davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1906-03-25
An Emergency Man

In the first place, he is always
hampered with his tools Of trade.
He cannot work in dark places. If
there is a dimly lighted room in
which some tragedy has occurred he
must employ artificial means 10 Sc
cure the proper amount or light. If
a fire occurs in distant part of the
city the reporter can phone to the
fire department and secure all the
essential details, but the camera man
must go TO the scene itself with his
little black box, filed with heavy
glass plates. If there is some terri
BILE accident and there is great diff
ficulty IN getting In among the de-
bris. the writer can speak to wit
nesses aud can color up his lack Of
knowledge with a few "glittering
generalities. while some less scrup-
ulous ones may fake in few ''opin-
ions from those present" but for
the picture man only the unvarnish-
ed and ungarnished facts and scenes
exist. There can be no rose tintins
or obvious deductions" on the plate.
The camera admits of verified news
only. Again, there are many persons
who have an aversion to being pho
tographed. Many a man will con-
sent to talk for publication, but there
are hosts Of people who object for
obvious reasons TO having their faces
appear in the dailies. When such in
dividuals are encountered, STRAIT
egy and diplomacy must be brought
into play.
The Washington times., 1906-03-25
Developed a Fraud

One afternoon photographer
stood at the door of the court house
opening upon this alley. When the
desired quarry came oft the camera
was snapped. and off few the pho
tographer. The valet did not follow
for the bigamist knew that the alley
was too dark for a successful snap
shot to have been taken. He smiled
sereneiy and was mentally cnngrat-
uldting himself that ne had again
eluded his tormentors. AS he turn
ed the corner 10 enter his Office on
the other side of the street he had TO
cross a sunlit area of a few feet. As
he approached this spot Of light he
saw a man of nondescript appear
arce leaning against a telegraph
pole. without glancing at the loaf
er a second time The bigamist step
ped into the light
Clinek went TIE camera shutter.
and of ran the man who had sup
The Washington times., 1906-03-25

made the story all the better. and
the paper scored d scoop" over its
rivals that was not soon forgotten
The photographer name was never
known in connection with the Incl
dent, and the only recognition which
he received or which he wanted was
a frmer hold upon his position.
Not all court room photographers
are as successful and as fortunate IS
the man whose achievements are
recited above A Well-knOwn finan-
cier. who WIS being tried for mis-
appropriation Of public funds. was
before a court and q daring press
the-buttOn man with more nerve
than discretion determined 10 secure
4 photograph While the accused was
taking the oath. The click of the
shutter attracted the subjects at
tention, and without a moments
The Washington times., 1906-03-25

ported the pole. The photographer
who had snapped his camera at the
court house door knew as well as
the bigamist that the picture would
be no good. II was merely a ruse
10 throw the man OF his guard The
photographer IAN in order 10 reach
the sunlighted corner before his vic
tim should arrive. When he took
to his heels the second time it was
for the unmistakabIe purposeof fight.
for both valet and bigamist were in
pursuit. The photographer knew
the alleys and byways OF the city
and he reached his Office in safety
with splendid likeness Of the Grim
inal
This same photographer has al
The Washington times., 1906-03-25

hesitation he seized an ink
stand from a nearby desk and hurl-
ed it at camera and operator. For
tunately the missile took effect on the
camera and not the artist The
fnancier not only thwarted the
newspaper man for that particular
dav. but his camera was placed out
OF commission for all time
While many difficulties are en-
cOuntered by photographers in Sc
curing pictures Of men. the hardened
members Of the fraternity declare
that women are, as a rule. easy sub
jectS. In the majority of cases the
camera man needs only TO intimate
that snapshot viii be taken when
the desired subject is in an ungrace-
fui posture or while the wind is
blowing her hair over ner face and
her hat is awry. in order to gain her
consent TO pose Sometimes this ap-
peal has TO be varied slightly. but
the same principle underlies the
argument as was the case with an
important witness in a murder trial.
She always appeared in court with
her veil tightly drawn and for days
the photographers had been pleading
for a chance TO get a picture. bur she
was obdurate. Finally one of the
men found an old picture Of the
party in question 1t had been taken
several years before, al a time when
enormous sleeves were beirg worn
and when the fashion in coifTures
differed materially from that in
vogue ~ the time Of the trial. On
the morning following his discovery
the photographer showed her the
picture and told her that his paper
would be forced 10 produce that in
lieu of a better. The argument was
unanswerable and as a result he
secured a splendid likeness. "Yanit-
as VdnitdtUm. saith the artist"
Such are the incidents that 60 10
make up the life of a newspaper
photographer Every day there are
new conditions TO be confronted.
odd assignments TO be covered.
numerous dangers 10 be faced, and
through all tl'sSe there is the one
paramount, ever insistent order from
the great directing brain of the
paper. Hurry. Hurry, Hurryi"
Few men in the newspaper field
complain Of the monotony Of their
lives, and least of all the photog-
rapher.
The Washington times., 1906-03-25

