Arizona republican., 1898-02-19
ION THE VERGE OF WAR;
Formal Declaration of HostiIi-
 ties Against Spain
The Crisis PEecipirated by the Rust ling of the Dead Leaves of a Grapevine in the "GaZetto" Of- flee or Thursday Night.

Recrditing offices for enrolling forces for the war with Spain were estab- Vshiad at the Gazette office early yes terday morning. All day long pa triotic citizens burning to revenge the loss of the Maine, and chronic Cuban sympathizers fell over each other and fought their way up to the desk of the enrolling clerk in the basement of the Holmes building. In order to get into the building the patriots had to climb over great pile of debris on a vacant lot and roll down back stair way. It was not until late in the afternoon that shortcut was discov- cred by digging hole in the sidewalk over the area, through which the en- emies of Spain tumbled, and breaking through window brought themselves face to face with the clerk. He wrote with steel pen red hot. They were heated by the Gazette devil and handed to the clerk every half minute. In the early morning the names were en- tered in blood contributed by the pa trlots, but later in the day when the edge began to wear off of en- thusiasm it occurred to the patriots that they had better save their blood to be shed in actual warfare. The enrolment continued with unabated V1gor far into the night and even as we go to press'' the rush has not en- tirely subsided.
 When the night of Thursday fell the Gazette office was quiet and placid. There was no thought of the bloody tragedy to be enacted in that base ment before sunrise. Indeed, the hostile movement against Spain was not contemplated as late as 9:47 D. m. But at precisely 9:4s an ominous sound was borne in on the grapevine line. The dry leaves rustled and the telegraph editor was appalled, when he read "the national capitol is in a fever of excitement tonight" He had not fully recovered his equanimity when the gravity of the situation was accentuated by another rustling of the grapevine leaves which informed the world that both houses of congress had been notified in the early part of the evening to not undress, as ere was going to be night sessioa Half an hour later came the thrilling in telligence that the president had mo- tified the gQ11rnors of all states to mobilize th military forces. Nine minutes tward the grapevine la bored VI lhe information that Gen : ara1 had been notified to prepare
 Faf. Then there was dread si- fence of half an hour Suddenly the grapevine leaves rustled some more, this'time terrifically. The telegraph editor steeled himself for the worst. It came in the following words, which were burned into his soul and scared on his brain:
 TIT IS BELIEVED THAT THE CRISIS HAS BEEN REACHED AND THAT WAR WILL BE DECLARED IN A FEW HOURS"
 Then the Gazette force went out to lunch, first putting one another under oath to reveal nothing to the walters at Coffee AIS or the Pacific Grotto of the terrible warcloud which was chas- ing itself around Washington.
 When they got back the devil, who had been left to watch the grapevine, said it had been going like sin for ten minutes or more. The telegraph editor, pale and agitated. put his ear to it again. It said that Secretary Long and the senate had been sum moned to the White House. They were hastily summoned. This evil