Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-25
BILL PRICE DIES
AFTER OPERATION
Former Member of Evening
Star Staff Was Pioneer
White House Reporter.

William W. Price, chief editorial
writer Of the Washington Times and
for many years White House reporter
on the STAFF Of The Evening Star. died
shortly before noon yesterday at Emer-
gency Hospital from an abdominal OBJ
Grafton.
As reporter on The Star In 1895,
Bill" Price, as he was known to a host
OF political friends, was the pioneer
newspaper man in reporting a daily
column Of news direct from the White
House. During nearly 40 years Of news
paper work in Washington, 81 years of
which were spent in covering the White
House for The Star, Mr.. Price became
intimately acquainted with four Presi-
dents, members of their cabinets and
scores OF veteran legislators.
He was stricken with appendicitis
about 10 days ago and underwent an
operation. A second operation was per-
formed Friday, but 1t failed to save
him. Up to the time of his illness he
had worked continuously at the wash
ington Times since 1917. At first he
conducted Heard and Seen" column
and later became chief editorial writer
He would have been IS years old on
November IL.
Intimate Of Taft.
It was with the late President Will
liam Howard Taft that Mr.. Price be-
came most intimate during his DAYS at
the White House. The President ad-
dressed Price as bill" and the news
paper man, who compared in weight
with the President, always called him
Boss" frequently they took walks
together.
Mr.. Price travelled with Presidents
Mckinley. Roosevelt, Taft and Wilson
on their speechmaking trips and COW
cred many Of the most important politi
cal stories Of the day. He also was q
contributor to magazines.
Born III 1857 at Dahlonega, Ga, he
came to washington in 1895, with some
experience as q country newspaper man
and printer. His first work in Wash.
ington was with The Evening Star, with
which paper he served until 1917. Dur
ing the second term Of President Cleve-
land, it was customary for newspaper
men to obtain their news of White
House happenings from politicians at
the Capitol or at the hotels. They
never went to the White House. When
Price was q cub" reporter, the city
editor told him, half in Jest, to run up
to the White House and pick up "some
live news" Price did. 1t was about
the first time such a thing had hap
pened in a routine way.
Scored Many Beats"
Price stood outside the front door of
the White House and button holed"
the politicians and statesmen as they
left from their interviews with the
President. In this way he scored many
beats" President Roosevelt finally
ordered that he be given space for
typewriter just outside the entrance,
and in this way he became the "pio-
neer" White House correspondent. He
stayed on the job all day and prepared
column under the daily heading "At
the White House" Others soon fol-
lowed his example, and from Mr.. Prices
small desk there developed the present
White House press room, regularly as
signed to correspondents.
During his days at the White House
Mr.. Price occasionally corresponded for
the Richmond (Va) Times-Dispatch
and other Southern papers.
Mr.. Price was Mason and Shr1ner.
His funeral will be conducted by the
Temple Noyes Lodge ct O date to be
announced later. For IL years he was
president of the Congress Heights Ctti-
2ens' Association, his home being on a
farm in that community. He was also
q member of the Beaver Dam Golf Club,
country life and golf'' being his hob