Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-04-11
TALES OF THE SANCTUM

Stories of editorial experience were float
ing around the room at the meeting of the
editorial association at the Palmer house
few evenings ago. A type-foundry man had
lust related an anecdote and some rrever.
ent person had asked him why he did not
build his Jokes like his type-on the point
system. During lull j. NJ. Page, who is
corresponding secretary of the association,
told a story of his experience in Jerseyville,
H., where he publishes the Democrat.
The conversation had taken a turn toward
libel suits. Speaking about these adjuncts
to the newspaper business" said Mr.. Page,
81 had an experience last fall for the happy
ending of which may perhaps thank the
bears on the Chicago board of trade.
"a correspondent in neighboring town
sent down with batch of items one to the
effect that certain grain dealer was going
out of the business and had ceased to buy
wheat. At the station in question there
were but two dealers. That would have
given the other man a monopoly of the
business. That fact was commented on and
printed with the item.
about two weeks later the grain man
who was supposed to have gone out of bust.
ness drifted into the office. There was blood
in his eye. He had been slandered and
hlHtSu dI d sllll lpl htuNy udindBtss liz Sdii
in a voice made fierce for the occasion that
he had not gone out of the grain business,
and that the publication of the item had
done him a great wrong. Farmers would
read it, he asserted, and drive past his place
of business when they. came to town with
grain without stopping to ask the price He
feared that his business had been immeas-
urably damaged. His looks and actions
were such that | began to fear that either
my pocketbook or my face would suffer the
same misfortune that had befalen his bust
ness, and | realized at once that must do
something to calm his fears, and settle the
case out of court. A libel suit would have
been expensive even though ! didn't lose
it. Lawyers cost money in our part of the
state.
Il told him to be seated and we would talk
it overland that if had done him an in
jury it was unintentional, and that would
square everything if it lay in my power to do
So He was still unsatisfied, and said it was
a shame the way newspapers jumped ON men
and hurt their business.
''When he became calm | asked him how
many bushels of wheat, in his opinion, the
publication of the item had diverted from
his business. He could not tell, but
guessed it might be all the way from $4,000
W loV,uuu. lOOh IL lleucll ana began 10 ny
ure. Suppose we say $4,000 bushels said
Let us look at the market prices to see how
much you have lost
81 took the files of the paper and found
that wheat had gone down ten cents during
the time under discussion. 1t was in the
days of reaction from the September bulge.
| showed him the quotations. Now | said
suppose you had bought $4,000 bushels at
that time. 1t would be worth ten cents less
to-day and your losses would have been S5,-
900. You can figure that out for yourself.
Suppose you sue me for damages and we go
to law. | have right to bring proof that
you were saved that amount of money by
reason of buying no wheat during this
period. The judge would then instruct the
jury to offset any damages with benefits
that might have occurred from the same
cause. Then the jury would be forced to
bring in verdict in my favor of $1,000
"The man studied. He said he could not
see it that way. But his voice had lost it's
ferceness and he did not bring suit"
An admirer of Mr. Page across the table
remarked after the story was over that the
grain dealer was in luck to escape without
first giving Mr. Page mortgage on his ele-
yatOr,