Evening star., 1915-01-03
Drawing by c. D. Williams
A FTER l got back from Lon
~ don l became a Wall

"a
~ don l became Wall
Street reporter, ,andfound
that the methods had used on a
the other side were quite cf- j ESS
fective in financial dis NI&A
trict When is reporting Il
Wall Street. specializing in -
politics. races, anything else, szE
! ! !" !.
his usefulness depends almost ,
exclusively upon the friends at
court he may acquire Bear in ~ HAfNs
mind the reporter who has been III ~
put through the acid test and H1N \
his loyalty established is of i'm " IT'D
mense value to the friend 4
friends at court as press agent. 4EH
Ask any of the important WASH f$#
ington correspondents whether
they get their information -
through the regularly organized
@open for all" channels, - -
whether they get it from the ~ :
subterranean wires that connect =
with friends at court. The latter,
without giving any direct in Il asss<
formation that may be traced to ~1<ss~
them, will often tip the reporter \
off to what is going The
friend at court is rarely presl-
dent of the company chairman
of the board of directors. He
would best be some director,
preferably who has
of his to grind, who may be at loggerheads
with the policy of the management.
Once very prominent man in the Street, whom l
had assduousy corted for purposes of mutual advan-
tage put me wise immensely important things.
Bear in mind that the immensely important things of
Wall Street are dividend matters.
One of these about Tobacco. This stock
at the time exceedingly speculative, and for reasons
of their the Tobacco people had carefully censored
every bit of information that went from the Office.
They had been in the habit of holding their quarterly
meetings on certain days, and too great reliance
upon this fact had lued most of the reporters into
taxation of vigilance. One day about o'clock,
when the whole Street hanging breathless on To-
bacco news, got phone from my friend S to go at
to the offices of that company then located in
the Constable Building on Fifth avenue He gave me
no hint to what was taking place.
lust as quick as the would take me l got there.
entered the main office of the company and looked
round. All quiet. There wasn't sign of reporter
anywhere. asked the porter anything going
This porter good deal of fool, and in way
l had previously antagonized him.
He shook his head stupidity "No he said, nothing.
Il want to see Mr.. Duke" said 1.
1Hes out of town" said he.
At that moment Mr.. Duke himself emerged from one
office, crossed the hail. and about to another
room when brushed past the porter and accosted him.
Quickly my mind made up. The porter had not
been instructed with secrecy for nothing.
What dividend on the common, Mr.. Dukc?' said
He stopped abruptly, looked at me, then instantly
making up his mind answered, "The regular one"
@And what on the preerred?" | asked.
@The regular also, he answered.
as the meeting just over?" | asked.
In answer he pointed to the door of the room he
had just left. The directors coming l did
not stop to ask when the books would be closed
opened but rushed phone had often preempted
on the floor below. On the way out the porter tried
to hold me up.
what did you get?7 he asked
"None of your blanked business!' said l. go and