Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-03-04
SCOOPS"

OF the long list of important bits of
news caught by nance in the journalistic
world none surpassed the manner in
which a New York paper secured the ac-
count of the sinking of the British man.
of-War Victoria some years ago. AS may
be remembered the unfortunate craft
was rammed IN a naval vancouver off the
coast of Algiers. A coastlng vessel
brought the news to a little station of
a Dutch cable company, which promptly
! sent the news to it's headquarters. The
European correspondent of the New York
paper caught the tip from a friend IN the
employ of the company, and, Fastening
to the British admiralty office, laid the
catastrophe before it. He was laughed
at for his pains, but nevertheless, cabled
all he could get on the matter to his pa
per. Two days after the thing was world
news, but the London papers had been
obliged to copy from an American con-
temporary the most startling piece of
news of the year.
When the news of Gladstone,s intend
ed resignation was first published few
people in all England believed it to be
true. No one could realize how he could
relinquish his commanding position.
However, the premier was in earnest, and
confidentially mentioned his determina-
ton to a friend at a restaurant. A
| waiter happened to OVerhear him, and,
fastening to the office of a leading paper,
offered to sell his news. 1t is SAID that
he received $1,000 for it.
! When Lord Randolph made up his mind
to resign his portfolio under Salisbury
he drove to the office of the London Times
and made known his decision. He had
shrewdly calculated that after being so
kind as to bring in such a scoop in per-
son. the paper, although on principle OPP
posed to him, would hardly censure his
action. But the editor of the greatest
paper in the world preferred principle to
news. On hearing of Churchill's plans
his Indignation knew no bounds. He took
no pains to conceal his adherence of the
scheme.
This news is indeed enormously impor-
tant,' he said, sit will make a great sem
sation. But if you choose to have it so,
YOU may take it to some other paper, and
not a line shall appear tomorrow in ours!
The Times cannot be bribed!"
The nobleman left in a towering rage,
! and the Times scored him numerically in
it's announcement of his resignation.
Bismarck himself once revealed to M.
de Blowitz, the Paris correspondent OF
the London Times, a scheme to over
throw the french empire. The German
government, jealous of the increasing
power of France, intended to pick some
petty quarrel with the other, invad
Paris and level the city to the ground.
The iron chancellor had long opposed the
plan, and now, being utterly unable to
cope with his enemies, divulged the mat
ter in hopes that England might inter-
fere. England, long watching the grow
ing power of Germany, did interfere; the
balance was maintained.
A piece of information of the gravest
Importance to Great Britain leaked out at
a dinner table. The editor of a London
/ newspaper, staying when the hours were
| small and the bow had somewhat freely
flowed, overheard the French ambassa-
| dor say that the khedive was about to
sell his shares in the Suez canal. The
Journalist left the table Immediately and
FASTENED to Lord Derby with the news.
Rothschild, when appealed to, readily
found $40, O00, 900, and the shares were in
a week the property of England. Had
the strip of land comprised in the killed.
ives claim been transferred to France in
t~ernational complications of incalculable
Importance might a resulted.
A London physician once nadvertent-
ly made known to a journalist a piece Of
political information of the highest i'm
portance at the time, And the remark