The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-08-25
THINGS seen AND HEARD.


oceans and op both sides OF the equator,
and who is now a resident of Washing
ton, was heard to say last night, in the
lobby of one of the hotels, that the Sum-
mer heat in the central part of the
United States is more oppressive than
that of the warmest climes. 81 mean,
he added, that it has a quality to cause
suffering that is not feature of tropical
warmth. 1t is a humid, steaming heat
that fairly bakes ones flesh. In Honolulu,
during the middle of the day, the rays
of the sun are extremely hot, but no.
body ventures beneath them at midday.
In the shade there is always a de-
lightful GOODNESS, for there is always a fine
breeze. To keep entirely comfortable it
is necessary only to remain in the shade
between 10 o'clock in the morning ana
In the afternoon. People suffer here be-
cause they are as active and exert them
selves as much during the heated term
as at any other time. Everybody would
be vastly more comfortable II they would
do as the Hawaiians and Samoans DO
lie in the shade and rest during the MD
die of the day"
Among the crowd in the lobby OF
downtown hotel one night recently were
a number of newspaper writers. who re-
counted their experiences during years
of service spent with some of the largest
newspapers of the country.
"One of the greatest scoops ever made
in this country" said one of the writers,
1.-The New York Herald got during the
Impeachment of President Andrew John-
SON A large batch of letters had passed
between the President and Gen. Grant,
and the newspapers all over the country
had been bowling for about a week Tor
the publication of them. When the Her
aid correspondent called on the President
he was referred TO Gen. Grant and vice
versa until the editors of the large dal-
lies were almost wild and the telegraph
wires were kept hot with instructions
sent from the home offices to their Wash
ington correspondents. James Gordon
Bennett, the elder, was giving the Herald
his personal attention at that time ana
wrote many singing editorials ABOUT the
Presidents remissness in giving out the
correspondence which the public wanted
so badly. Finally one day President
Johnson told the Herald correspondent
that he was having two copies OF the
letters made and one of these would be
turned over TO the Herald and could De
used exclusively. OF course, the prospect
of such a brilliant scoop made the corre-
spondent feel like a two-year-old, ana ne
haunted the White House every day Tor
a week President Johnson took his own
time about having the copies made. now
| ever. and the Herald correspondent had
about given up ever seeing the letters
when he received a note from Col. W. g.
Moore. late chief of police Of this city,
who was then secretary to the President.
asking him TO come to the White House
! as soon as he could. as the copies OF the
! letters were ready and the President
| wanted TO have the introduction TO them
written In HIS presence. When the CORE
! spondent arrived at the White House ne
| found the President in his room and in
| stead of one he had had two copies or
the letters made. having promised a copy
| to another correspondent representing
! Boston paper. II was some little time
| before an introduction could be written
! to suit the President but after several re-
| writes It was finished to the satisfac-
tion of the Chief Executive, and as the
| Herald correspondent was about TO leave
| the room he was asked 20 take the copy
! of the letters TO the Boston correspond
! emit as he would have TO pass the lat
! ter's office on his way TO his own. AS
| luck would have II, when he reached
the Boston papers office there was no
| one there and the door was locked. The
Herald correspondent then Went 10 his
| own place of business and dispatched his
| story with the information that 1t was
! exclusive to his home Office. The Herald
! correspondent again went to the office of
| the Boston correspondent. but could not
/ find him, and after waiting for some time
| he went home. Late in the evening he
! found the Boston correspondent and de-
| livered the correspondence 10 him, but
| # was TOO late to use It all, and the Bos
! ton correspondent was in a quandary as
| 10 what to do. He boiled down" the
| matter however. and made a short story
of it. When the other correspondents
saw the story in the Herald the next
| morning there was a foaming, raging
| cloud of profanity floating around the vi
! cinity of Newspaper Row which did not
clear up for days. They received singing
| letters from their editors. Indeed some
! of them were discharged and it was
! months before the Row recovered from
! the effects of the beat