The record-union., 1896-12-21
GREATBTHE MODERN PAKER.
HsE Thrilling Newspaper "Stories" Are
Made Up.
Al Instance Of How Events Are Dis
torted by Fake Writers
of the Day.

Some men and certain so-called
newspapers make their living by raise
pretenses. People call them takers,
ana that Is what they are. In these
days Of taking newspapers and news
paper writer's the reader must know the
personal reputation of writers ana ed
ators-or at least must be familiar with
the reputation of a newspaper before
ne can trust himself to believe What ne
reads
The following alleged incident is
fair sample of the fake stuff tndulged
in by certain journals. According TO
the story, as printed, Henry Lawrence
Doyle of the New York journal" who
followed the bicycle riders from San
Francisco to New York last August,
was seated in a restaurant of Syracuse
recently. and to a crowd OF newspaper
men related an incident.
You fellows can think of this after
! am through" said Mr.. Doyle, but
YOU can never picture the enthusiasm
manifested over this relay. One in
cident in particular I recall at this mo-
ment. A rider named Llley, hardy
chap, with muscles Of iron and a heart
of steel, was to carry the packet
twelve miles over section OF desert.
I will say here that no wheelma.n not
accustomed to the alkah dust could
ride two miles in that country. Lllley
started with a trailer, and made Won
derful time the first few miles. But
his companion was not equal to the
task Let up a little he called to
Lilley Not by a - sight, was the
reply of the courier as he bent his head
still further over the handle-bars and
increased his speed.
He heard a moan Of anguish in his
rear, and turned and saw his compan-
ion tumble over and lay still in the
heart of that lonely and God-forsaken
desert. No one was within miles of
him. Lilley did not glance back
again. Without another thought Of his
stricken comrade, he rode like the
wind for his destination. Into the town
lie dashed, and fell insensible at my
feet. We carried him to q hotel, but
his tongue had been swollen to such
a thickness that he could not articu-
late. But when he recovered his senses
sufficiently to locate his bearings he
told us about his comrade, and, with
a physician, I drove six miles through
the awful heat and found the rider un-
conscious where he had fallen. The
doctor saved the boys life, but he
6espaired of 1t for long time. Did you
ask whether the riders Of the West are
brave? Let some Of the Eastern chaps
try that journey and see!'
This reads very pretty, and is cal
culated to impress greenhorns with the
aw-aw-aw-ful experiences Of those re-
lay riders. Now, the truth Of the mat
ter is that LiNey did not ride over any
part of the desert, and that his trailer
was not left unconscious in the bur-urn-
ing sands of the alkau fiat beyond the
Sierra Nevada
Two of the riders were the Lilley
brothers Of Lodi, San Joaquin County
They rode a short relay through the
railroad snowsheds on the mount
aims and rode 1t at night They
were back In Sacramento the next
day, and their faces had not felt the
blistering effects Of any scorching sun
on a desert.
With these exceptions the story may
have been true-at least, there was a
relay ride.