Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-08-02

Sending Great Conventions News.
Mrs. G. NJ. Miller In Leslie's Week
": The press, argus-eyed and many
tongued, heralded far and wide the
doings Of the Republican national
convention at Chicago While hun
dreds, aye, even thousands, of edi-
tors were giving this to the public, it
is doubtful IL any one of the mil
lions Of readers throughout the coun-
try gave any thought to the faithful
little band Of workers behind the
scenes Of the convention, who made
all these editions possible. III
Downstairs, PRIV ctically in the eel
lar, the representatives of the two
telegraph companies worked under
the glare Of the electric lights and in
an atmosphere that was at times al
most sitting On one side Of this.
subterranean hot house more than a
hundred men OF the Western Union
sat all during the sessions, with their
fingers on the keys, ready to fash
the news of the convention proceed
ings to all parts of the world. These
men toiled under the direction Of the.
Chicago manager Of the company, Mr..
r. w. Moffit One OF their number,
a veteran operator from Washington,
D. G., died during the convention, the
-. -
intense heat and excitement proving
too great strain for his enfeebled
constitution. The Postal Telegraph
company, with ninety-eight men, ocou-
pied another room in the underground
convention hall. Mr.. Clarence Mac
kay, the president Of the company.
was a frequent visitor to his corps Of
faithful employees, and must have felt
a just pride in the excellent manner
in which they discharged their duty.
The rooms between the telegraph
companies were used by the United
Press, Hearst News Service and the
Associated Press. The latter occu-
pied large room, the door into
which bore a huge sign, Keep Out"
and inside was one equally large,
reading This Door Must Be Kept
Closed" Here the really great work
of the convention was done in the way
of spreading news. The Associated
Press had its own special operators
and direct wire both to- New York
and Washington The table on which
the instruments rested was in the
center of the room, and near by was
tube, which ran from a point near
the speakers table in the convention
hall. A boy was stationed there, and
received the notes of the stenograph-
#ers, which were shot down the tube
every few minutes to the Associated
Press room. The instant the men on
the convention platform sent the
news downstairs, 1t was seized by the
telegraph men nd flashed to the diff.
ferent newspapers throughout the
Warld, to be scanned by anxious thou
sands, who crowded about the bulletin
boards displayed in many cities. News
for the daily papers of Chicago or
near by towns was run OF on the
cyclograph-a curious looking ma.
chine. Special stenographers were
employed by the Associated Press
and speech after speech was taken
down by these men, who read from
their notes to the men at the type
writer's. Altogether, a look into the
sanctum of the Associated Press was
an education in itself. Mr.. Melville
3. Stone. the general manager, was
on the platform In the hall, and in
many instances personally directed
the work Of this wonderfully equipped
news gathering association.
90 at.