The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-03-24
GENTLE ART OF INTERVENING.
Story of How Roosevelt. When n
Police Commissioner, Hit 1t or
With a Reporter.

viewed for publication" No presi-
dem is.
But in the days when he was civil
service commissioner, police commits
sioner. lieutenant colo Ell of the Rough
Riders, governor of the state he was
born in, and SO on. he was generally
very a~pproachable by the reporter, al
ways providing he wasn't too busy.
A reporter who went to see him one
day at police headquarters in New
York had a rather curious experience.
Mr.. Roosevelt was out when the re-
porter'S card was sent in. 1t was
nearly an hour before the commission
er returned. BY that time a score or
more of persons We're waiting. Then a
stir at the door made them all sit up
and take notice, and Roosevelt rushed
through the ante-roOm like a dark
brown streak to the doc of his office,
scattering his visitors right and left,
and shutting the door behind him with
a slam. The renorter was the first call
er and entitled to precedence, but he
preferred to wait and it was nearly an
other hour before he had his audience.
The future president was cordial in
his greeting, and, after looking at his
watch. said he could give twenty min
uteS to the interviewer, but made it
understood in short order that he was
a professional writer as we'll as a public
man.
portant and interesting one" said the
commissioner, with his characteristic
smile, but 1 haven't time to think it
all out now. Besides, 1 may ant tC
write about it myself. else have
yOu in mind?"
Fortunately for him, the reporter had
other 'talkable' topics to suggest. but
his spirits fell as he called them off in
succession, for the first half dozen all
appealed to Mr.. Roosevelt as too good
to be spoiled by being interviewed
about them. Finally, though. a suit
able subject was agreed upon and an
hour instead of twenty minutes was
given up to the interview.
INTERVIEWING RUSSELL SAGE.
Russell Sage has never been a hard
man to interview when he wanted to
let the public know what he thinks
about something. but otherwise you
might as we'll seek information from
a stone. In fact, Mr.. Sage will not be
seen at all in such an instance, and it
is useless to try to convince the clerk
who pokes his head out of the little
barred window in the thin partition
that shuts in the capitalists office.
Sometimes Mr.. Sage has been Known
to invite an interview by causing the
insertion of a little five or ten line
item in the newspapers.
On one occasion such an item was
printed saying that Sage was about to
lend his backing to a MAJ who had
had a spectacular, but not wholly sue
cessful career in the world of railroad
finance. The statement seemed so pre-
posterous though that the reporters
were not sent to Sage's office. A cor
respondent of an out-of-town paper,
however, short of material for his
daily dispatches, went to Mr.. Sages
office, and, showing the little item to
the clerk at the window, was admitted
without ceremony. Mr.. Sage seemed
pleased and the correspondent got a
cleditable scoop on all the New
York apers. Sage didn't verify the
item explicitly, but what he said
amounted to the same thing.
The man mentioned in the item."
said Mr.. Sage. lis one of the brightest
men now before the public, and I have
learned more from him than from al
most any one I ever met"
BY the time he had finished, the cor
respondent had material for a column
ard a half dispatch, the accuracy of
which was questioned at first by the
New York papers, but afterWard con-
filmed with all the dignity of display
type. The result was that the IMAM
mentioned was able to get on his feet
again for q while.
Mr.. Sage has always been more thar
willing to talk about his horses, Of
which he is very fond, and more thar
one reporter. anxious to get his views
on q current financial topic, has gained
admittance to his private office by
asking for some information abour
these pets. He is always ready also tc
ak of the methods by which success
in life may be attained, and when NJ
does his talk is always optimistic.
He thinks the struggling young mar
Of today has just as good a chance II
win as the young man who started gu
early in the last century, and is full
CT anecdotes and incidents to prove
that he is right.
1t is not of record, though, hat an!
ingenious reporter ever got Mr.. Sag
10 talk on something he didn't intend
to by questioning him about either
! horses or success in life.
CONKLIN SCARED HIS MAN.
Or all the men big enough to be in.
terviewed Roscoe Conkling was one O.
the easiest. Proud and naughty II
his bearing to most men of his owl
class, he was generally accessible rt
newspaper writer's, and sometimes N
would take a reporter into his conf.
dence in a way that was startling. Blu
it was another thing to get permission
to print what the man with the by
/ periOn curl had said.
AS one young reporter, to whom Nj
ConkIing had devoted a long two hours
Of the most interesting talk, which
threw much illumination on curren'
POLITICAL matters, rose to leave the Of.
fee with his note book safely button
cd in his inside pocket, Conkllng smiled
and said:
Let me look at your notes a mo.
ment, my boy"
The book was produced, when Conk,
ling stuck it carefully in a pigeor
hole.
IT didn't tell you all his to have i
printed" he said, for that would new.
e do, but because 1 like you and be.
cause I thought it would be a good
thing for O to know the inside OF
some things. Knowing what you dc
NOW Won will understand better how