The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-06-18

newspaper correspondent wants to be
Johnny on the spot and if he learns a
piece of news at the hotel telegraph
Office can not be too close to meet his de-
sires. For these reasons the force will be
trebled at all the hotels, and most likely
he kept going throughout the entire TWEEN
ty-four hours.
AT the hotels used as headquarters
important confabs and caucusses will be
held, and il can be easily imagined the
Importance of the news likely to develop
at any moment. A new feature of this
hotel business will be several private
wires working directly from the hotels
into the newspaper offices in New York.
The great rivalry recently developed in
that city between two of the prominent
papers has no doubt led up to this. With
each private wire goes special cores
pendent, and from the outlook at pres
ent 1t appears as If the eastern Journals
will be swamped with convention news.
Both the Western Union and Postal
companies maintain bulletin wire at the
conventions, and over this string usually
comes the first announcement of the
name of the successful candidate.
TO guard against jam at the halls,
either in st. Louis or Chicago, it is pro-
posed that corps of bicycle riders be
from the halls to the main offices. In
this way it is believed greater speed can
he attained in working off business than
could possibly be done if all the dispatch
es were to be sent from the halls of the
conventions, as at the main offices there
are always hundreds of wires available
and operators always ready to be pressed
into service.
81 have been in attendance at several
of the late conventions, and, among
other things, noticed that there is very
little individual wiring done by the del
egates. OF course, now and then, del
pgate who has sick wife or child at
home. or perhaps an important business
deal to look after, will use the wire, but
the individual convention man pays very
little toll to the telegraph companies.
Even after the nomination is made the
delegate refrains from using the wires to
announce the fact to his constituency,
ms he knows very well that hundreds of
newspaper messages are flashed all over
the country, carrying the news more rap
idly than his money could pay for.
ut sometimes occurs that delegate
who causes n stampede by casting an
unexpected vote that either brings de-
feat or victory will wire the news home
to his friends, being proud of the posi-
ton he has taken before the country and
the great prominence into which he has
been thrown, but that is about all the
money delegates, as rule, spend for
telegraphing.
''In years past all the candidates had
private wires to the conventions, and 1t
is foregOne conclusion that the same |
state of affairs will prevail this year.
These private wires are very essential, !
rs n minutes time at such periods is
worth thousands of dollars. A cahdi- |
date and his lieutenant must keep in con- |
slant touch with each other and every |
move recorded. At the last convention |
it will he recalled that President Harri- |
son had direct wire to the Minneapolis |
convention and that the few privileged |
persons at the White House knew more
about the proceedings taking place in
the far-away city than did thousands of |
people directly overlooking the people en-
gagged in the great battle.
'The telegraph offices in both the con-
vention halls at st. Louis and Chicago
will be located directly under the speak
er's stand, and pneumatic tubes go down
from the space above to the operators be-
low. In this way special correspond
ent sitting Mt a table directly in front
of the speaker can have man sort his
copy, dump it into pneumatic carriage
and like a fash it will bob mp at the OPP
orators right arm. There will be no
time lost in counting words. as that will
he attended to afterward the operators
retaining the copy and sending it to the
main office for checking off That scene
under the stage will he worth going
miles TO see. A couple of hundred OPP
orators at work, the same number of
saunders and keys chirping out the
pleasing metallic ring and the numerous
messengers rushing here and there, the
noise being entirely lost on the conven-
ton people outside owing to the heavy
partitions and ceilings.
AS to who will make up the opera
ting force TO go from this city | am I'M
able as yet to say We have several
men who are equal to the hest in the
business, and that the Washington Of
fee will be called on to furnish its quota
of experts goes without saying. Wash
ington Star.