The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-08-14

WalIa Walla paper is able TO secure
or dares to print. None of these many
SCOOPS" has been published through
any other motive than the sole desire
TO give The Statesman readers the real
newsstand give 1t to them days De-
fore our sleepy, or inefficient, contem-
poraries awake to what is going on.
We have trusted to the people who
read the newspapers to remark the
wide difference in favor of The States
man as a newsy newspaper. The conf
dence was not misplaced. The entire
CITY is ringing with the praises which
give Joy to the hardworking, capable
reportorial staff of The Evening States
man. Even our contemporaries have
arisen to the occasion and, either with
a generosity unparalleled, or an IN
advertancy most comical, have done
what we, in our modesty, could not
initiate-called attention to the fact
live news first.
Yesterday evening, the Walla Walla
edition of the Seattle P.-1. printed
rehashed story of the new target range
planned for Fort Walla Walla which
appeared in The Evening Statesman
last week and was considered old news
before the week ended. Then, this
morning, the Union handed US several
fragrant, delightful boquets on silver
platter donated by Secretary Sidney
Menkus of the $4,000 club.
Of course we knew that Mr.. Menkus
and his co-workers We're planning to
favor The Union with an exclusive
story of the report and action taken,
but the words of praise indirectly given
are just as sweet to us. So sweet are
they we cannot resist the temptation
to repeat a few.
The Union directly says:
"A committee from the $4,000 club
and the Commercial club have been
putting forth strenuous efforts to Sc
cure a suitable grounds for rifle
range for Fort Walla Walla and have
accomplished considerable which they
did not care to have made public, at
present but which was discovered in
some manner for which they are un-
able to account"
Isn't that joyous? Doesn't it give you
visions of luscious, ripe, emerald-hued
canteloupes for the foxy reporters of
The Statesman? Isn't it peaches and
cream for the wise lads who were able
to circumvent those secretive boosters?
And Secretary Sidney hands us
this beautiful compliment on our news
gathering abilities:
Il told him the story and he re-
Trained from printing it upon my re-
quest. and when it all came out In
the other paper he thought 1 had been
discriminating but 1 was not, and am
entirely at loss to account for the
source of information of the evening
paper which printed the account few
evenings ago."
But after having said such beauti-
full things about us and securing their
publication in rival papers, Secretary
Sid does US an injustice in his eff
forts to square himself with the sem
atorial edition. He gravely declares
that our scoop may hamper him in
securing the site for the target range.
That's an unfounded guess. The States
man took care not to locate the site
publicly and has not yet done so. The
Blue Mountains are big and extensive
and until the secretary himself gave
away the location, the position of the
site was only speculative. 1t pains US
to have the secretary place us in a
false light "that-a-way' but still we're
SO tickled over the good things he has
said of our mystery department. and
our "secret news service" that we're
willing to overlook the little break