ering in the mud for some time they
secured a team from a farmer in the
neighborhood more by duress than
persuasion, and with this they reach
ed the vessel about . in the morn
ing The steamer was only a few
hundred yards from the shore. and
by carefully making their way out
on the rocks, the photographer was
able 10 approach within few hun
ured feet OF the deck. A line had
been shot from the vessel TO the
land and on this some of the crew
had made their way ashore. From
these sailors il was learned that the
captain was still aboard. but no
amount of hallooing would bring
him on deck. BY this time several
representatives from other papers
mad arrived. The young photogra-
pher was determined to score a
beat on his confreres. He strap-
ped the camera to his back and after
going out on the rocks as far as
possible ne caught the swaying rome
and began to make his way over the
waves. travelling sailor fashion.
The Washington times., 1906-03-25

ways been unusually successful in
getting pictures of criminals. By a
strange accident on one occasion his
illustrations at a famous election
fraud trial resulted in bringing TO
justice a whole gang Of "repeaters. -
Afte.' an election a man was being
tried for false registering. He re-
fused 10 pose for the photographers
and the artist in question resorted to
a ruse. While in the court room he
walked UP 10 the desired subject
from the rear. After focusing his
camera properly he touched the man
on the shoulder and said: See here
a minute. please" The man turned
his head leiSurely around. and as he
inquired. What is ito" the snap
shot was taken. Later in the week
the paper desired another photo
graph. 4 second time the photogra-
pher tried 70 secure a picture but
falling in all other ways he decided
to resort 10 his former method. but
at the same time he felt that he
would certainly fail this time as the
prisoner would remember how he
had been tTicked before. To his sur
prise the man turned again in re-
sponse 10 the touch on the shoulder.
When the plate was developed and
the picture made the photographer
took it TO the city editor When the
latter saw it he declared that a pie
ture Of the wrong man had been
taken. This the artist denied. but
when the two pictures We're compar-
ed it was found that they really were
of different men, though the SINH
larity was most striking. Only the
eye Of a man skilled III remembering
faces would ever have discovered
the imposition. The paper was thus
able to expose the sact that the court
OF justice was being imposed upon
and that the real prisoner had been
ferreted away on account of certain
in his possession and for
fear that ne would turn states evi-
dence. The fact that the two pic
lures were taken in the same posture
The Washington times., 1906-03-25
Threatened the Camera Man

1t frequently happens that the city
editor does not know the difficulties
and the dangers which will confront
a photographer on certain assign
ments. But the fact that there is
danger is no excuse for failure. On
one occasion two men had lost their
lives while at work building the
foundations for l's1lt house on a
rocky island The Photographer was
told TO get q pictms of the exact
spot where the nen had met their
end. In order 10 secure such a pic
ture IT appeared necessary for the
newspaper man TO undergo the same
The Washington times., 1906-03-25
TIL MN W0qEEEEBKSTRHTE W4G ILLUS TIE NEWS

perils as the two who had met such
d terrible fate. Had he taken such
chances he would have been untrue
TO his trust. for a dead artist could
not produce the desired pictures.
But the photographer WAS ingenious
as well as daring. He strapped him
self to the railing of a launch and
with his body hung far down over
the vessels side. while holding the
camera in position. he caused the
boat to be piioted as near the rocky
joint as possible, and from this want
age place secured the desired illus
tration
The Washington times., 1906-03-25

