Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-10-29
INTERVIEWING DIR. BLISS.

formation. DR.. Bliss always spoke of
the hopeful condition of the president
and gave the impression that he ex-
pected the wounded man to recover.
Finally the managing editor of the Re-
publican in this city, paper with
which Bivins was connected, told him
to GO and ascertain the real condition
of the president, no matter how, but
somehow. r
Bivins went to the white house and
saw DR.. Bliss. He had an unusually
long talk with him and took down all
he said in short hand. The interview
strengthened the previous impressions
given by the Bliss interviews that Pres
ident Garfield would ultimately recover.
1t seems that the policy of giving QUA
hopeful bulletins was regarded as q
public necessity under all the circuT-
stances. Well, Bivins went to his Of
flee and wrote out the interview and
handed it in to the managing editor,
saying that he would get further facts
before midnight.
Every evening about seven o'clock
DR.. Bliss left the white house to GO and
visit several of his regular patients. He
had given up nearly all of his practice
and devoted his entire time to the
wounded president, but in the evening
for an hour or two he went in his bug
gy to call on a few invalids who would
not give him up. Tom Bivins knew this
fact, and also knew that Bliss usually
took little wine with his supper, and
that he was always more genial and
mpanionable then than at any other
time of day. So when DR.. Bliss came
ont of the white house that evening
Bivins came out behind him and asked
him for a ride. DIR. Bliss said all right,
and Bivins got into the buggy with
him. He talked to Bliss about his differ
ent patients, asking all about their con-
ditions, and so forth. Bivins knew all
of them and was interested in them.
Finally, after several patients had
been visited and they were coming
down the avenue, Bivins asked about
Garfield. He caught the doctor exactly
in the right mood He told Bivns that
Garfield could not possibly recover, and
gave the reasons for issuing favorable
bulletins. There was no pledge of Sc
that Bivins should print what he said.
He felt that the newspaper man was
off duty; but as matter of fact good
newspaper man is always on duty.
Bivins fairly flew to the office when
| he left Bliss and told the managing ed
| itor to prepare headlines for parallel
| columns for interviews with DR.. Bliss
in the white house and in buggy. He
| then sat down and wrote out the inter-
view, quoting Bliss fully and making
nearly half a column of the only real
news and information that had ever
been printed concerning the condition
of the president and the impossibility
of his recovery. ......
| That publication created a sensation.
DR.. Bliss made sweeping denial of
/ the interview and denounced Bivins in
most bitter terms. But all newspaper
men knew that Bivins was reliable and
that his story was correct. DR.. Bliss
TO the day of his death never forgave
Bivins for printing that interview. But
Tom had been sent out to get the news
somehow and anyhow; and he got ex-
actly all the information that all news
paper men had been vainIy trying to
get. ge# .. ..r
Now that Biyins has retired from
journalistic work, he will probably find
fault with me for interviewing him
without telling him that his words were
to be published. But his talk was in
teresting, and he is himself an interest.
ing character by reason of his expert
ence and ability.
SMITH d. FRY.
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