to get his report off
'Ihe line was down; the cable that
formed Geographic communication with
the mainland was broken and no message
could be sent or received.
care you the operator?' lie gasped. Il
want to get this on the line at once. 1t is
for the New York Herald. 1t is the report
of the transfer of Alaska to the United
States. 1t must go immediately
IT MUST GO!
II told him it was impossible, and ex-
pIdlUCu iIIb SlludllUu
My Godv said he, what shall / do?
Pve risked my life and nearly killed myself
TO get in across the country ahead of the
other fellows, and now there's no sending
it. What shall | do?
"'Pll tell you what to do said l. Go
down to the beach. Hire good stout canoe
and an Indian crew. Pay them to take you
across the twenty miles to Swinomish.
There you will find telegraph Office and
can file your report and ii will be in the
New York Herald Tomorrow morning."
"'GOd bless you! said he, and away he
went as fast as he could pull himself down
the street.
Without waiting for food or rest he got
the canoe and the Indians and got across
the stormy strip of sea TO Swnomish, filed
his report and got it through in great shape.
1t appeared exclusively in the Herald and
that day was wired out to the coast and ap-
peared the next morning in the San Fran
cisco papers.
1.-TWO days after the belated Sierra
Nevada arrived at Victoria. much to the
disgust of the other newspaper men, who
found that their cherished news was widely
known.
"'Adonis, upon his return to New York,
was promoted and gwen an important
position on the Herald staff for his intrepid
and successful effort to secure SCOOP"
Daily Historian. July 18th.