Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-07-05
A NEWSPAPER BEAT.
How 1t Was Obtained without Any
Department "Leak."

HOW II was ODta1neu "thout A"S
Department "Leak."
Every once in a while one reads In
The Star of the determination Of some
one of the high government officials to
discover the source of the leak Of
piece Of news which it was not desired
should be given out at that particular
time" remarked an old Washington
correspondent, "and without giving the
solution of the secret escapes Of public
information, as they vary, 1 will tell
YOU Of one instance which serves to
show how news appears in print IN
what Is considered by all concerned tu
be a very mysterious manner. Like all
all mysteries, when unravelled, 1t Is
wondered that it was not thought OF
before. My story is entirely part OF
the secret sources Of information which
all correspondents have more or less
at their disposal. and which often comes
from the outside and not from the in
side Of the departments. Some time
ago, the precise time is not essential to
the story, very important public mat
ter was up for determination by the
president. All ofthe larger metropol-
itan dailies were particularly interest
ed, as it did not have to do especially
with Washington, and the entire cor
respondents world at the capital was
on the qui vive to get it, including
myself. All channels which were usu-
ally tapped by the initiated were found
to be as barren as a desert stream IN
midsummer. kilograms from the home
offices poured into our various bureaus
here couched in imperative language
that the news must be obtained, evil
IDENTIFY in the belief that all correspond
ents have to do is to go out, ask officials
for the desired information and receive
it coupled with a good cigar and bot
tie of wine. AS matter Of fact. when
officials wish to keep secret piece Of
information all possible loopholes are
securely padlocked, and it Is the excep-
ton that 1t gets out.
IT had about given up hope of secur-
ing a beat in this particular instance,
though I was, of course, as vigilant as
ever. The time for the maturing of the
project was close at hand, and any day
it might by official announcement, be-
come public property. One night as I
was sitting idly in the lobby Of an up
town hotel, half doing in my chair,
waiting for the appearance of senator
with whom had an appointment on an
inconsequential matter, I overheard
one Of two gentlemen who were sitting
behind me, drop the words the presi-
dent The high backs of our chairs
nearly touched, and by instinct my
drowsy senses became clear and woke
up.
1.-The president remarked one of the
gentlemen, said that it was his inten-
tion to adopt that course. irrespective
Of the consequences either to himself
or the party
"'But you pointed out to him what
it meant to us: that he was clearly in
error?" replied the other gentleman.
speaker, but the president said that
he was convinced that accruing results
would prove that we. and not he, were
in error
Then we may as we'll go back to
New York tomorrow, was the answer,
and walked toward the cafe apparently
in very despondent frame of mind.
Il was an involuntary listener to this
scrap Of conversation, in which, 1t will
be observed. not a single word was
dropped as to the subject matter there
Of. I at once jumped to the conclusion
that the government through the pres
ident's action. intended to take the af-
frmative Of the proposition, the news
side of which the correspondents had so
long and earnestly endeavored to as
certain. With a straight tip as to the
course of the government the corre-
spondent could do the rest, while with
the wrong tip he could not only make
his paper ridiculous. but would in all
probability lose his position; hence the
care in making a scare head, page wide
story.
I'm the furtherance of my conclusion
nv paper had the beat of the season
the following morning as I stated the
facts as though they came from official
sources, as, indeed. such 1 considered
them; to my mind as correspondent,
It was as clear as if the president him
self had given me the information.
Two days after a member of the cabi-
net gave out officially what l had wired
over, and with it the announcement
that the leak had occasiOned much