The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-30

folk'n have to say. Grandpa wrote
police news on a Boston newspaper
during the war;
''Old Co.'s decision was greeted with
roars of laughter. Coin to drive an
ice wagon?" asked one. NO" joshed
another, hes going to push a banana
cart"
sOld Col" was young for all his nick
name smacked OF the decrepit, and he
was sensitive. What was horse play
for the rest cut him like whip laShes.
I'm coming out of the fight a colo
mel or a corpse boys" said Lieutenant
Hunt of a Cincinnati regiment, as he
went in at San Juan He was killed
just as the battle ended. Collins set his
teeth and determined to come out of
Cuba a success or a dead man. He
died at Tampa as he was coming back
from the war covered with glory
When Collins sailed his paper had no
idea it could depend upon him for big
news. That was to be secured by a
New York connection "Old Cor was to
write. II his stuff turned out first-rate,
well and good. If not. he was to be
soaked" He got on the ground just
in time for the rough riders fight and
the big engagements that followed.
When other correspondents were afraid
to leave the lines and travel across
country with dispatches Collins trudged
every bit of the way on foot. He lodged
Spanish sharpshooters, swan streams,
starved and tainted from exhaustion to
reach the cable station. There he found
that his paper had had a quarrel with
their New York ally, and that he had
no cabling facilities. He had no idea
how new his stuff was. To telegraph
$50 worth or more of stuff might
mean that his paper would refuse to
stand for it, and he would be discred-
tied, besides having to bear the whole
expense. He had been turned down SO
many time he doubted his own judg-
ment. But he was such a good fellow,
had struggled so. and borne such hard
ships, that the correspondents of an
other big news agency took his matter
and put it on the wire for him. Back
went Collins into the thick Of things,
feeling that now he must be of consid-
cradle use to his paper. He did not
know it, but his stuff was q great
SCOOP" the other Boston reporters
had been afraid to leave the trenches,
and Collins account was the only one
that appeared that day in Boston
paper. Collins worked like mad, never
sparing himself. and fairly laughing at
danger. He had no tent, nothing to
eat. no place to sleep, no helpmate, and
not even the knowledge that his matter
was being printed. He somehow failed
to get connection at any time with his
paper. He wrote stories. pathetic. hui
morous, grand, columns and columns of
them, and forwarded them pluckily by
mail. The more important matter went
by cable.
One night he came SICK, rain-soaked,
half starved into tent in which Gin
cinnati and a New York newspaper
man We're trying to find shelter
For Gods sake, boys" he said,
cant you take me in?" They were
sleeping on a square of canvass, fold
ing part of it over for a cover. Collins
was welcomed and jollied and cheered
as much as possible. When great.
strong men get sick in Cuba, thousands
of miles away from home, they were
apt to do weak things they would leave
for women and children in this coun-
try. Collins cried like a baby. During
the night he told the Cincinnati re-
porter about his sweetheart. He had a
half dozen pictures of her hidden away
in the breast of his old duck jacket.
She's a rich girl" he said, land her
people are away up, you know. But if
flake a success of this, boys, shan't
be ashamed TO ask her folks for her."
Collins took passage for Tampa on
the Aransas with a lot of other CORE
spondents when the fighting was over
When the time came for the health Of
ficers to come aboard Collins was too
weak to stand w. Brace up, Col"
they all entreated him. Wen all be
kept here if the doctor finds you sick
Collins was dressed with the help of
the others, frightened up and made to
appear as daODer as possible. The
health officer came on and the boys all
hocked around Collins in a bunch and
held him steady, so that he wouldn't