Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-02-15
INTERVIEWS: REAL AND IMAGINARY
Cor.r:se1 rom page 10

Secretary" | said to Carlisle, whom | had
known in my newspaper mans capacity Tor
years. 1T would make a mighty nutritious
morsel for my chief if | could hand him this
morning the name OF the new Collector for
New York. Who is it going to be-
He told me out Of hand. He Wen. into
retirement with toothache or something
later in the day, and did not see any OF the
other newspaper men. Cleveland had gone
fishing, so that nothing about the collector
ship was given out at the White House. My
paper had a beat as to the new Collector
for New York, and it had been got bv mere
chance.
nN two occasions. when in Chicago. was
- saved from death by interviews On one
of these occasions had been assigned to do
a Sunday story describing a midnight ride
on an engine rushing out OF Chicago. The
Illinois Central Railroad provided the en-
CINE. | was to start at midnight and take an
artist along with me to make the pictures
On the night | was to do this Job the Sec
rotary of the Treasury, Charles Foster of
Ohio, arrived at the Grand Pacific Hotel, as
l was informed by telephone by one OF the
hotel clerks. This was at eleven o'clock,
and | figured that to save my hotel column
from being scooped | had better run
QOWn 10 The 1TdIlQ racine ana nave Il DlL
OF chat with Secretary Foster.
| did So Foster had some interesting
things to say. When it was time for me to
hustle for the engine | was listening to him
and forgetting the ride on the engine The
night city editor, concluding that had been
lost somewhere in the shuttle. sent another
man in my place to do the midnight ride;
for the engine was waiting in the yard. The
man who was sent in my place was Leonard
Washburne, one OF the earliest of the crack
baseball writers and perhaps the best OF all
OF them, before or since. Fred Henry,
bright Young artist from Louisville, went
along with him.
At five minutes to twelve | remembered
this assignment, and jumped into cab and
tried TO reach the yard in time. But already
the engine was laundering down the tracks.
The engine ran into roundhouSe just few
miles outside of Chicago, and Washburne
and Henry were killed, mangled beyond
recognition.
nN another occasion was assigned to do a
- Sunday story describing "How Chicago
looks from a balloon There was big
captive balloon out at Jackson Park. This
was before the Worlds Fair. l started for
Jackson Park, and on my way there heard
that Bronson Howard, the playwright, was
at one Of the Chicago hotels, and | needed
him for my hotel column. | deviated from
my course found Howard, and had short
chat with him.
Then started for Jackson Park to 60 up
in the captive balloon as per arrangement.
The balloonists hadn't waited for me. |
was two blocks away on the streetcar when
| saw that the captive balloon was already
starting upward on its first ascent. The in
slant after | saw that there was a binding
flash Of lightning, followed by a terrific ex-
plosion The bolt hit the huge captive bal
loon, tearing il to ribbons and killing three
men. | should have been one of the three
had | not gone out of my course to have
bit Of interview with Bronson Howard.
WHAT is LIFE