The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-11
How Great Newspapers Gather
Election Returns.
SPLENDID SERVICE IN SEATTLE
Results Known Here sooner Than
in the cities of the East-Post-
IntslIfgenoer's Enterprise In
Preserving Figures From Remote
Country Districts in Time for
Publication wednesday Morning.

As the election returns from all parts
Of the city. county. state and nation were
flashed upon the illuminated screen from
The Post -Yntelligencer ONCE last Tuesday
night. showing IN the earlier moments tho
shifting balance between the two great
confesting parties and gradually leading
M 70 an exposition Of the tremendous poll
Of votes in favor Of President Mckinley,
few among the cheering thousands tnat
crowded In Cherry street and Second av-
enue, realized the vast amount OF work
necessary to bring the actual results thus
quickly before their gaze.
Not. perhaps, for ten days or two weeks
after the election will the official count
Of the ballots cast be completed ana made
known, but the people demand immediate
information No sooner do the polls close
than they are looking for results; even
from incomplete and partial returns they
can draw reasonable conclusions. They
want the news while It IL news and to
meet this want every enterprisng news
paper in the country puts forth extraor-
binary effort.
In 4 national or general election news
papers Of the Pacific coast enjoy special
advantage in the difference in time. When
the polls close and the count begins In
Eastern states At or Z o'clock. in Seattle
II IL but or o'clock IN the afternoon.
w
from the East are already at hand and as
the hours move along the wave Of infor-
nation sweeps toward the West. gather
sng up the results IN the Southern states
the Ohio river valley. along the great
lakes, on 10 the Mississippi. across the
great prairies and the Rockies. and down
to the Western ocean. Even before the
vote Of Seattle Il known to the people OF
this city they are informed Of the result
IN the nation at large with all the inter-
esting detail obtainable from news
sources.
Planned for In Advance.
This amplitude Of information Is not .
mere happening. It IS arranged for long
IN advance with such careful attention
that not an essential detail may be lack
ing. The Post-rntelligencer. In securing
the news OF last Tuesday for bulletins to
the general public and publication for its
Of information to its limit. and especially
to secure the news Of the state Of WASH
ington and King county enlisted the serv-
Ices OF hundreds Of men In every part Of
tho state and county.
The results spoke for themselves. In
the regular edition OF the Post-Intelii-
gencer, going to press Mt 8 o'clock
Mckinley. with At least PSI electoral
votes. was announced. The reelection OF
Congressman Jones and Cushman was
hour indicated that Senator ' Fink would eu
b. elected governor by a small plurality;
other candidates on the Republican state
ticket were known to have been elected:
probable defeat OF w. II. White for pros
ecutine attorney, and the election OF the
rest Of the Republican county. ticket was
actually counted to that hour.
Though more depseiy populated than
many other Western states. Washington
e still an area Of magnificent distances.
Hundreds OF the country voting places
are not on railway lines. and are not
directly accessible either by telegraph or
telephone. To secure results in these
places special messengers were employed
to bring returns on horseback or on foot
20 tho nearest point OF direct communica-
tIon-. Add to this the slowness OF count
Ing ballots five feet long containing the
names OF candidates of 1--WE parties. with
votes for straight" tickets few and far
between and some idea OF the magnitude
OF the task OF gathering the returns will
be AFFORDED Then. as the returns came
In, followed the delay necessary for tabu-
iatfon and the calculation of constantly
Increasing totals.
The results shown by the rost-Inteln-
morning may. 80 far an the state and
county u concerned. be compared with
the result. shown In similar editions OF
any or tho great newspapers of the
country. The 81. Paul Pioneer Press, for
example. gave assurance of the victory
of Mckinley. but allowed him only 27e
electoral votes, and stated editoriaily that
II was Obliged 20 60 to prose wi,hon,
fs1ng able to report the actual results IN
Ramsey county and the state OF Min
ncsota.
seattie's splendid News Service.
The Post-Inteiligencer, as stated, gave
. better estimate OF Mo<iniey's electoral
vote and gave the actual results IN Wash
fnrton and King county, with the single
exception that later returns gradually
gave = majority for Gov. Rogers
In banding the returns OF King county
excellent results were achieved, as shown
by the fact that out of III precincts
scarcely half dozen. and these of tho
most remote, failed 30 get On reports on
the night Of the election From the In.
complete returns received up TO A. m
fhe rcsun IN the eeunfp wna arct,ratnl,