The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-11-30
THE STORY OF A"SCOOP."

an Item That Wilbur Il. Storey Couldn't
Buy Prom Melville r. stono.
Twenty years ago Melville E.
Stone was struggling 10 make sue
cess of tho Chicago News. In these
days a big deposit in tho bank Is the
first step when a peSer is to begin to
ill long felt want Twenty years
ago newspapers .were started on the
expectation that thoy would mako
the big bank deposit. Sublime faith
was tho capital stock ON which the
Chicago News was launched, and
Stone was drawing pretty strong
drafts on il whom the incident oc.
Cured which made q turning point
for him. Stone was coming down
town one morning at an hour which
would make him shudder now. He
was on his way to the Office. A cer-
tain bal-k Official climbed ON the car
and sat bsside Stone. On the strength
of chance acquaintance the newspa-
per man greeted the other and CON-
mented on the fact that 1t was re-
markably early in the day to be on
the way to the bank. The official
said it wasS and, what was worse, he
had boon ct the bank until the mid
night before. Horse cars as COM
pared with rapid transit have their
compensations Before Stone and
the bank official reached the heart of
the city the former had details of an
astounding defalcation. He went to
The News office. and guarding his
sensation jeelously prepared to make
tho most of it.
At that time the Chicago Times
was at its zenith. Wilbur +. Storey
was in his prime Money was no OBJ
ject when it came TO deals for exclu-
sive news. About midday there was
held regularly council of war at
The Times Office. The campaign for
tho next mornings paper was
planned Storey was accustomed to
call in tho heads of departments
and lay out the work like general.
On this particular day that Stone was
grinning out his bank sensation the
city editor of The Times said to Mr.
Storey that he had learned there was
something up in banking circles, and
that The News had 1t. Tho News was
struggling, as Mr.. Storey knew. The
city editor suggested that the offer
of q snug sum of money would prob
ably induce Stone to postpone publ
cation a day and provide The Times
with its daily scoop.
$50 over and try EN-" said
Storey. "Of'er 'em $500"
The city editor called on Stone and
suggested that tho bank story was
worth more to The Times as exclu-
sive matter than IL was to The News.
If The News did not publish IL, there
was little danger of any other paper
getting it. The Times was prepared
TO give The News $500 for the privi-
lege of tho first publication.
Stone listened and smiled. He
shook his head.
LnO CNlAtDE NCiiO Dc.Oh uiiu ICpOL USn
to Mr.. Storey.
"Offer 'em 81, o00," said Mr.. Sto-
rey. The city editor returned to the
attack. Stone listened to the plausi-
bic idea. That 81, 900 would double
the entire bank account of The News
just then. But the young editor
again shook his head.
Tho city editor reported his second
failure.
MAKE it 10000" said Storey
shortly. Tho old mems blood was up.
The city editor hurried on his er-
rand, for it was getting dangerously
near the hour for The News first.
edition. He found Stone putting his
finishing touches 10 his bank sensa-
ton. He delivered his third mes
sage.
"Go back and say TO Mr.. Storey
that he can't draw a check big
enough TO buy this item from The
News, said Stone, shutting his Jaws
hard IA the 81, 600 danced before him.
Somehow this tale of scoop got
noised around. From that day The
News prospered as IL bod never done
bofore--St. Louis Globe Democrat
With both the alligator and the
crocodile the tail Is the most formi-
dable weapon. One stroke fairly de-