The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1896-12-05
BRIGHT NEWSPAPER MEN
Scoops" Which, When Published,
Created Sensations.
How q Washington Correspondents
Brought James Gordon Bennett to
Time - Tom BiVins' Interview
with DR.. Bliss.
Especial washington Letter.1

LSpeciaI Washington LetIeE.l
"Your story of Maj. CAROLS scoop
was interesting" says Tom Bivins, but
l can tell you of another scoop which
caused a great sensation on Newspaper
row.
"You remember Herbert Preston, who
represented the New York Herald in
Washington for so many years. 1t
takes a good man to endure all of
James Gordon Benefits moods and
lenses, but Preston was a mild man
nered gentleman, and he maintained
his connection with the Herald longer
than any of his predecessors had DONE.
II happened, however, that a new
managing editor was installed in New
York who unceremoniously removed
Preston and appointed another in his
place. OF course you know that every
newspaper man has enemies in his own
profession, and there were plenty of fell
lows to stick their tongues in their
| cheeks, and crow oyer Preston's down
fall.
"But Preston never said a word. He
made connection with a little newspa-
per in Baltimore which paid him very
little, but still it kept him in newspaper
work as a Washington correspondent,
and so he was seen daily OF Newspaper
row. He never lost his grip and never
lost his self-conidence. His enemies
believed hat he could never rise again,
and were satisfied to let him alone in
his transformations work.
But everything was changed in a
-.c..unA - A,s-IrI;-- - -, I
came downtown one morning about II
o'clock, and when l reached my office
l found that there were excited crowds
of correspondents all along Newspaper
row. Something had happened. 1t
took me but a few moments to ascer-
tain that that little Baltimore newspa-
per had printed the news of the scandal
involving Secretary Belknap; and it
was the only newspaper in the United
States which had the story. The paper
was sc obscure that only three copies
were sent to Washington news-stands,
so l telegraphed over to Baltimore and
had two copies sen to me.
II was representing the Globe,
Democrat and the way old Joe McCui,
Tough fired hot kilograms into the
Washington Office made my hair sizzle
The old man wanted to know, you
know, why his paper had not received
the news. l hadn't time nor ability tC
run down hat story at once, so l re,
wTo4e the facts contained in Preston:
little paper, and telegraphed the story
that night. In the meantime, the
managers of other papers were fir
ing kilograms into Washington, anC
burning up their correspondents TO
getting scooped on the greatest sensa
tional news item of the year. Tn
managing editor of the New York Her
aid roasted his new correspondent, anC
finally asked for the name of the cor
respondent of the obscure Baltimor,
paper, which had printed the story
The Herald man replied to his manag
ing editor that he did not know. Thel
the managing editor of the Herald tele
graphed the Baltimore paper for tn,
information, and received a reply stat
ing that the Washington correspond
ent was Herbert Preston.
THAT telegram must have paralyzet
the managing editor. By removing
Preston, he had deprived the Herald o
the best news item of n generation. Blu
he had sense. He knew a good thin,
when he saw it. He Immediately re
appointed Preston as his Washington
correspondent, and Preston resumed
his old desk without ostentation. Tn
fellows who had supposed that Preston
was down forever, were surprised wheI
he assumed charge of the Heralt
bureau.
"As a matter of fact, that was tn,
only exclusive piece of valuable new
that 1 ever knew to completely knocl