The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1914-07-29
When He Refused To Take
Big Special.
NE DON'T APPRECIATE VALUE
Of First News Which Told
Of the Frightful Gal.
weston Flood.
WAS sUMMARILY DISCHARGED

In the July American Magazine
Richard Spillanc. newspaper man.
writes fiction story entitled
Through Hurricane and Flood"
which contains thrilling descrip-
ton of the Galveston disaster where
dozens of lives were lost. AT the
end of the story he tells about Spur
geon, a reporter who went through
the catastrophe and after fearful
struggle got to a telephone wire pre-
pared to tell the first great story of
the flood. At the beginning of the
Following extract from the story
Spurgeon is at the wire talking with
the night editor of a great northern
newspaper
% This is Sturgeon from Calves
ton he said. Il am just in. The
city is in ruins. Thousands are
dead. One of the most awful TRACE
dies in the history of the world has
occurred. | have the story as well
as man can have it at this time.
will send the story out of my head
and will keep going as long as you
can take it, or as long as ] can send.
lone minute, said the operator;
the Night Editor is out for break
fast. ! will have to send for him.
''I will start up while you are
sending for him said Sturgeon.
mo said the operator; wait
until he comes in
Five minutes, ten minutes, fif-
teen minutes passed before the
Night Editor returned. Then the
operator said to Sturgeon: He
says the paper has gone to press. BE
ready with a good story tonight.
''Spurgeon was aghast. Then flu
riously he asked. Did you tell him
am just in from Galveston; that the
city is destroyed; that thousands of
people are dead there?'
1.-THE operator said. Yes. | have
told him all that, and he says the
paper is run off now and it is too
late. He will take the story to-
night
"Spurgeon argued, pleaded, rag
ed. He told the operator to tell the
might Editor newspaper had never
gone to press when such story as
this broke He couldn't print
enough papers to satisfy the de-
mand this story would create. 1t
was beat, the beat of the century.
Back came the answer No; it is
ITO have such a story spurned af-
ter all the horrors of that night was
too much for Sturgeon. He began
sending bulletins to newspapers far
and wide. He sent these bulletins
as far east as Boston. as far west as
San Francisco, as far south as New
Orleans. He played no favorites.
He had about thirty minutes sleep.
Then there came pounding on his
door. 1t was a telegram. Then
came more kilograms. and more.
The proprietor of "a great newspaper
in New York telegraphed that he
wanted Surgeons exclusive SER
vices at his own price. Other pa
pers eager to get the details of the
great tragedy begged him to send
stuff.
THE next day he had a thousand
kilograms or more. Among them
was one from the Editor-in-Chief of
his Northern paper, saying he un-
derstood Spurgeon had reached
Houston at 3 a. m. in ample time to
give the story to his paper he had
chosen to hold il for the Associated
Press afternoon papers. The Edi-
tor did not think Spurgeon had
treated the paper fairly and unless
he could explain his conduct salts
factorily. the paper wanted nothing
more from him.
=. "A year or SO ago, Sturgeon met
the great Editor. They chatted for
"a long time. and then. when the
Galveston man was about to go he
said. There's question ! have been
wanting to ask you for many years.
"'Yes, | know said the veteran;
you want to know what ! said to
that Night Editor.
''Spurgeon nodded, There was
wrath in the voice of the old man as
he answered, Il do not know. new
er have been able to recall what
said. but he went out of this Office