The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-09-08

sob, yes; you mean Schilling. All
right. Take seat. We win need you
after awhile"
Before long Mr.. Schilling appeared.
Upon his arrival he asked Forest who |
had sent for him, to which question the
answer seen. Weaver was sufficient to |
allay any further questioning on that
point. But Schilling's memory was
good, and soon he asked the question:
Didn't you formerly live in Milwau-
KEEP"
EYES,
"Isn't your name Forest?"
"Yes."
Haven't you brother by the name
Of - Forest?"
eyes"
'What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I'm court reporter here in St.
Louis"
"What court?"
"Why, report all the inquests at the
morgue for the coroner"
And then for awhile all went well.
The preamble of the platform was de-
termined upon and given to Forest to
copy.
"How many copies do you wish?"
asked Forest.
He was directed to make one car
bon, but managed to slip in a carbon
| for his own use. As a page was fin
ished, the extra copy was allowed to
| drop on the floor and afterwards, while
engaged in discussion of a proposed
! plank for the platform, Forest would
pick it up, crumble it into a small ball,
and shove it into his pocket. Then
came the various planks-the financial,
the good roads, the land, the taxation,
in fact all those which go to make up
national political platform, Butin a
short time Chairman Weaver turned to
5. Forest and said:
"That machine of yours makes too
much noise. You go into the next room
with it, and do your typewriting there.
But look out for the newspaper men
and do not give them any informa-
tion.'
Then Forest feared it was all up with
him. He knew that in order to gain adj
mission to the next room he would have
to run the gauntlet of half hundred
newspaper men, many Of whom would
know him. But there was no a1terma-
tive, and he started for the room with
his machine. He had hardly seated him
self, when reporter for the Chicago
Inter Ocean, with whom he was ac-
quainted, gained admission to his room
and started to talk with him.
''For Gods sake, Frank, said Forest,
"get away from here and give me a
chance for my life. All the Chicago
newspapers take the report from our
association, and it is not possible for
you to print that platforms in the In-
ter Ocean tomorrow unless you get it
from US. Don't let those eastern news
paper men, who use the report Of the
other association, know that ever saw
a newspaper"
Not only did that reporter comply
with the request, but he warned other
Chicago reporters not to recognize For
est. A few minutes more and a re-
porter representing the opposition as
sociation came in. He was an eastern
! newspaper man, and was not acquaint-
ed with Forest,
. What are you doing?" he asked.
} Copying the platform"
''Let me see it?"
, "Oh, no."
: 'Say, would you like to make $1O0?''
! ''Well, 1 should say I would"
''Well, you get me a copy Of that plat
form and will give you $780,"
: ''Not much. You can't buy me. ]
] know you. You are one of those news
4 paper fellows. You never saw enough
: money to buy copy of this platform. -
The reporter remained for few mo-
: ments in thought. Seeing that he could
S not obtain the platform, he thought he
: could have little fun at the expense OF
i Forest.
"Are you pOpuHst? ?" he queried.
S ''Yep."
where are you frOm?"
: Kansas
/ Then he called in the other reporters
{ and endeavored to rouse the ire of the
4 ''Kansas populist typewriter" by sub.
t mitting him to the "guying" process
' But the ire could not be reused just
e then. To make matters more ludicrous
k a newspaper man representing the
+ game press association as did Forest
: was one of the party. OF course, he saw
r that Forest was doing his work, and
in order to keep up appearances helped
Z the opposition reporter in his efforts tx
e embarrass Forest.
k At 1880 o'clock that night the last
a plank Of the platform had been agreed
:, upon, and was given to Forest to take
S to the other room to copy. AS he was
! leaving he was asked by SchiIling in a
= tone of voice loud enough for the whole
q committee to hear, if amy Of the news
r paper reporters had tried to get the
= platform. He answered that he had
met them, but that they had not beer
s successful. Then schilling turned tc
Z the others and saids
] Now, gentlemen, you know it is es.
/: sential to keep the doings Of this com,
d mittee secret. I desire that each one
OF you should realize that, and when ap
preached by the reporters, have moth
l. ing to say to them. viii not be re
Hponsible for the keeping OF this plat