Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-03-09

by this time instead of rushing about
the streets like vendo,. And instead
of camping in sufferance in the office of
a magnate, that dignitary and others
like him might be buying boxes to hear
the Justly celebrated
Watson laughed, and rose to look out
of the window at the East River piano.
rama of passing tugs and ferry craft.
AS he did SO. he saw beside him-at his
| very elbow--a commercial phonosfaph.
In that glimpse, Watson's quick mind
read success. Opportunity to use his
| powers of imitation-powers that mad
been denied legitimate expression along
remunerative lines-now opened daz-
zlingly bfore him. In newspaper work
the genius of mimicry, which turnout
| his life had been the marvel of his fam
| lily and intimates. had not been called
upon, but now this ability seemed to
make instant and insistent demand to
display itself. He felt, he thought, as a
poet might in the first flush of an inn
| agination that was to give being to an
| epic.
II conscience made fleeing protest,
it's restraint was swept away by the
promises of rich reward in the unique
opportunity. and Watson almost in
stantly determined upon an act of dar-
1 ing that he believed would bring sue
cess quickly and make for him. a name
on Newspaper Row.
Often had he heard President Mat
thews dictate into that photograph let
tiers of great Importance and of a con-
/ fidential nature. Almost as often had
1 No ha1 aff fSp ton pl
photograph, signed by the railroad
president without glance at the text,
so implicit was his faith in his confiden-
/ tial stenogra piers accuracy and fideli-
ty. Watson knew equally we'll that the
stenographer never questioned his chief
and accepted the message that he re-
] ceived from tn Photographic cylinder
as final. OF these things he scarcely
stopped to think. President Matthews
voice he could simulate to perfection,
and oblivious to right or wrong-oblivi-
i Gus to everything save the beat. he
lpressed an electric button, and turning
to the monograph, began in the cold
even tones which belonged to President
| Matthew's:
Thomas Watson, Esq, Daily Globe.
City.
My Dear Mr. Watson-Since your
/ visit this afternoon, have reconsidered
| the matter and have decided for several
reasons to give you the official state
ment regarding the future plans of the
! United States Railway Corporation.
You of course recognize the absolute
| necessity of protecting me in the mat
| ter under all circumstances, and / am
! sending this letter and the enclosed re-
| port to you by my trusted messenger
| to be given to you personally at your
office am trusting you implicitly, but
| feel sure that you Will respect my con-
| fidence to the utmost. In the belief that
the exclusive possession of the report
will boost you in your journalistic
career, remain, very sincerely"
(Enclosure).
4 Pausing moment he added this mes
sage to the stenographer: "Hobson, as
you go home tonight I wish you would
deliver this letter personally. You I'M
derstand about the enclosure and the
confidential nature of the matter"
| Watson, flushed with assured success,
| turned to the electric current and the
| cylinder stopped. He picked up his hat,
and nodding to Hobson in the outer
| office, went out into the street and
strobe off toward the offie. He did not
seek Markham but stopped at the re-
| ception room door long enough to give
| the boy on guard a shiny quarter as he
said: IF a gentleman calls here for me
| about 5 o'clock, show him right to lily
room; don't forget now
| Watson had at least an hour and a
| half to wait Reaching his room he
threw off his coat and lighting a cigaret
he settled down before a map of the
| United States Railway Corporation
| system. Carefully he studied the route.
making occasional notes and now and
| then consulting the latest official rail-
road guide. For an hour he was COM
| pletely absorbed in his task and then,
| quickly noting the reference books he
needed in addition to those already on
| his shelves, he started for the library.
| When he returned, his arms were filled
with railroad manuals, directories of di-
rectors, annual reports and other STAN
| dard railroad literature. He had scarceN
ly placed the dusty volumes on his table
when the door opened and the subsi-
| died Buttons" of the reception room
ushered in the expected visitor and fled.
Watson, apparently greatly surprised,
greeted Hobson cordially but inquiring-
| ly. Before he had time to put need
less question. Hobson pulled from his
pocket fat envelope and handing it to
Watson said: "Mr. Matthews asked me
to hand you this personally. The letter
explains itself" Without waiting for
an answer Mr.. Matthews messenger
! left the office, and hurrying out of the
building, went on up town to his home
| in Harlem.
| Cool up to this point Watson became
| suddenly nervous, and his fingers trem-
bled as he tore open the envelope and
drew out its contents. There was the
| letter he had dictated to the phono-
graph, and enclosed in it was the state
ment-the official plans of the greatest
railroad corporation in the world--the
street spasm and convulse all railroad
securities. Realizing fully as he scan
ned the pages of the statement the tre-
mendous significance of it all, Watson
lost his nervousness and, intoxicated
with the thrill of great news, he went
triumphantly before his superior.
"Mr. Markham, I've got it exclusive,
and want two pages and half page
map" Watson almost shouted in his
eagerness to impress gruff Markham
with the tremendous value of his story.
"um," snapped Markham, that's
enough space to tell of the assassina-
ton of the president. What are the
features of yOllr warn, Young MANI"