White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1923-08-12
BABBLING BROOKS
IN THE DESERT

One Vail Pittman said the other
day under solemn oath that there was
nothing funny about Babbling Brooks
and that he wanted it stopped. Since
nobody ever claimed there was any
thing funny about it his denial is SUI
perauous and uncalled for. Yet at
this time we will furnish a little an
ecdote that he thought was quite
funny when he pulled it, for he IL
the hero of it.
He did not pull it Intentionally as
a joke, and since he says this is not
the joke column and wants 1t stop
ped, before it is stopped we will tell
about it, for it would be too late and
the world would lose out on his un-
conscious feat of humor.
1t was back in 1920. Harriet Full
mer was working in the bank and
saving up her money for her forth
coming marriage, She vas one Of
the best society reporters that ever
came to Ely and Vail made haste to
employ her, but she insisted on IS
a column. Coming into the Office he
was cursing and said she had held
him up.
ooh, set 'er solid!" he raved.
what do you mean?" asked
him. "Do you want us to set the
society news solid? Why, thatl cut
it down to 81 a column for what
you've agreed to pay her s. for" I
protested. Every time she earns
500 you'll only pay rer $50. She
is not a printer and doesn't under
stand
81 don't care q -" said Pitt
man. "She has held me up"
He was the boss and his orders
were carried out all the time she re-
manned, which was until she mar
ried, after which he set the society
news loaded. So that was his little
joke on Harriet Fulmer.
Incidentally, I have the files Of the
Hard Times for the period when the
joke was being played.
Speaking of having things stop
ped, it reminds me of a lot of fun
we had in the Klondike. Reporters
on the three Dawson dailies formed
a union, called the Dawson News
Writer'S Union. I had been enc of
them but Just before the union was
organized I had gone into business
for myself as publisher of a weekly
paper at a little town twelve miles
away. Soon a prominent Dawson
man backed me with some thousands
of dollars to buy out one of the
dailies. One of the rules of the un-
ion vas that any employer sending
to the states for a reporter would be
prosecuted criminally under the con-
tract labor law of Canada. I did
not want the two men on the Nugget,
the paper I had bought out, because
people would say that my paper. the
Record, vas the Nugget all over
again, and l wanted to get rid of the
hoodoo. I hired one mar from the
Yukon Sun and picked up Burne Pol
lock, whom the others did not know
was raised in a newspaper office and
knew the game. 1 advanced $25 for
him to join the union. His applica-
ton was rejected on the ground of
incompetency and his permit to work
cancelled the next morning at sun
rise-this is the way the order from
the executive committee was worded.
I refused to dismiss him and APP
pealed to a joint meeting of the
typographical and news writer's I'M
ions and was sustained. Pollock was
allowed sixty days, until the second
regular meeting, to prove his compe-
tency. In that time he proved to be
far and away the best newsgetter and
%all-around reporter in Dawson and
was elected unanimously.
Privately my little grudge was
that having been one of the boys they
were envious because l had risen
above their wage-wcrking class and
they were trying to pull me down.
and I will always believe I had the
right dope.
Several months later q rich gold
discovery was reported from far up
the Pelly river. Casey Moran of the
Yukon Sun was sent to cover It. On
the same steamer, the Wilbur Grim
minis, was Willie Wright, a fine young
Canadian kid who had lived in Sc
attic and could write a news story
He approached me before leaving, ap-
plying to act as my correspondent. I
said Sure thing" and paid him by
the column. At Fort Selkirk he re-
ceived a telegram and Casey was
with him when it was delivered
Casey got worried, wondering who
would send Willie a wire, finally ask
ing him right out. Willie admitted
the message was from me, and oh
how Casey went up in the air. The
boat was about to sail and they went
aboard. Casey grew more and more
excited. Finally he appealed to the
miners on board who were stamped
snr 10 ~--x -4-sIx- NIL I-