The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-11-08
Immense Throng Got Election Results
From the Screen In Front Of
Gate City Office
Last Night.
MANY TELEPHONE CALLS
Newspaper Was Well Prepared to
Give keokuk Citizens Informa-
ton About the
Election.

tne election returns as they were
flashed upon The Gate City's screen
in front Of The Gate City office last
night. The service provided for those
interested in the election was COM
plete in every respect and was great
ly appreciated. The immense crowd
that gathered for the returns. reached
firm one side Of the street to the 9TH
er and stretched back as far as Blcn-
deau street. Some remained at their
post until the last report had been
flashed, while others came and went,
but at all times there was q dense
throng present.
The Gate City had the situation so
we'll in hand last night that It was
able to not only show bulletins on the
stereopticon screen, but to post on
bulletin board every line received
over the United Press Leased wire,
answer every telephone call concern
ing the election that came into the
office and furnish bulletin service to
the Grand theatre and other places.
Great preparations were necessary
to carry out this difficult task of re-
ceiying, assimilating and posting the
news as it was received. But so well
had everything been prepared that
there was not a hitch anywhere.
The thousands upon thousands of
words that came over the United
Press leased wire, direct into The
Gate City office, were taken down by
Operator o. o. Tracy. Two carbon
copies went to the news desk to be
sent to the composing room to be set
up for the extra published this
morning, second went to the tele-
phone desk and the third was used in
preparing the bulletins that were
shown upon the stereopticon screen.
Later the copy sent to the telephone
desk was posted on the bulletin board
outside.
To prepare the bulletins for the
stereopticon machine, it was neces-
sary to transcribe the messages re-
ceived on a special gelatine paper. A
synopsis of the news received on the
wire was copied on this paper and
rushed to the man operating the ma
chine. That the messages might be
flashed on the screen as soon as pos
sible, a temporary bridge was con-
structed from a window in The Gate
City office to the Grand theatre Of
fee and as soon as the gelatine
copies had been prepared, boy
rushed them over to the machine.
which was operated from the Grand
office.
The first messages were thrown on
the screen at o'clock At 1880 the
election Of Charles Evans Hughes as
president Of the United States was
forecasted. The crowd did not ap-
pear to be very enthusiastic. An
nouncements of both democratic and
republican victories elected little re-
Spouse. although there were a few
spasmodic bursts of applause. Later
when the bulletins were shown in the
Grand, they were greeted with ap-
plause and cheers.
It Is estimated that several thous-
and persons viewed the election re-
suits from The Gate City's screen at
some time or another during the
evening and night, and every inquiry
for news concerning the election was
promptly answered.
While the news report was being
received over the wire, The Gate City
editorial rooms were closed to visi
tors. The doors were bolted and the
curtains drawn that there might be
no interference with the work OF
handling the returns with dispatch.
At 1880 o'clock no more bulletins
were thrown on the screen, but all
news received after that hour was
given to the city in The Gate Cfty's
extra.
Over fifteen thousand words were
received over the United Press wire
last night.
From midnight on, reports began
coming from the city and county pre-
cincts. The Gate City had a repre-
sentative in every precinct, both in
the city and out and as soon as the
tallying Of the votes had been COM
pleted, the results were either sent
in or te1ephoned to this office. AS
each precinct was heard from, the
results were copied on the chart for
use in the paper this evening.
The projecting machine from which
The Gate City's returns were flashed
was furnished by the Grand theatre,
as was also the operator. The ma
chine was on a platform in the win
dow of the Grand office.