Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-01-11
GETTING OUT AN EXTRA.
A READY -WlTTEp GIRL SCORES A
BEAT ON NEWSPAPER RIVALS.

BERl ON NEWSFarEn-htsA
Exciting Scene in, q Printing Offlct When
News : of Dewey's Victory Ar rived =
Margaret Clyde, tho ProofreatIsr, Rose
to the Emergency and Made a, Record.
Isabel Gordon Curtis contri butes o
story toSt. Nicholas called Margaret
Clyde's Extra" telling how a young
girl who read proof on morning pa
per scored heat on the rival jour
mails. 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. It seemed to her as
| if she had read it all before. and she
put away the paper while she ate her
meager luncheon. Then she tidi ed up
the desk and laid her head on her
arms. She was growing drowsy. She
wondered if she could take short
nap. Her train would not leave for
an hour and half yet. It was grow
ing lonely in the deserted composing
room.
She woke up suddenly, thoroughly
dazed for moment. She imagined
she heard noise. The presses were
still rumbling Downstairs, and the
gray dawn was stealing hazily into
corners of the composing room.
1t was by, the large clock. The
noise came again. Somebody was
beating and shaking the outside door.
Margaret was frightened, and for
moment she tuhned to run to the
press room.
The noise grew louder. 1t was an
| impatient, determined pounding, first
of hands, then feet. She few to the
door. Through the glass she saw the
dim figure of boy IN blue messen-
ger uniform. He thsust a yellow en-
Yelope into her hand, cried excitedly,
"News from Manilal' 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 q 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 proofread-
er's desk, where an electric Light
glowed. She tore the yellow envelope
open and read the fifty OF sixty wosds
on the thin sheet of paper.
"All we'll at Mauila Not an finn
erican lost !'' She felt as if Dewey
had sent her the message direct, and
| nm excited "Oh!' echoed through the
empty room. Margaret!glanced at the
clock. 1t was five minutes past five.
Time was precious, and she felt she
must do something. A few days ago
she had worked on nm extra. Some
important news had come IN when
Phillips and she were alone. She had
helped him to set the story in large
type and stood by while he filled it in
the upper part of the front page.
There were q few exciting minutes
and Margaret had worked breathless-
ly. Phillips had said some kind
! words afterwards about her efficiency,
and it made her happy for all day
long.
She flew to the case where the large
black letters were kept that had
adorned the first pages of the "Gaz-
cite" recently. She was working as
if life depended upon her movements.
She learned to set type with wonder
full deftness during two years work,
and it4-en minutes she was standing
- words that later that morn
ns316F-s wave OF relie1 and thank
fuIness through America She hur-
ried down to the press room. The
regular edition was nearly ready. The
men were running OFF the last thou
sand, and the nimble folder stood be-
side gathering the papers into
bundles.
Pomeroy, the foreman of the press
room, looked up in mild surprise when
Margaret dashed'in.
''Well, what are you doing here?
"Come," she cried excitedly, "come
upstairs with me at once!"
''The place isn't on tire, is it," he
asked, half seriously.
'sNo! IFS the news from Dewey"
she answered, hurriedly.
"Here, Thompson" he shouted to
a man at the other machine, ST must
go upstairs a moment-you take my
place"
He followed Margaret up the steep
stairs to the table where q CLEAN of
light fell on a half form OF large type,
headed by block letters. He read the