Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-07

news they possess regards the detention OF
an overdue steamer. but this can be accounted
for from the fact that they know no more than
the questioner, and, therefore, give away some
thing they are not cuetodians of. With a rail-
road 1t is different, looking at it from an
official standpoint.
Some years back when railroading WAS far
from the nearly perfect state it has now reached
and dollar was appreciated at ITS full value by
the railroad corporations, nervous people wore
known to return the tickets already bought
demand the refunding Of their money and go
back home on rumor reaching their ears
that n wreck had occurred on the road over
which they anticipated travelling. This caused
order to be issued to the effect that no IN
formation as regards accidents of any kind was
to be given to the public and this order can
still be found upon the pages Of the obsolete
order books. But it still holds good, coming
down from decade to decade in verbal manner,
and it has now become quite a hobby for a
railroad man to know nothing about matter
he has knowledge of from A to 2.
sTRIKIYG ILLUSTRATION.
Among the good things printed in the Christ
mas publications that aptly illustrates this point
was the following
The scene is a nursery. -Four boys Of tender
age are PLAYING with two trains of cars. They
have things jammed together and are quarrel
ing among themselves as to where to place the
blame. 1t might be added they are the sons
OF high railroad officials. In the midst of the
dispute the father of one of the boys quietly
enters the room, takes q seat and calls his son
to his side.
II see. Bobbie." he said, THAT you got
train of cars for Christmas and they have had
an accident. Tell me all about it."
Il can't say a word replies Master Bobbie,
with sagacious shake of his head. ''You SEQ
l am one of the officers of the road
This story is told at the expense OF one of
the most prominent railroad officers in the
country and emphasizes the old saw like father
like son.
How often has the average traveller come
across the scene of depot crowded with
anxious inquiring people, half distracted over
the situation OF loved ones out on the road OH
which a wreck is reported to have occurred.
FIRST one officer of the line and then another
and another are questioned until the entire
gamut. from the superintendent down to the
colored porter. has been run, but the unvary-
ing negative reply is always forthcoming.
Many of the raroaders consider this the
wisest course to pursue under the circum-
stances, no doubt basing their opinions on the
ground that where there's life there's hope
and prompt and perhaps erroneous report of
an accident might lead to fatal results to the
questioner from shock.
A reporter of The EVENING STAR. in the
course Of a chat held recently with a prominent
railroad official. brought up the subject OF sup
pressing news about wrecks and inquired the
why's ana WherefOres.
An OLD ORDER THAT STILL HOLDS GOOD.
you are right" he said, .'about an old order
being issued to that effect many years back and
still holding good. have never received or
ders TO suppress news as regards accidents on
the road, but it is one of those things that are
understood. Some years back | was shown n
curiosity in the shape of AN old book of rules,
and one of the most important orders therein
was the one dealing with the suppression Of
news about wrecks and accidents l have no
ticed that the elevated railroad employees in
New York are, if possible, more strict than we
in this matter and I'll venture the assertion that
the prime cause of the 'know-no thingism' is
the old one-an aversion to losing patronage.
The west is leading us in regards to taking Il
liberal view Of such matters. Not long since an
order was issued on one of the roads running into
Chicago from the west TO the effect that all in
formation as regards wrecks and accidents was
to be given to the public soon as possible
This is move in the right direction. but it will
take a special order to get the employees of the
eastern roads out of the old rut Of keeping
back the news.
Then again, it would rob many o; the minor
employees OF the opportunity to appear i'm
portant in the eyes Of the anxious public. 1. is
q strange anomaly, but nevertheless true that
the smaller the position the greater the dignity
when the opportunity affords. l have known
several OF the car cleaners out there in the
ucpOt 70 uoiu crown spellDOunu Win the re-
cital OF the horrors of a particularly disastrous
wreck about which the public was anxious
while In reality they were as ignorant Of the
details child unborn.
WHERE THE REPORTER GETS HIS NEWS.
ut is from this class of employees that the
shrewd reporter generally secures his news.
say shrewd, because if he goes to all official Of
any prominence and inquiries about the par
ticulars Of a wreck and the official feels so in
ciined he will tell him the bare facts, while the
subordinate, although he may know nothing,
Will call upon the innermost recesses of his
imagination. and the result is story totally at
variance with the true state of affairs but still
a good story. 1t is beginning to dawn upon
the railroad officials, who possess a small mite
| OF SoomOn's wisdom, that a closer utilization
between the railroads and newspapers should
be brought about. and when that time comes
the inner workings Of railroad system will be
like an open book to the reading public. There
| Ia no cause for the mystery that surrounds
railroads management. and the quicker it il
| dispelled the better it will be for all.
Il know OF frequent endeavOrs on the part
| OF the reporters to secure news Of a reported
| wreck that have been dire failures but then
again am also aware of cases where the news-
papers have had more news in their papers
than the railroad officials possessed themselves.
These cases are. OF course, rare, but worthy Of
mention.
Some four or five years back, think about
1887, wreck occurred on our road in which
several persons were killed and many injured
The names OF the unfortunate passengers were
hard to secure; the road 80 jammed with trains
that all the wires that could possibly be used
were taken possession OF for the purpose Of
getting matters righted again, and as q result
very little news came to the city papers, where
there were many anxious friends clamoring
for details.
ut came to our knowledge afterward that one
OF the papers had on its staff an old time te-
legrapher, who had forsaken the key for the
pencil As soon the wreck had been re-
ported this man was one Of the first to be as
| signed the task Of writing 1t up. Many people
would consider his task only an ordinary one
because he might lounge around the telegraph
Offices and hear the details as they passed over
the wire from official to official. But this man
was handicapped by the fact that no was we'll
known to almost every operator on the road
and upon the first glimpse of his face the
saunders would be screwed down and the mos
sages taken from the relay.
"He was fully conversant with the obstacles
he had 70 overcome and like good newspaper
man decided to do his best to secure what he
was sent after.
now ONE MAN GOT A .soooP."
walking into the main depot he greeted
several Of the attaches Of the road with whom
hs was on speaking terms Of intimacy, but as
usual they were Immediately on their guard
and refused to talk. Walking idly about a. IL
he knew nothing Of the startling rumors that