Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-09-01
A NEWSPAPER SCOOP.
HOW 1T WAS OBTAINED WITHOUT
ANY DEPARTMENT LEAK.

HOW 1T WAS OBTAINED WITHOUT I
ANY DEPARTMENT LEAK.
Sources of Information OF Which
the Alert and Quick Witted Corre-
spondent Is Always Ready to Take
Legitimate Advantage.
EVERY once in awhile one reads In
the newspapers of the determination
of some one Of the high government
officials to discover the source of the
leak of a piece of news which it was
not desired should be given out at that
particular time" remarked an old
Washington correspondent, land with
out giving the solution to the secret
escapes of public information, as they
vary, l will tell you of one instance
which serves to show how news ap-
pears in print in what is considered by
all concerned to be very mysterious
manner. Like all mysteries, when un-
raveled it is wondered that it was not
thought of before. Ny story is en-
tirely part of the secret sources of
information which all correspondents
have more or less at their disposal
and which often comes from the out
side and not from the inside of the
departments.
"Some time ago-the precise time is
not essential to the story-a very i'm
portant public matter was up for de-
termination by the president All of
the larger metropolitan dailies were
particularly interested, as it did not
have to do especially with Washing
ton, and the entire correspondents
world at the capital was on the qui
| viye to get it, including myself. All
channels which were usually tapped
by the initiated We're found to be as
barren as desert stream In midsum-
mer. kilograms from the home Offices
poured into our various bureaus here
couched in imperative language that
the news must be obtained, evidently
in the belief that all correspondents
have to do is to go out, ask officials
for the desired information and re-
ceive it, coupled with good cigar and
a bottle of wine. AS matter of fact,
piece Of information, all possible loop
holes of escape are securely padlocked,
and it is the exception that it gets out.
II had about given up hope of secur-
ing beat in this particular instance,
| though l 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
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, overheard one
| of two gentlemen who were sitting be-
hind me drop the words the president
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-
ton to adopt that course irrespective
| the party
"'But you pointed out to him what it
| meant to us-that he was clearly in er-
ror?' replied the other gentleman.
"'Ela aborately.' responded the first
speaker. but the president said that he
| was convinced that accruing results
would prove that we, and not he. We're
| in error
"'Then we may as well go back to
New York tomorrow was the answer,
| and both gentlemen arose and walked
toward the cafe, apparently in very
! respondent frame of mind.
II was an involuntary listener to this
scrap of conversation. in which, it will
be observed, not single word was
| dropped as to the subject matter there
| of. l at once jumped to the conclusion
that the government. through the presi-
dents action, intended to take the af-
firmatiye of the proposition. the news
side of which the correspondents had
so long and earnestly endeayored to
ascertain. With straight tip as to the
course Of the government the CORE
| 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 scare head. page wide
1 3 b.
| story.
I'm the furtherance of my conclusion
| my 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 considered
| them. To my mind. as a correspondent,
it was as clear as if the president HIM
self had given me the information. Two
days after a member of the cabinet
gave out officially what had wired
over and with it the announcement that
the leak had occasioned much annoy
ance, and its source would be investi-
gated thoroughly It is here given cor
rectly for the first time. - Washington
! Star. # n.