The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-09-03

| the doors, and when We came to the las
one. President Arthur opened It and LEI
US In. We apologized profusely. but he
only smiled and said that as his negro
boy was very tired and had gone to sleep
he thought he would rather let US in him
self than disturb his servant.
you have found a very agreeable socl-
ETY. here" ne said
NO" we replied. I'VE have been tele-
graphing
Don't tell me that" he insisted. ''you
only telegraph about be, and / have done
nothing for twenty-four hours. l prefer
to envy you. and TO believe that You have
found some ones society very charming !"
To give an idea of the rigid discipline
Of a modern newspaper establishment /
will recall the trivial fact that when /
was new and green upon the. STAFF OF such
paper / once missed train which had
been ordered 10 take. "Impossible" ex-
claimed the editor when ! reported the
fact. Let me- tell you. sir, that reporters
upon this paper never miss trains" A
month passed before I could feel that
this offense was forgotten. and during
that month how many feats of persist
ency and enterprise I performed in order
to get back a good opinion Of myself.
Most of these performances were never
heard OF by my super4ors.
I remember that I was very much
elated over being trusted with such an
important task as reporting the execution
of negro murderer at Hampstead, Long
Island 1 viii not dilate upon the horror
OF seeing such a sight for the first time,
or tell how the feeling was increased by
the fact that the murderer and 1 recog-
nized one another as old acquairitances-
for he had been a vagabond who idled
about the neighbortlood where had lived
as a child. He even made a comical face
at me as ne passed me on his way to the
scaffold. When the last scene had been
enacted and 1 was leaving the iail in a
leisurely way, spied another reporter.
upon a rival paper, running at fun speed
across the plain TO get to the telegraph
office ahead OF me. He was an old hand
and was a boy. He worked for rich
employers and could pay to keep the tela-
graph busy for houns, so that would not
be able to send in a word of my report
l had no other advantage except what
came of my being younger than he. 1 ran
after him with all my might and pres
emily, when we were neck and neck the
plain became a Sheet OF ice, glarfng,
smooth as window glass. difficult to pass
over even ait the slowest gait. Still we
forged ahead. Presently we came to a
depression-a guHy-and he kept on the
level ground while ran into the cutting.
Ia Raa
wind were giving out Just when I
thought I must allow myself to be beaten
and disgraced, I saw him slip and slide.
and in another second he had fallen down
the tall side of the gully to lie stunned
and torn and bleeding at my feet.
Il am hurt" he cried, will you help
me to the viHage?"
Twill you give me the frst chance at
the telegraph" / asked.
Yes. 1 am beaten; acknowledge IL"
he answered
So helped him to the town and looked
after him-but took care to send my re-
port in ahead of his
The same spirit engeadered by the
strict discipline of modern Journalism ac-
tuated Thomas B. FHelders, of the Times
In New York, and later OF the Pail Mall
Gazette, of London. He had boarded an
ocean steamship at the quarantine station
IN New York harbor, and had obtained
the news for which he had been sent b,r,
when ne tried to return to his office he
was told that he could not leave the shin
until the next mornings What do yo,
suppose he did? Seeing a sailing vessel
Sliding along far below. but close to The
towering side of the ship on which no
was a prisoner. he leaped over the rail
and down upon the deck of the moving
vessel Thus he alone of all the reporters
on that errand was enabled to reach the
city with the news. Follow your copy
II 1t blows out Of the window IS the
order printers always give to their an
prentices. Get what you're sent for A.
you have to go through fire and water
Is the corresponding injunction OF the old
hands to the new ones in journalism.
Another story which illustrates tbis
same spirit Is told OF me. As I remember
1t, the tale is that, being ordered 20 ac-
company train that was to ATTEMPT IN
heat the worlds record for speed 7 was
thwarted by the railway managers, who
proposed TO give the privilege to the cor
respondent OF q rival newspaper Then.
according to the story, at once set out
for city on the route where ] knew that
all trains are required to run slowly with
in the town limits, and where suspected
n change of locomotives would be made
There pleaded with the mayor TO hoard
the train and take me with him as his
secretary. He did so. and 1 WAS able 10
report my sensations during the bullet
like journey.
We will not analyze this story. -
moral is unassaiIable. II reporter re-s
what he IS told 20, he is a good reporter.
II not, he IS % good. There Is no half
way in that course OF schooling.
In England one day sent well-knov-n
journalist 10 a great party at ducal
house in order that ne might describe
for n American newspaper VIVA, went on
there He telAgTs7hel ne that he had
been refused admission, and I naturally
expected him to come back 70 London
On the contrary. that night I received Nv
wire splendid and intimate account az
ne festivities in question. When h r.
turned / asked him how he got his facts
I arranged with the bandmaEter. sad
he. THAI I should carry The n11isi, IN sr,5
sort IL out for the musicians. carried .,
IN. dressed in the Uniform Of The oro,,aS-
ira / could not arrange the music. br.
when was inside I sat down behind he
bass drum and saw all that I wanted =,
without being noticed myself"
Some desperate and many tnexc71sabls
things are done in the name Of nswsnaper
enterprise. bJt others as wall "a rnvsA,,