The true Democrat., 1898-12-31
GETTING OUT AN EXTRA.
A READY -WTTED GIRL SCORES A
BEAT ON NEWsPk PER RIVALS.

Exciting Scene in Printing Office When
News of Dewey's Victory Arrived -
Margafete Clyde, the ProOfreader, EOse
to the Emergency and Made Record.
Isabel Gordon Curtis contributes
sstory toSt. Nicholas called margaret
Clyde's Extra" telling how young
girl who read proof on a. morning pa
Der scored heat on the rival jour-
nails. The girl was left alone in the
editorial rooms when the nights work
was over.
Margaret read column after column
of the news from Cuba, Key West
and Washington. 1t seemed to her as
ii she had read it all before, aud she
put away the paper while she ate her
meager luncheon. Then she tldledup
the desk and laid her head on her
arms. She was growing drowsy. She
wondered if she could take a short
nap. Her train would not leave for
an hour and half yet. 1t was grow
ing lonely in the deserted composing
room.
She woke up suddenly, thoroughly
dezed for moment. She imagined
she heard a noise. The presses were
still rumbling downstairs, and the
gray dawn was stealing hazily into
corners OF the composing room.
It was by the large clock. The
noise came again. Somebody was
beating and shaking the outside door.
Margaret was frightened, and for a
moment she turned to run to the
press room.
The noise grew louder. It was an
impatient, determined pounding first
of hands, then feet. She flew to the
door. Through the glass she saw the
dim figure OF boy in q blue messen-
ger uniform. He thrust yellow en-
velope into her hand, cried excitedly,
''News from ManiIa' turned to mount
his wheel, then disappeared down the
dim street.
Margaret felt stunned She knew
something ought to be done, but
what? 1t was so far to Phillips home
Mr.. Schell lived in a suburb three
miles from the Office, and there was
nobody in the pressroom who could
set type. She wished the boy had not
left so quickly.
Margaret hurried to the prootread
er's desk, where an electric ligh
glowed. She tore the yellow envelope
open and read the fifty or sixty word!
on the thin sheet of paper.
"All we'll at Manila Not an Am
erican lost !" She felt as if Dewey
had sent her the message direct, anC
On excited "Oh" echoed through thu
empty room. Margaret glanced at tht
clock. 1t was five minutes past five
Time was precious, and she felt sh'
must something. A few days agc
she had worked on an extra. Som
important news had come in whel
Phillips and she were alone. She haC
helped him to set the story in large
type and stood by while he filed it il
the upper part of the front page
There we're n few exciting minutes
and Margaret had worked breathless.
ly. Phillips had said some kline
words afterwards about her efficiency
and it made her happy for all day
long.
She few to the case where the large
black letters were kept that haC
adorned the first pages of the "Gaz
ette" recently. She was working a
if life depended upon her movements
She learned to set type with wonder
full deftness during two years work
and in ten minutes she was standing
: over the words that later that morn
ing sent wave of relief and thank
fulness through America. She hur
ried down to the press room. Th
regular edition was nearly ready. TIL
men were running off the last thou
sand, aud the nimbe folder stood be
side gathering the papers int
bundles.
Pomeroy, the foreman of the press
room, looked up in mild surprise whel
Margaret dashed in.
'Well, what are you doing here?"
Come" she cried excitedly, "com
upstairs with me at once!"
"The place isn't on fire, is it?" h'
asked, half seriously.
''No! it's the news from Dewey,
she answered, hurriedly
Here, Thompson" he shouted t,
man at the other machine, 81 mus
go upstairs moment-you take m.
place"
He followed Margaret up the steel
stairs to the table where a gleam 0
light fell on half form of large type,
headed by block letters. He read tht
type almost at glance:
DEWEY IS ALL RIGHT.