lntrepidity alone does not make
a valuable news illustrator. A man
must have originality During the
trial of a noted bigamist. who was
out on bail. all the newspapers in
a great city we're trying to secure
snapshots Of him. but he assiduously
avoided the little black box men.
and. as 2 further protection. he kept
a valet in attendance at all times and
made it generally known that in the
event any of the photographers made
IL unpleasant for him his attendant
would not only dc bodily violence 10
the offender, but would smash the
camera as well. In spite of these
ominoUs warnings there were sev-
eral men who were waiting for an op-
portunity 10 cover the assignment.
There were three entrances to the
court house where the trial was in
progress. One Of these was through
dark alley in which it was impos-
sible to take photo. The bigamist
came 10 and went from the trial by
this alley.
The Washington times., 1906-03-25

hand-over-hand. The first attempt
was unsuccessful The large cable
cut his hands and he came back,
falling exhausted in the edge of the
water The laughs and taunts of
his fellow-workers was goading, and
again he attempted the trip. this time
with success. And when his paper
published the photograph of the
captain and the scene Of havoc on
the vessels geek on the following
day the artist felt well repaid for
his daring. although the hundreds
of thousands of readers never knew
but that the picture had been secured
by means of the most commonplace
methods.
The Washington times., 1906-03-25

iJOrs, and many other productions
or similar nature. but when the
newspaper photographer shall in the
course of human events find time to
lay aside his tripod and lens suffi-
ciently long to chronicle some of his
strange adventures and experiences
with men and things. his words will
have a human interest side which
will vie in thrills with any of the
marvellous tales of a Gulliver. a Bar
on Munchausen. or Sherlock
Holmes.
The stories told by newspaper pho
toSraphers are not those which come
from men who have retired from ac-
tive laobrs. The newspaper illustra-
ton IS still too much of a modern
demand to have any seers in the
business. The experiences related
do not, as rule. date back bevond
i've or ten years. They all form a
part of contemporaneous journalism
and he who reads the incidents re-
cited below has very possibly read
the newspaper stories and seen some
of the pictures mentioned without
ever having thought of the work and
skill it took to procure them.
Determined to Score q BEAT"
A short time ago, in a great sea
port. news was received by the
marine editor of morning paper
that an English tramp steamer had
gone ashore on NOcky promontory
eighteen miles up the coast The
intelligence was received at II
o'clock at night. The photographers
had gone for the night, but a phone
message was sent 20 the home OF
one of the men and he received it
when he came in from a dance at
l in the morning. He was instructed
10 report 10 the Office at once. This
he did. and was told to make all
possible haste TO the point where
the steamer was stranded and secure
pictures. There were no cars. so he
and a companion hired teams and
began their long, dreary ride
through binding rain with inter-
mittent showers of sleet.
When they were within three
miles of the place they struck a
steep grade which the tired horses
were unable TO make. After found
The Washington times., 1906-03-25

4" HE era of personal journ-
alism" has been suppressed
ed by a variety of forms
OF newsgathering and ed
itorial expression. but
none has made more rapid strides or
gained firmer hold upon the gener-
al pubic than the so-caIled "pictor-
lal news Today no publication. be
1t newspaper, magazine, novel. or
even Government report. can hope
to gain widespread attention for the
things which the publisher desires
to present to the reading public un-
less the article be illustrated.
The Washington times., 1906-03-25

For these and many other more or
less reasons the position of the cam
era artist. on a wide awake newspa-
per that insists upon n;gn-class pie
torial news of the day. is one which
requires man of composite nature
and wonderful adaptibility 10 con-
ditions. 4 man who is to be relied
upon in emergencies.
The world Of literature has been
regaled with letters Of business
men 10 their sons. with love
letters of musicians. artists. ac-
tors. and liars galore, with the e.
periences OF reporters, advice of ed
The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-08-18
GOVERNMENT COAL LANDS.

