The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-12-13
A Philippine SCOOP.
How q Newspaper Man Jared
Under Fire and What Became
OF His Account Of the Fight.
Bv JOSE DE ALAvAREs.

XX of His Account of the Fight. 20
& e
g By JOSE DE ALAvAREs. *
Clarence Addington was disconsolate
almost to degree Of desperation. In
very truth he believed his mental per-
turbation to be entirely without prece-
dence. Moreover. the fact that his IA
companions. who, together with him
self, constituted the correspondents
mess, were to a man in similar frame
of mind tended to vindicate rather
than temper his dejectedness. Until
yesterday a full month had elapsed
since his arrival in the Philippines
month of ,hustling and scnrrying from
one outpost to another on the firing
line in the interest Of his paper-with-
out developing a single item Of genuine
interest. But yesterday battle had
been fought, q battle embracing all
the elements Of splendid story. Ten
hours Of steady fighting, wherein ey-
cry foot of ground, lost or gained, had
been stubbornly contested for by both
sides; then the final indomitable
charge by the American forces and the
utter rout of the enemy.
All, but it had been magnificent!
And the opportunity had promised to
amply compensate for the tedious,
wearisome ordeal that had preceded 1t.
Far into the ensuing night the enter
prising scribes had toiled. reeling off
their copy by the light Of Pickering,
close screened candles in anticipation
Of being allowed the privilege Of hur-
rying the same to Manila for transmits
sion by cable to their various papers.
But such expectations had early been
thwarted, the general in command hav-
ing issued an order prohibiting alkper-
sons In the American camp from pass
ing the lines that night. So the eager
correspondents had curbed their i'm
patience as best they could and sleep
lessly bided the morrow. But morn
ing had only brorght additional dis
appointment, for reports had been re-
ceived at headquarters setting forth
the intelligence that portion Of the
enemy's forces had made a detour dur
ing the night, overrunning the jungle
in the rear Of the American army. Not
withstanding this somewhat awkward
circumstance, not one Of the Is cor
respondents had hesitated in his de-
termination to get his story through
to Manila, even though forced to car
ry it on foot. The commanding Off
Ger, however, had entertained views Of
his own on this subject, with the re-
suit that a second order had been an
nounced forbidding any attempt to con-
vey news matter to the rear until a
safe avenue had been developed for the
purpose.
Small wonder, then, the chafng, fret
ting and fuming that agitated the press
contingent Of that particular outpost!
'The supreme eIniuence Of all that's
ironical" soliloquized Addington as he
stood ruefully surveying the quire and
a half Of close written copy he had
prepared the evening before. Here's
an account that would go way to-
ward .ustifylng a journalistic exist
ence anywhere but in these iniquitous
regions. What's the sense In tagging
an army half way round the earth to
see fight you can't report? Better
have staid at home and looked for an
assignment on O cooking main. Be
sides, there's the chief. can hear
him rhapsodize VIXEN this report comes
ambling along q week after the asso-
ciated dispatches"
Here Addington paused. while the
mental picture Of his wrathful superior
assumed its utmost proportions. In
cidentally he allowed his gaze to pen
citrate beyond the immediate latitude
occupied by his moody associates. How
different the rest Of the camp appear
ed. Look where he would, all was en-
thusiasm and expectancy as the sol
diers busted themselves preparing for
the days work, whatever it might be.
Here was a battalion Of infantry as
sembled in light marching order i'm
patiently awaiting the command to
move forward to again dispute the
question Of supremacy with the foe.
Close at hand q battery Of field artil-
lery was taking up position pTepar
atory to shelling distant point, where
portion Of the enemy's forces were
reported to have congregated. A half
cynical smile fitted over Addington's
features as he watched these prepara-
lions. how often since his arrival at
the front had he allowed himself to be
carried away. deluded by precisely
such tactics. It was all right enough
for the soldier, this perpetual tension
and waiting during the long intervals
between battles, for when ! fight did
come off his martial aspirations were
in measure appeased. But how diff
ferent with the field journalist, who as
a noncombatant could not fight and as
a correspondent was forbidden to cor
respond The thought CALLED him. In
the latter case he was clearly handi-
capped. But he was thorough Amer
ican. And as such was he necessarily
a noncombatant?
AT q little distance from where he
stood four men Of the ambulance corps
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