Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-09-14
A BEAT THAT FAILED.
now THE PLANS OF AN ENTER
pp,srNG EDITOR WERE UPSET.
,.yp CLIMAX 10 THE GREAT DoBRIEs
DOMINO RACE AS RI DEVELOPED
IN THE OFFICE or A DAILY.

not remibueN VI y tat&ttar IhhSthkett
scoop in which figured when was
working In a New York newspaper Of
DEE" said an old time telegrapher who
Is now employed In Washington.
ct was back In the days when the
Great Domino was the star colt of the
Keene stable and. with one exception.
was acknowledged as the greatest two
vear.old OF the season.
,.rhe exception was Richard Cookers
ai4r pobblns. These two youngsters
finally met in the Futurity. and. nj.
though the keene colt won. with Dob
bins third. the latter's owner was not
satisfied with the result. and match
was speedily arranged at the Futurity
distance for $4,000 side.
snow. the paper | worked on was an
evening sheet. and II was the ambition
Of the managing editors life to beat
the opposition evening paper and get
Che news OF big event like this on the
street FIRST.
'sThe other fellows had beaten us on
the Futurity story few days before.
and the managing editor made no Sc
eret Of the fact that he was going to
set gwen.
Accordingly he laid all OF his plans
day ahead. and, although we did not
know at the time what they were, we
felt sure by the way he strutted around
on the morning Of the race that he had
the winning combination up his sleeve.
Along about noontime OF that day
the editor, the most nervous man
ever met. called me into his office and
told LIE that, as the match race was
the fifth event ON the card. he wanted
me to have one of the other operators
take the result of the fourth race. and
he also wanted me to get a wire In
good working order and prepare to get
the result of the fifth race.
'sThe scheme was to have two presses
set and all ready to start. One OF
them was 10 have the big front page
headline read Dobbins Wins the Big
Match and the other just the same.
except that Domino's name appeared
In the place OF Dobbins'. The Dobbins
extra was on press No, and the DOM
ino extra on press No. 2. Whichever
horse won, the managing editor was TO
call out No. 1 or No. .. and the press
would be started in quicker time than
it takes TO tell of the arrangement.
81 couldn't help but inwardly smile
as watched the managing editor strid-
ing nervously about. waiting for the
start, just like man who had thou
sands of dollars wagered on the chance
Of one of the racers.
suddenly the key OF my instrument
began to click. and he quickly stopped
and looked anxiously at me, but 1t
proved TO be only the operator NJ the
other end testing. Learning this, he re-
sumed his walk up and down the room.
Presently the key began TO click
again. This time the horses We're on
their way to the post. The next | got
from the other end was that the horses
were at the post and would be of In a
minute This Information, instead of
steadying the managing editor. only in
creased his Jumpiness. for he ordered
the men who were standing around to
cease their talking and also called
downstairs half dozen times to know
II everything was ready below in the
press room.
I'm the midst of this the key again
began TO work, and l called out that
they were of.
The clicks OF the instrument that
followed now told me that they were
moving along. nose and nose, at the
quarter. AT the half mile Domino was
in the lead by nose, and as | an
nounced this was watching the man
aging editor. and | could see his lips
framing the words No. g. which was
the Domino press.
"Dobbins just managed TO shove his
nose in front at the three-quarters and
the boss moved nearer the speaking
tube as | made this announcement
Coming into the stretch the two game
colts were head and head, and the man
aging editor, with the mouthpiece OF
the speaking tube pressed tightly
against his lips. was waiting for the
result
Well, the result came along in good
season. But never so long as | live
shall | forget the expression on that
editors face when the key told me that
the match race was dead heat. hes
itated just a second before calling it
out, for | could almost picture in my
mind what effect II would have on him.
Finally | called out In as firm voice
Is l could. Dead heatr
We'll. that editors knees just gave
way from under him. If he had not
grabbed a chair am positive he would
have fallen 10 the tloor.
Dead heatY' he gasped, with llv-
III face. Are You sureT
Il told him that 1t had been repeated
70 me and that there could be no mis-
lake. He was too dumfounded to move
Tor two or three seconds, but when he
saw all OF the men who were about to
Jump to their places ready to throw to-
fether new scare head, while others
ftH1