The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1894-01-04
JOURNALISM IN MEXICO.
How an American Reporter Got n Mexi-
can Newspaper Into Trouble.

~ IN - q
newspaper" ! asked 0. Dave Ward.
the old tramp reporter, as we hshed
FOR LACK bass from the same Skill the
other day.
"Haw. haw. haw." laue he'd Dave.
as his wrinklcd old face lighted up
Ike IA big lantern. "Yes, | had a
sit on a daily paper in the City of
Mexico about ten years age and it
WAS a rae experience"
ANY objections TO stating the par
ticular,?n
"None at all. Haw. haw. haw,
But 1t was funny, | was on one Of
my TRIPS around the globe and got
financially busted in the City of Mex
lco. L can speak and write Spanish,
and 1t occurred to me that | might
get a sit on one Of the dallics.
81 dropped in on the editor OF the
government organ and stated my case
ana he took me on the local depart
lnent. l looked owe the files to see
how some local matters had run ana
could find only about half a column
a day, and most of that was three or
:our days old when printed. thought
1T IA good chance for Yankee enter
prise and started in to hustle When
1 got around to the Office again | had
two columns of live matter ready to
work up. The editor wanted to
known what | had found, and |
showed him a bundle and expected a
word Of praise. Instead Of being
pleased. he mournfully said
"My dear sir, all this happened
last night or to-day. 1t is too fresh.
1t would excite our readers. And,
besides, 1t would be unfair to our
contemporaries to publish these
things first"
in the batch | hal a fatal acct
dent. y drunken Mexican had fallen
of his mule and broken his neck.
"'Ihat is sad. very sad said the
editor, but we cannot publish it.
The shock would be too great for our
readers. In two weeks they can read
OF it with placidity. l know his
brother, and | know the brother
wouldn't like to see the sad account
in the paper
"'Wcll. here is Il child run over by
a water cart | said.
"'Ah. That is also very sad. We
will let some other paper publish it
first and thus be sure there is no mis-
take
Heres a case Of a man stabbed
in a fight
"'Ihat is not so sad, but the DO
lice have Mt notified me yet BE.
sides. he may die. 1t is better to
wait "A week or so and see if he dies
"'llow about an old mar found
dead in his Ded::' | inquired, as l dug
out my notes of the a air.
There is sadness in that. 1t
woul be a shock. He may have many
relatives, an some Of them would b.
offended. | think IL n time he was
an ln>urgent, and the Government
might desire me to say nothing
But cont you want any live
neWs?:'
oh, YES. You had best 20 and
see my friend senior Don . He
generally has news-important news.
He will gladly give you all he can,
and it will be pleasing to the public
and perfectly reliable
Il posted off to see his friend"
continued Dave. as he reeled in his
line to see if the bait was all right.
"lle was a high stopper and a jim
dandy. When | told him what l
wanted he cried OUT
"'It is splendid. l shall give you
great news 1t is news of the army,
and therefore Of the Government, and
to please all readers. My good friend
l'nIe hDc por:rnAl hi 49,,
mission and will enter into business
"'When did he resign?'
six weeks ago. You'are the
first to have it.. 1t will be great
news
That's the way things went for
three or four days, and then l got
hold of something about one of the
Government officials being short in
his accounts. l had my facts solid
and ripped him up the back, and
some how or other the item passed in
and was published. Haw. haw. haw."
what resulted"
THE paper hadn't been out an
hour when the police swooped down
upon us and waltzed us all of to Jail.
When 1 say all i mean ever man
Jack connected with the paper, from
editOr-in-chicf down to press feeders
and Office boy. 1t was an attack on
the Government. you see, and being
in the Government organ it was al
most a shOotable offense.
81 suspect they all put it on to me,
and as II matter of fact l owned up
to it, but they kept the crowd in jail
for three months, just the same. l
don't know how long they intended
to keep me, but oon after the others
were released our Minister interfered
in my behalf, and when l got out /