The Press., 1914-10-07
Reporting a
 Hurricane
By F. A. MlTcHEL.

There ls town ln Florida that some years ago was the scene of a rivalry between two newspapers. Tho Held was barely large enough for one jour. it ever since Joe Baxter established 1t during tho last century. When Bnx. ter died his son, Captain Joe, Jr., car. ried it on. Hut tho captain had buen in the Confederate army during the war between the stNtea and received wound that had crippled hlm for life, The girl he had left behind him. how. ever. was true to him and married him in N hospital after the surrender.
 Joe was fitted to perform the indoor work connected with n newspaper, but was not able to do much getting about gathering news. Mrs. Joe did Il good deal of that, and, having many friends, she was kept well posted on the social news, which is important to any news paper She and Joe managed to keep the wolf from the door till Philip Stringer came from New Orleans, look. ed the place over aud determined that there might be room enough for two papers.
 The truth Is that the place was be- ginning to All up with northern visitors during the winter. and the mOrovpe0- pie the more chance for n newspaper. But the special inducement wRs khnt Joe's physical handicap kept him from getting about to gather in the news. and Stringer calculated to get ahead of him In this respect every time. Be sides. Springer, having been connected with d New Orleans paper. believed he knew better how to cater to city peo- pie than did Baxter.
 So the Gazette was established and, being the more contemplating of the two papers, got most of the new subscrb- CTS and advertisers, the old residents standing by the Chronicle. But the new was more valuable than the old, and the former was constantly eating into the latter till it looked as if the Baxters would soon have to discontin- ue their paper
 One morning Molly Baxter, after hay ing cleaned up the breakfast dishes and sent the children to school, reported at the office to find Joe very gloomy.
 ''The weather bureau reports hur- ricane coming up from the West h. dies and says that 1t will probably reach our coast today. If it should be here I ought to go to the coast and write a description of it. But can feel the storm in my wound now, and 1t takes all the starch out of me. Stringer will be there and will write it up with all the grandiloquence of which he is capable" --5<
 You stay where you are. know how bad weather affects you. I'll do what work is to be done here between now and II o'clock, go home and get the dinner ready for you and the chil dren. and will take the o'clock train for the coast"
 As the afternoon train neared it's ter minal on the coast on passing between two hills it was struck by gust of wind that lifted it clear off the track. Molly Baxter was on it and consider when he was wounded in Pickett's charge at Gettysburg. got up and went on till he was driven back With4 the rest by murderous fire. and. pulling herself together she forced her way against what wind there was on the lee side of hill facing the ocean to the top and found herself in the corner of q stone wall. where she was perfect ly protected and with her eyes just oI 0F %ba E that have ever visited the Atlantic coast. She did not have writing materials with her, for she would not have been able to use them, but she had a fine memory and stacked it with numerous details. She saw the waves envelop the town below. its shrieking citizens climb the hills. one ship riding at an chor buried by huge pillow and then. lifted over dock and landed up among the houses. These and many more things as terrible she saw and cram med them all down in the storehouse of her memory.
 When she had got enough the problem was to get back home with it. About dusk the wind went down inland enough to admit of a vehicle not be- ing blown over. and, hiring a farmer to take her in his wagon, she reached the Chronicle office about Il o'clock, where she found her husband anxiously wait ing for her. Assured of her safety, he gave her copy paper and pencil and prepared to set up what she wrote. At o'clock the next morning she had finished her description and helped him set up the last column.
 When the Chronicle and the Gazette came out those who read the Chroni- cle account remarked. What a big storm that was!" Those who read the Gazette said. That storm has given Stringer chance to spread himself" A correspondent of a northern paper who had not seen the storm. but saw Molly Baxter's account of it. telegraph ed it verbatim to his paper. A mes- sage came back:
 ''Who wrote that description of the hurricane?"
 The reply stated that it was written by Mrs. Baxter. wife of the owner of the - Chronicle. +.
 The next mail brought Molly Baxter nn offer of $3.OOO year as special correspondent for a northern newspa- per to cover such places as would in terest the northern public. She accept cd 1t. but she and Joe kept the Chroni- rIe. for MoIly's storm work turned the Hde against Springer. and he sold out 10 them for N song.