If the government finally enters upon
the policy of reserving to itself the
coal and oil lands that are now a part
of the public domain, with view to
developing them only through the
leasing system, it will be necessary
to lease them for agricultural pur-
poses as we'll as for the minerals they
contain. The withdrawal of a wide
area in North Dakota, as reported,
will put check upon the settlement
OF important sections of the Missouri
valley unless some arrangement is
made whereby the lands may be
farmed.
OF course congress will take up this
important question next winter and
proceed upon just and proper line
of policy without regard to influences
based upon the hysteria. The gov
ernment's coal beds should have been
reserved from private entry long ago.
It is not too late even now to put them
beyond the reach of monopoly. Still
there should be no cessation in de-
velopment
The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-08-18
THE DANGER POINT.

The North Dakota farmer who is
not somewhat nervous just now over
the ultimate results of the crop even
before it can be harvested, is indeed
something of stole. 1t becomes a
serious matter in the last few weeks
and even days of the growing season,
as to what the ultimate end will be.
Like all great enterprises the raising
of wheat crop in this country is
something like the realization of a
cherished scheme.
When every thing has been favor
able until the end is almost within the
grasp, hot breath may destroy the
plans and hopes which have been built
around the crops which would be thus
blfghted. The rust may destroy in a
day what has cost months of labor
and care. 1t is no wonder that every
dangerous indication gives rise to for
bodings of danger.
But the same things are true in
every section which to any extent de-
ponds upon agricultural products for
Its revenue. The cotton growers not
only spend sleepless nights over the
boil wevil, but the danger of ruin
alton of the crop from moisture at
the full blossom time, is greater
nerve racking ordeal than the wheat
rust or hot weather to the hard wheat
grower. The Delaware and MARYLAND
peach growers lay awake in the early
spring fearing for the freezing of the
peach buds upon which their income
depends.
But the danger to the wheat when
the scare Is over will be much less
than has been supposed, and the farm
ers of the state, If they succeed iu
realizing honest prices for their crop.
Will be several thousand dollars better
on than they were last year.
The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-08-18
A Meritorious Leader.

Senator Jul LaMoure is the chosen
and acknowledged leader of his party
in Pembina county. The people are
for him and with him and stand by
him, first, last and all the time, under
the old caucus and convention system,
under the primary election system, or
otherwise. Senator LaMoure is one
of the big men in the councils of the
republican Rarty of North Dakota, very
few if any are more influential than
he in the management of the party.
He is leader in the state senate. and
in the history of North Dakota from
pioneer days to the present day he is
a prominent and potent figure, whose
influence is seen in the legislature and
institutions of this vigorous young
commonwealth. His record and that
of his county in favor of prohibition,
primary election and other reform
measures 10 we'll known. LaMoure
stood with the regular republican or
ganization in q general way, during
the recent primary election contest and
in the state convention, and the insur-
gents would have gladly welcomed him
to their ranks If he had seen fit to
cast his lot with them, as they were
in high hopes for some time that he
would do.
The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-08-18

tributary to it that an effort will be
made at once to secure the location of
jobbing houses here covering all the
lines not already established, so that
the business of the northern portion
of the state which as matter of right
belongs to the city. will come to it
rather than go to some outside rival.
Distributing houses have developed
on the same plan as retail houses.
Once the store which carried gen.
eral line of goods was found only in
the more populous centers. Now they
exist at every cross roads. The peo-
pie have developed to the point where
they decline to travel a score of miles
in order to secure small article. The
demand has developed the general
store to its present gigantic proper
tons.
The same conditions apply to the
jobbers. Once the important merchant
made his annual, sometimes semi
annual, trip to the largest cities to
purchase his stock of goods. Now he
expects to secure them within a cou-
pie of days. The distributing centers
have moved up closer to the retailer.
1t will become more so in time.
Grand Forks will become at no
distant day the distributing point for
the entire territory which will be
traversed by the Commercial club
next week. The towns and cities which
will grow up in this country will be
among the most prosperous of the
great bread-producing region. 1t is
no idle assertion to say that this ter
ritory will become at no distant day
the great center Of the agricultural
wealth of the northwest.
The city can, because of its location,
secure the trade at any time it may
see proper to seek it. But it would
be far better to get it in its infancy
and allow it to grow to maturity under
the care and direction of the city itself.
The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-08-18

