The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1909-01-20
Telephone First
In Election News
Story of How Returns Were Gath
cred by New News-Gathering
Agency.

With the presi 1ential election two
months past the excitement attend
ing thereon has died away. But
there are stories and anecdotes con-
nected with the campaign that will
not die for many years.
Many of these stories, and per-
haps a majority, have to do with the
getting of returns. Every instru-
ment, every news getting agency and
every being who is directly concerned
in getting results on election day and
night are kept on the qui vive. Press
associations, newspaper correspond
news getting agency make supreme
effort to be first in getting results
before the public. The extent tbs
competition reaches, the lnten5iCy of
the rivalry and the means employed
| to get the results first are hardly
| believeable to one who has not, di-
rectly or indirectly, been a partic-
ipant.
In the presidential election of 1908
this rivalry was unprecedented. The
utmost efforts were put forth and un-
usually large expenditures Of money
were made to score what in news
paper parlance are known as beats
In the late campaign the plum for
the most efficient, feasible and sat
lsfactory way of getting complete and
authentic returns, went to an agen-
cy which a few years ago was con-
sidered impracticable and too ex-
pensive.
This agency was the telephone.
Some years ago the telephone COM
panies gave out their bulletins direct
in the large cities. In the last cleo
ton they gave them to the news
papers, who, in turn, gave them to
the public over the telephone or on
screens. In the large cities extra
stations and lines were installed in
newspaper offices without extra
charge. The completeness and ac-
curacy of the telephone companies
bulletins taken in conjunction with
the smooth manner in which they
handled the extra rush Of business
nave prompted the various newspa-
)ers throughout the country, who en-
joyed the benefit of the service, to
give liberal credit to the telephone
companies.
The Philadelphia Times, a new ev-
ling paper, in expressing its apprec-
lation says: This is the first time
we have received anything without
paying for it since we have been in
business"
The Baltimore World says: "The
(te,ephone) service was perfect and
enabled us to put more complete
extra on the street by eight o'clock
than ever before"
Although the bulletins of the tele-
phone company were first at hand in
nearly every instance, the accuracy
of the reports was not sacrificed to
obtain this result. In so far as pos
sible every bulletin was rigidly cen
sored. Wildcat guesses, prophecies
baesd on heresay, ETC., were elimi-
mated. Consequently the bulletins
had a real value.
Department heads and traffic offic-
lals of the telephone companies are
elated at the highly successful out
come of this rigid test of their sys-
TEN. AS result of the work 1t per-
formed, stacks of letters are care
fully filed in executive offices COM
plimentary to the efficiency Of the
organizations.
Other tests the telephone has been
subjected to would make interesting
reading. For instance. during the
pennant winning games at Detroit last
fall the city was baseball mad. Dur
Ing the last two weeks of the season
the enthusiasm of the fans" was
bubbling over with every game. The
climax was reached on the pennant
winning Tuesday, however. The tel
ephone exchanges were beseiged with
enquiries.
To prepare for the emergency the
telephone companies organized bulle-