The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-04-13
HOIST By ms OWN PETARD.
opie Read Tells Of Danger of "Grape-
vine, Journalism

philadelphia Saturday Evening Post)
At a recent luncheon Of newspaper
men, Mr.. Opie Read who is now be-
ing urged TO become an aldermanic
candidate in Chicago, gave a talk on
the dangers Of politics and grapevine
Journalism" and enforced the moral
Of his remarks by a chapter from his
own experiences when a reporter on
the Little Rock Gazette, printed in the
capital city Of Arkansas.
News was particularly slow one
day" said he. There hadn't been 4
shooting or a hanging in our entire
zone Of influence for a week. Something
had to be done. and the editor detailed
me 10 get Up something that would
read as If it might have happened.
Nothing pleased me better than a
grapevine stint, and turned out a two
column story which described how
government agent got after the moon
sinners up White river.
The yarn detailed how a certain
sawmill way up stream had been do
ing a big business in making black
walnut collins until the revenue men at
Memphis, the main stopping point. had
noticed that the town was flowing with
'moonshine.' They watched the docks
closely, and one obseTvant agent no.
ticed that several collins were being
sent back Up river. Then a coffin which
had Just arrived was secretly opened
and found to contain a tin lining full
OF illicit whisky.
Then, according to my story. the
bright young revenue man followed one
of the returning collins up river and ar
rived in the neighbOrhOOd Of the saw
mill IN question. He carried a stock
Of Bibles, and took up his abode with
the Very Rev. Bradley BUnch--I can
recall the thrill of satisfaction I felt
when that name popped into my head
Before this colpOrteur had stocked the
little community with copies Of the
scriptures. he managed to take several
quiet strolls into the fields and woods.
IN the course Of one OF these rambles
he came upon a secluded coTnf1eld on
a hillside. In one corner Of the field
was a rail crib. to which teams hauled
their loads Close study showed the
stranger that, no matter how many
loads Of corn were dumped into this
crib, the pile did not increase in height.
Next he discovered a thin line OF
smoke coming out Of the top OF a big
sycamore tree a few rods down the
hillside.
This settled the location Of the
mOonshine still and the brilliant
young revenue man had only to go and
fetch a big posse Of his associates in
order TO maks a rich haul Incidental
y. he fell IN love with the charming
daughter OF Rev. Bradley Bunch-of
course,-and sacrificed love for duty.
@ g q
And there ended my grapevine
story. I got the first copy of the press
and was showing # to the advance
agent OF a circus who had a pocketful
Of blank passes, when the devil came
down the back stairs on the jump.
" You'd better git shut Of this plaeer
he cried. Governor Rector's upstairs.
talkin Q tn Old man. an he's mad
der'n a hornet. Says that Bradley
Bunch is an old friend OF his and one
Of the greatest preachers in all Ar
kansas. Hes got his cane with him,
an is lookin' for the man that wrote
that article.
Il didn't wait to hear any more, for
I had seen one newspaper man who had
the marks Of Governor RectOr's cane
all over his back. After that I was
mighty careful how I INDUCED in the
grapevine habit-espeCially so long as
old Governor Rector was able to 90
about Little Rock and swing his cane.
How the name Of Bradley Bunch ever
came TO me in writing that story don
know. but he certainly was a preacher
in the very locality in which my moon
shine story was laid
Probably I had read the name in
the report Of some ministerial confer
ton with living personality