The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-04-30
NEWSPAPER MEN BUSY
Their Staying Qualities Have Been
Severity Tested.
How Veteran Journalist Gathers In
formation.

upon the newspaper correspondents OF the
national capital. In somewhat extended
experience as a newspaper man In this
city do not remember another period In
which the energies, tho endurance and the
staying qualities of the men of the profes-
sion were put to so severe test as they
have been since the outbreak OF the Span
ish crisis. Starting with the letter OF Du-
puy do LONE In which that diplomat ex-
cited the world by Offering an insult to
the president of tho United States the
newspaper correspondents OF Washington
have had no rest or pence One sensational
phase of our relations with Spain has fol-
lowed fast upon another's heels, and for
more than six weeks now the tension has
been sharp and continuous. it must be
remem bered that the newspaper CORE
spondcnts are compelled to start their work
early In the morning in such times as
these, and they are rarely through with
their daily tasks before midnight or or
even . o'clock in the morning. The
amount of energy, of nervous force, thcy
are called upon to expend in hunting In
formation and then In putting it In proper
form for transmission upon the wires ID
something tremendous.
1t may well be doubted IL any other men
In Washington have had such hard and
trying work to do as the correspondents.
II there Is any exception. IL must be made
In the case of President Mckinley. His
job has beon a hard one, indeed, and
have heard more than one veteran corre-
spondent say with evident earnestness and
sincerity, "The presidents place IL the
only one In town that Is harder than
mine" The fidelity and accuracy with
which the news Of the day has been re-
ported from Washington throughout this
long period of strain speaks volumes fol-
the newspaper men Of this city. AS mat
ter of fact there has been very little sensa-
tionalism. Nineteen correspondents out
of 30 have striven with might and main to
present nothing but the truth. In order
to make sure of their facts they have run
the town over from carly In the morning
till late at night, waking members Of tho
cabinet and important senator's out OF
their beds and refusing to accept rumor
for news.
Correspondents ON the Jump.
One thing that has made the work hard
for the men of the press is the manner In
which the news has been scattered through
tho city. Some days the shuttlccock of
itol to the executive mansion, or vice versa,
throe or four times, with incidental side
shows mt the state department., the navy
department. and the war Office. This has
kept the writers on tho jump from one
end OF the city TO tho other but wherever
tho news has been thickest and hottest
there you may be sure newspaper men
were to be found, plying their trade.
Night cabinet meetings have added to
the excitement from the newspaper point
of view. When cabinet meeting Is hold
at the unusual hopr of In tho evening,
that fact alone signifies events of unusual
interest, and therefore all the more impor.
tant Is 1t that the press men should know
all about what took place In the executive
mansion. More than once have witness
cd such scenes as those am about to de-
scribe. A night meeting of the cabinet;
the carriages OF the members of tho coun-
Gil standing about In tho White House
yard upon tho portico Of the famou
building assembled all the way from
dozen to 80 newspaper representatives,
waiting for tho meeting to adjourn that
they may, II possible learn something OF
what has taken place. But In this throng
upon the portico Of tho White House 10
would be difficult to find any of the older
and more experienced correspondents.
Those who arc present are principally the
younger mon, the scouts OF the profession.
Is IL true, then, that such an important
affair as this Is left to the young men OF
the corps while the older ones take their
ease In their Offices or at their homess
BY no means. Go out into Pennsyl-
vania avenue and you will find perhaps
dozen carriages, public conveyances, stand
ing about. Inside, II you could look
within, you would see the veteran news
paper correspondents Of this oity. They
are simply waiting for the adjournment
of the cabinet. As soon as they SEQ the
presidents councillors come out and enter
their waiting carriages the press men give
orders to their cabbios. "To Secretary
So-and SOS, and quick about it," The
result 10 that when Br. Secretary drives
up to his house he finds a correspondent
standing on his front steps. In ton min
utes the newspaper man knows all he
wants TO know and Is driving as rapidly
as cab horse can be induced to 20 for
his ofilce.
Getting Information.
The veteran Washington correspondent
knows better than to stand upon the por-
tico of the White House waiting for a
member Of the cabinet. He would give
more for ten minutes talk with one Of
there important gentlemen, one whom he
knows well, I'm the secrecy of the cabinet
mans house or hallway than no would for
n chance hurried and scurried talk with
ell the members of the council in the pres
cnce of witnesses.
In times such as we havo been having
newspaper correspondent has need OF all
his balance and stamina. 1t Is 40 easy to
"go of ones feet" to mako mistakes.
Late nc night rumors are In circulation. II
Il impossible TO confirm or disprove them.
One must write from his common sense,
from his general knowledge. He must
evolve story which has In it facts, judg-
ment, diplomacy, probabilities, informa-
tion, Interpretation and he must do II on
the jump-no time for elaboration. for
careful weighing. for false starts. The
wire waits. and at the other end OF II are
the typesctting machines or the compost
tors, the press. and behind them tho fast
trains ana the great public.
The man who s<ts down at his type
writer st IL or re o'clock In the evening
and I'm an hour and q half, writing as rap