Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-08-31
A BEAT THAT FAILED
HOW The PLANS OF AN ENTsRPRis-
ING EDITOR WERE UPSET.
The Climax 60 the Great Dobbtn.-
Domino Match Race as "a Develop
ed I'm the once OF One OF the Metro
poiitan Afternoon Dailfes


Il never read of close finish in n
big running race nowadays that I'm
not reminded OF famous punctured
scoop I'm which l figured when was
working in New York newspaper Of
fee" said an old time telegrapher who
is now employed in Washington.
1T was back in the days when the
great Domino was the star colt OF the
keene stable and. with one exception.
was acknowledged as tho greatest two
year-old OF the season
The exception was Richard Cookers
hier Doboins. These two youngsters
finally met i'm the Futurity. and. al
though the Kecne colt won. with Dob
bins third, the latters owner was not
satisfied with the result. and match
was speedily arranged at the Futurity
distance for $4,000 a side.
Now, the paper 1 worked on was an
evening sheet. and it was the ambition
Of the managing EDITORS life to beat
the opposition evening paper and get
the news OF big event like this on the
street first.
The other fellows had beaten us ON
the Futurity story n few days before.
and the managing editor made no Sc
cret OF the fact shat he was going to
get even.
Accordingly he laid all of his plans
q day ahead. and. although we did not
know at the time what they were. we
felt sure 10y she 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 me that. as the match race was
the fifth event on the card. he wanted
me 10 have one OF the other operators
take the result of the fourth race. and
he also wanted me TO get wire in
good working order and prepare 10 get
the result OF the fifth race
THE scheme was TO have two presses
set and all ready to start. one OF
them was TO have the big front page
headline read 'Dobbins Wins the Big
Match. AMI the other Just the same.
except that Domino's name appeared
I'm the place OF DobbinS' The Dobbins
extra was on press No. and the Dom
mo extra on press No. -. whichever
horse won. the managing editor was to
call out No. I or No. -. and the press
would be started in quicker time than
II takes TO tell OF the arrangement
Il couldn't help but iawardly smile
rs watched the managing editor strid-
ing ncrvously about. waiting for the
start. just like a man who had thou
sands Of dollars wagercd on the chance
of one OF the racers.
suddenly the key OF my instrument
began 10 click. and he quickly stopped
and looked anXiously ut me. but it
proved TO be only the operator at 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 were on
their way 10 the post. The next l got
from the other end was that the horses
were at the post and would be or in
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
If everything was ready below in the
press room.
''In the midst OF this the key again
began to work. and l called ont that
they were of.
1.-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 10y n nose. and as l an
nounced this 1 was watching the man
aging editor. and ] could see his lips
framing the words NO. . which was
the Domino press.
''Dobbins sust managed TO shove his
nose in front at the three-Quarters and
the boss moved nearer the speaking
tube as l 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 I forget the expression on that
editors face'when the key told me that
the match race was a dead heat 1 hes
itated just n second before calling IT
out, for / could almost picture in my
mind what,effect it would have on him.
Finally 1 called out in as firm a voice
as could, Dead heatr
well. that editors knees just gave
way from under him. If he had not
grabbed 4 chair I am positive he would
have fallen to the floor.
Dead heat?' he gasped, with llv-
i'd face. Are you sure?'
Il told him that ii had been repeated
10 me and that there could be no mis-
take. lie was too dumfounded to move
for two or three seconds, but when he
saw all of the men who were about to
jump TO their places ready to throw to-
Sether new scare head, while others
hustled around 10 find the stereotypers,
who almost TO a man had gone out of
the building, he came to in a jiffy and
was the same old hustler.
Everybody took hold and worked
harder probably than he ever worked
before or since. and although we didn't
beat the opposition paper. as we were
so certain of doing, we were on the
street only a minute or so behind 1t.
We afterward learned that they had
made exactly the same arrangements
10 beat us and had been fooled in pre-
cisely the same way."-Washingto
Star.
Rouse