South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-07-28
GATHERING
THE NEWS
By Fred c. Kelly
BY FRED c. KELLY.

w ASf1lN6lONs July Go.-JOHh L d.
Gavit, managing editor of the New
York Evening Post. and one Of the
really able journalists of the country
only it would make him mad to
call him a journalist-has for a great
many years had funny aptitude for
humping Unexpectedly into naked
facts
Let us hasten 10 explain. Just by
way of .citing one instance, when
Gavit was a young reporter he dug
up a perfectly lovely murder story
one afternoon shortly before time for
his paper TO go to press. No other
paper would have the story and Gavit
yearned to give the facts to a wait
ing world. But he was five miles
from his Office and he didn't know
how far from a telephone. He
thought of a way to reach the near
est phone. Starting with the tele-
phone poles at the nearest highway
he followed the lines until he came
to an offshOot and then he traced
wire until il went into what appear
ed to be an empty house. In the
hope that there might be telephone
Instrument within, Gavit forced mis-
way into the front door and did find
phone. 1t was in the days when
you cranked the instrument to call
central That rang your own bell.
In this instance, the bell aroused a
woman who was in an upstairs bath
room-for the upstairs was Occu-
pied and the house was not empty as
Gavit thought She took the ringing
to be a call from downstairs. Being
alone in the house, as she supposed,
she did not take time to fix up much,
but came directly from the tub.
When she saw a stranger standing
at the phone she screamed, but was
so startled that for a second or two
she stood spellbsund. unable to
move. Then. yelling eXcitedly, she
raced back upstairs and locked her
self in the bathroom. Gavit could
hear the lock snap. While all this
was happening, however, GaVit had
to go ahead calmly telling his story
to his office, for he had not a minute
TO spare. AS rapidly as possible
after getting through with his office
he fastened out of the house. won
house breaking. The thing that
saved him, perhaps. was that the wO-
man may have had computations
about telling the story in court. A
distressing feature of the whole at
fair was the fact that Gavit knew
who she was. And she knew who
he was Moreover. Gavit knew that
she knew that he knew that she
knew that he knew.
At any rate. the incident recalls a
thing that happened when Alton b.
Parker was nominated for the presl-
dency. The news of his nomination
was carried TO Parker by Gavit. He.
along with number of other CORE
spondents went TO Europe TO be on
hand when Parker was nominated
as they had learned he would be
and hear what ne had to say about
running for president
Now. Parker was, and ] believe
still is, a great hand TO go in swim
ming every morning before break
fast-the season permitting. When
Gavit and the rest of the newspaper
fellers heard that Parker was nOmi-
mated it was about 8 so in the morn
ing and there was a fog thick
nary jimmy Parker was down at
the river having his usual early
morning romp in the water. While
the others waited up at the house for
the nominee TO return. GaVit enter
prisingly trudged on down the hill to
the dock.
I
self was nowhere in sight. Gavit
couldn't help thinking what an in
teresting story he would have If the
Judge were drowning right then
Making a hasty review of his United
States political history. he could not
recall offhand single instance of
presidential candidate drowning at
the very time OF being nominated.
Ten minutes went by and still no
Parker. Gavit began really 10 Won
der il Parker had drowned He be-
gan 10 frame up the wording of a
bulletin to the Associated Press. Just
then Parker spoiled the story by
coming TO the surface. all pink and
exhilirated He had been swimming
up the river a short distance. GaVit
stepped up. introduced himself and
said
We'll. judge. you're it
What do you mean?
You're nominated.
At that iuncture Parker went
! through business Of well-feigned sur
/ prise-though Gavit thinks he had
\ his famoVs gold telegram already
written. Still pink all over. from his
swim. the judge stood there staring
at Gavit AS If 10 relieve his en-
/ barrassment he thoughtfully lifted
| up one foot and with his great toe
scratched 9 small mosquito bite on
\ his other ankle Then he walked
over 10 where his yellow macintosh
was hanging TO a post put il on. and
I walked with Gavit slowly up the hill.
And that was the way that Alton
] heard he was nominated.
Copyright, 1914, by Fred G. kelly.)