Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-01-28
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| D FADING the account of the funeral of Ad-
| " miral Dewey and looking at the pictures OF
It, reminds me that the observations made
IN this Column not many weeks ago on
the obsequies of the late Emperor Francis
Joseph OF Austria we're almost as appli-
cable. For the dead emperor all the an
Client and inherited rites now so meaningless had
to be performed despite the fact that sad duty
could have been just as respectfully discharged
and so much more quickly and comfortably for
the bere3ved mourners by modern automobile
funeral The casket containing the remains Of
Admiral Dewey was likewise taken from the
capital to Arlington, distance OF several miles,
on on. horse-drawn gun carriage, to conform to
military custom and requirements or course,
this has been the regular rule, as everyone who
has witnessed military funerals knows. | ONCE
saw the body Of General William Tecumseh Sher-
man go down Fifth avenue in New York in the
same manner and likewise numerous lesser mill
tary heroes who had passed to the great beyond
But Will we ever break away from our enslave-
ment to past centuries, which seems stronger in
death than at any other turn of the road
see that my story of the great news beat"
scored on the battle Of Manila Bay has evoked
some brief remarks" not questioning its accur-
acy,. but suggesting that The Bee BY its own
careesssness, did not make as good use of the
information in its possession as it might had il
put out an extra earlier in anticipation of com
petitors using the same tip" secured indirectly
through other sources. Be that as it may, it
only illustrates the precarousness OF news "beats"
which finds another striking example in the story
OF the assassination OF President Mckinley The
shooting, let it be recalled, took place about
o'clock n the afternoon in Buffalo, which is an
hour earlier according to Omaha time. The
fash came over the wires just as the regular
afternoon editions of both our papers had gone
to press and as it came by Associated Press It
was delivered to- both newspaper Offices at the
same moment. Orders were given post haste to
make over page and get out an extra and by
accommodating circumstances The Bee extra was
rushed through in record time and scattered
broadcast through, the streets Our local COM
petitors extra did not appear for upwards Of
twenty minutes later and op inquiry this is
what was told had happened: As soon as the
regular edition was started down the street the
stereotyper had filled his metal pot with the
old plates which are regularly melted I'D and used
over and over. It takes some little time to melt
metal and in the interval the metal in the pot
Is chilled so it cannot be used Result Type form
tor the most important extra of the year sent
down to be nodded and cast and everybody stand |
ing around waiting for the metal to heat up sufi-
GENTLY to &c poured.
IN connection with this same event. a well |
known business man told me that he happened
to be leaving the old Board of Trade building
when Some one on the elevator whispered "Mc- |
kinley's been shot" Where did you get that?" |
asked a fellow passenger
oh, i Just came over the wire" was the reply |
Thinking it was some stock-jobbing runor |
that had been trckled pver bucket shop wire, he
paid no further attention to it. but some time |
later stepped into certain cigar store and as
he was buying smoke newsboy thrust his head
through the door crying, Extra, World Herald! |
Mckinley shot!" k.e
Wonder il that's SOP exclaimed another
customer standing in front Of the counter.
'Oh, yes. It's true. quickly replied the young
woman cashier. THE Bees had an extra out for
some time telling all about it"