Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1904-08-04
A BEAT THAT FAILED
HOW THE PLANS OF AN ENTERpRiS.
ING EDITOR WERE UPSET.

ed In the Office Of One of the Metro-
politan Afternoon DaiIies.
II never read of a close finish in a
big running race nowadays that I'm
not reminded of famous punctured
scoop in which l figured when l was
working in New York newspaper Of
fee said an old time tclrgraphrr 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 the greatest two
year-olu of the season.
The exception was Richard Crok er's
flier Dobbins. These two youngsters
finally met in the Futurity. and. al
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.
Nov, the paper 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 Il big event like this on the
! street first.
THE other fellows had beaten us on
! the Futurity story few days before,
! and the managing editor made no So
cret of the fact that he was going to
/ get even.
Accordingly he laid all of his plans
day ahead. and, although we did not
know at the time what they We're, we
felt sure by the way he strutted aroun,l
on the morning Of the race that he had
the winning combination up his sleeve
"Along about noontme Of that day
/ the Neditor, 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 to 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 to get
the result of the fifth race.
1.-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 'Dobbns 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
i inc extra on press No. 2. Whichever
horse won, the managing editor was to
call out No. I or No. 2. and the press
would be started in quicker time than
it takes to tell of the arrangement.
Il 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 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 We're on
their way to the post. The next l got
/ from the other end was that the horses
! were at the post and would be off 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 every thing was ready below in the
press room.
''In the midst of this the key again
began to work. and I called out that
they were off.
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 by a nose and as l an
nounced this l was watching the mall
aging editor, and l 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 l made this announcement.
Coming into the stretch the two game
colts were head and head, and the man
the speaking tube pressed tightly
against his lips, was waiting for the
result
well, the result came along in good
season. But never 80 long as l live
shall l forget the expression on that
editors face when the key told me that
the match race was dead heat. hes
itated just second before calling it
out, for l could almost picture in my
mind what effect it would have on him.
Finally called out In as firm a voice
as l could, Dead heat!
well, that editors knees just gave
way from under him. If he had not
grabbed a chair I am positive he would
have fallen to the floor.
dead heatT' he gasped. with a liv.
Id face. Are you sureT
II told him that it had been repeated
to me and that there could be no mis-
take. He was too dumfounded to move
for two or three seconds but when he
saw all of the men who we're about to
jump to their places ready to throw to-