civilization which separated the settle
ments on the Pacific from those of the
Mississippi valley has been tied to-
gether by the great commercial
modernizer. the railroads. and
country greater than many of the en-
pires which have made the world
tremble because of their prowess. has
been changed from the home of the
savage and the grazing ground of the
buffalo to the homes of Culture and re-
fnement and the fields whose products
feed the world.
Virginia was one hundred and sixty
seven years old when the war for
independence was begun. Yet in that
time she did not have city worthy of
the name II measured by the standard
of today. But in a quarter of the time
there has been carved out Of the
wilderness of the west dozen COM
monwealths any one of which was
greater than the one upon whose soil
the emblem of English civilization
was first planted.
1t Is no wonder that the people who
have beheld this wonderful change as
1t has taken place from year to year
should be astonished at the results.
The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-08-18
BUILDING AN EMPIRE.

One of the remarkable things in the
history of this country was en-
phasized by an old soldier at the G.
A. r. Encampment at Minneapolis this
week, who hearing Of the greateness of
the city, remarked that while he was
in the army he never heard of Min
neapolis.
The remark was based on fact. When
the men who are marching in the thin
ming ranks Of the Grand Army of the
Republic were fighting to save the
nation, the present site of the city
which now contains several hundred
thousand inhabitants, was a mere will
derness. and the country which sur
rounds 1t was on the very frontier,
liable to the attack of the yet blood
thirsty Indian and largely dependent
upon the prowess of the hunter for the
support of the hardy pioneers who had
come into the sseming wilderness.
Two score years have wrought a
wonderful change in the conditions of
the northwest. The great chasm of
The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-08-18
PRICELESS TREASURES.

Among the most treasured possess
sions of the late Charles T. Yerkes was
collection of oriental rugs. says "The
House Beautiful" that is said to be
the finest and most costly in the
world. even exceeding in value and
beauty the collection of the Shah of
Persia or that in the British museum.
These rugs are twenty-three in num-
Der, and are hung upon the walls Of
a gallery that Mr.. Yerkes had built
especially for them. Several years
ago he had the designs copied in their
original colors. and reduced to book
form. The paintings are comprised
in a set Of ten volumes. one of which
was to remain in the Yerkes collec-
ton, and the nine others to be pre-
sented to the most famous museums
of the world. Each rug was copied
separately, and each painting is about
two feet long. Among the rugs is the
Holy Carpet" for which Mr.. Yerkes
paid 100000. Some of the others are
represented as almost priceless treas
nrnS
The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-08-18
THAT LIBEL SUIT.

The Evening Times is of the opinion
that it is now clearly entitled to the
distinction of being classed as full
fedged metropolitan journal by reason
of its having been made the defendant
in suit for civil libel in which the
aggrieved party claims damages to the
tune of $4,000.
Libel suits against newspapers are
highly undesirable adjuncts, to say
the least, but when, as in this instance,
the same is incurred by strict adher-
ence to the truth, without malice and
solely through an effort to present its
readers with the news, no dire results
are apprehended. 1t may be remem-
bered that the alleged libel is founded
upon reports circulated by the hus-
band of the plaintiff, published in part
in this paper, which reflected more or
less severely upon the character of
the defendant; that these reports land
more of similar nature) were true
can, we believe, be readily shown by
certain court records and otherwise.
The Evening Times will not know
1ngly do an injustice to anyone, but
In the regular dispatch of its duties
as purveyor of the news it will shirk
none of the responsibilities appertain-
Ing thereto through fear of being
hailed into court to defend a libel
charge.
In the case above referred to no
difficulty is apprehended in securing a
flood of irrefutable evidence in support
OF the truth of the allegations made;
also in demonstrating that the publi-
cation was made in good faith, with
out malice and for the public good.
1t is opined that in the course of
time impecunious grafters, who may
be given to being overly jealous of
their honor-such as it is-urged on
by constituencies shysters, may find
The Evening Times a rather barren
field in which to exploit their own
peculiar line of work"