The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1908-10-01

was pulled off in Texas about
20 miles from a railroad station
in the fall of 1895-unless may |
be mistaken in the date-and at that
time l was the publisher of New
York daily newspaper established by |
Richard Croker which made speciality |
of politics and sports. TIE sporting
department was the best in the world
headed by Francis Trevelyan-and
the pay roll on that end was nearly
$4,000 90 week, several times larger
than the amount expended weekly for
similar news by any dozen leading dai-
lies in the country. At that time the
United Press was the foremost news
gathering service in the country, but
like the other New York dailes we re-
died upon our own special experts for
quick and accurate news reports of
great events-and so we dispatched
one OF our very best and most reliable
sporting authorities to the scene of the
mill with instructions to get the news
thru in the most expeditions manner.
The day of the fight arrived and the
whole country apparently had its eyes
ON the scrap. New York goes wild on
prize6ghts because they are barred in
the metropolis and what people cannot
have at home they will 60 long ways
to obtain. The next best thing to see-
&c hn of u
scription of it. 1t seems to tinele the
cOrpuscles of the red blood of the aver
age American. Nearly all of the New
York dailies had special men on the
scene and of course we knew it.. Max
ang a specially of sporting events on
both sides of the Atlantic it was up to
aus to get the news to the public first
and after considerable cOgitatiOn, agi-
tation and deliberation we called a
conference of the heads of the various
branches of the sporting department
and the concensus of opinion Was that
Fitz would put Maher to sleep in q
punch.
The fight was to be pulled off al
p. M, IL o'clock noon, New York
time. Allowing the usual one hours
delay, in getting started, two hours ir
covering the twenty miles and one
hour for getting the stuff thru on thu
wires, it would be 3 o'clock in New
York before the news could possibly
be had. Allowing another half hou
or so for getting out the edition w
figured that four O'clock would b.
about the psychological moment TO
running out all extra.
The preliminary stuff had all bee'
written and set in type as slime copy
the records of the fighters, the trip t
Texas, the betting and the general hog
wash that goes with an event of tha
character, together with pictures of tn
pugs. Physiological measurement
and all that sort of stuff was i'm plac
ready for the insertion of the fins
chapter.
The sporting editor in charge of TIL
particular news matter after grea
deal of deIiberatiOn said he was vii
aug to risk his reputation on the TO
towing grapevine telegram:
"Fitzsimmons knocks Maher out i
one round with a terrific lefthan
punch on the solar plexus," or words
that effect.
He showed me the grapevine and
said, "all right, let 'er CO." And in
went.
I ordered an initial edition Of 2OO(
copies run off at about p. m. Vel
soon we received orders from new
companies and others for 10000 add
tional copies. The news dealers an
newsboys came from all directions an
soon another edition of $4,000 copi'
was exhausted. Brooklyn and Ne
Jersey soon ate up nearly 5000 mo-
copies and no extras out up to5 p. I
by the other New York dailies. Copi
of the paper sold like hot cakes al
commanded fancy prices. The reput
tion of the paper was such on spor.iI
events that no one questioned the a
thenticity of the news.
said to our grapevine sporting ma
.if this thing turns out to be fake