The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-08-27
NEWSPAPER SCOOP
v 1T WAS OBTAINED WITHOUT
ANY DEPARTMENT LEAK.

E Alert ana Quick wItted Corre-
Dndent IL Always Ready 20 Take
ultimate Advantage.
very once in awhile one reads IN
I newspapers of the determination
lome one Of the high government
ials TO discover the source of the
of n piece of news which II was
desired should be given out at that
N icular time" remarked an old
shlngton correspondent, "and with
B giving the solution to the secret
pes of public information, as they
=, | will tell you OF one instance
ch serves TO show how news ap-
IS in print in what Is considered by
concerned TO be a very mysterious
lner. Like all mysteries, when un-
IS eled It is wondered that II was not
lght of before. My story Is en-
'Ply a part Of the secret sources of
rmation which all correspondents
G more or less Mt their disposal
which often comes from the out
and not from the inside of the
)nrtments.
some time ago-the precise time is
essential to the story--a very i'm
tant public matter was up for de-
III Ynination by the president All OF
& larger metropolitan d6ilies were
ticularly interested, as II did not
e to do especially with Washing
+, and the entire correspondents
I'D at the capital was on the qui
to get IT, including myself. All
snnels which were usually tapped
the initiated were found to be as
dren as a desert stream in midsum-
NC. Telegrams from the home offices
anred into our various bureaus here
lched in imperative language that
news must be obtained, evidently
nthe belief that all correspondents
| fTe to do is TO go out, ask officials
the desired information and re-
I've it, coupled with n good cigar and
tbottle Of wine. AS matter OF fact,
tIen officials wish to keep secret
&c of information, all possible loop
les of escape are securely padlocked,
|afl It is the exception that it gets out.
j had about given up hope Of secur-
a beat in this particular instance,
ugh | was, of course, as vigilant as
: r. The time for the maturing Of the
ject was close at hand, and any day
might by official announcement be-
me public property. One night as 1
S sitting idly in the lobby of an up
sn hotel, half doing in my chair,
iting for the appearance of a senator
u whom | had an appointment on an
-onsequential matter, overheard one
two gentlemen who were sitting be-
9. ID me drop the words the president
e high backs of our chairs nearly
lched, and by instinct my drowsy
ises became clear and woke up.
''The president remarked one of the
ltlemen, said that 1t was his inten-
q to adopt that course irrespective
the consequences either to himself or
party
But you pointed out to him what it
amt to us-that he was clearly in er-
~ replied the other gentleman.
n 'Elaborately,' responded the first
keaker, but the president said that he
lis convinced that accruing results
uld prove that we, and not he, were
error
''Then we may as well go back to
w York tomorrow was the answer,
d both gentlemen arose and walked
! s,-ovI Tho oo 20 opporoutIy fn a vary
spondent frame of mind.
Il was an involuntary listener TO this
3 cap of conversation, in which, it will
' II observed, not "A single word was
Dpped as TO the subject matter there
at once jumped to the conclusion
at the government, through the presi'
ht's action, intended to take the af'
native of the proposition, the news
ie of which the correspondents had
long and earnestly endeavored tC
! certain. With straight tip as to the
urse OF the government the CORE
ondent could do the rest, while with
e wrong tip he could not only make
paper ridiculous, but would In al
obability lose his position; hence the
ere In making a scare head, page wide
Dry.
'In the furtherance of my conclusion
~ paper had the beat of the seasor
r'e following morning, as stated th'
cts as though they came from officia
-,urces. as, indeed, such / considered
EN-. To my mind, as correspondent
was as clear as II the president him
IL had given me the information. TIVE
iys after a member of the cabine
Five out officially what ! had wired
-fer and with II the announcement tina
Ne leak had occasioned much annoy
nee, and It's source would be invesri
hted thoroughly 1t is here given cor
city for the first time."-WashingtoI
tar.