Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, March 15, 1903, Page 35

k2 On the Gentle Art Of Interviewing RESIDENT ROOSEVELT is never intetviewed ' “for publication.” No president is. But in the days when he was civil service commissiopner, po- lice commissioner, lieutenant-colonel of the Rough Riders, governor of the state he was born in, and so on, he was generally very approachable by the reporter, always providing he wasn't too busy. A reporter who went to see him one day at police headquarters in New York had a rather curioue experience. Mr. Roose- velt was out when the reporter's card was sent in. It was nearly an hour before the commisioner returned. By that time a gcore or more of persons were waiting. Then a stir at the door made them all sit up and take notice, and Roosevelt rushed through the ante-room like a dark-brown streak to the door of his office, scattering his visitors right and left, and shutting the door behind him with a slam. The reporter was the first caller and entitled to precedence, but he preferred to wait, and it was nearly another hour before he had his audience. The future president was cordial in his greeting, and, after looking at his watch, said he could give twenty minutes to the interview, but made it understood in short order that he was a professional writer as well as a public man. ““The subject you suggest is an important and interesting one,”” said the commis« sioner, with his characteristic smile, “‘but I haven't time to think it all out now. Besides, I may want to write about it my- self. What else have you in mind?"” Fortunately for him, the reporter had other ‘‘talkable’’ topics to suggest, but his spirits fell as he called them off in succes- sion, fer the first half dozen' all appealed to Mr. Roosevelt as too good to be epoiled by being interviewed about them. Finally, though, a suitable subject was agreed upon and an hour, instead of twenty minutes, was given up to the interview. Russel Sage has nover been a hard man to interview when he wanted to let the public know what he thinks about some- thing, but otherwise you might as well seek information from a stone. In fact, Mr. Sage will not be seen at all in such an instance, and it is useless to {ry ta con- vince the clerk who pokes his head out of the little barr¢d window in the thin partition that sbuts in the capita'ist's of- fice. Sometimes Mr. Sage has b-en known to invite an interview by cauzing the in- sertion of a little five or ten line item in the newspapers. On one‘occasion such an 1tem was printed saying that Sage was about to lend his backing to a man who had had a spectacular, but not wholly successful ca- reer in the world of ra’lrcad fiuance. The statement seemed so prep.sterous though, that the reporters were not sent to Sage's office. A correspondent of an out-of-town paper, however, short of materia! for his daily dispatches, went to Mr, Sage's of- fice, and, showing the little item to the clerk at the window, was edmitted with- out ceremony. Mr. Sage seemed pleared, and the correspondent got a creditable “scoop’ on all the New York papers. Sage didn't verify the item cxplicitly, bat what he said amounted to the same thing. ‘““The man menticned in the item,” said Mr. 8age, “is one of the brightest men now before the public, and I have learned more from him than from almcst any cne I ever met."” By the time he had finished, the corre- spondent had material focr a column and a half dispatch, the accuracy of which was questioned at first by th» New Yock papers, but afterward confirmed with all the dig- nity of display type. The result was that the “man mentioned” was able to get on to his feet again—for a while. Mr. Sage has always been more than willing to talk about his horses, of which he is very fond, and more than one re- porter, anxious to get his views on a cur- rent finanecial topic, has gained admittance to his private office by asking for some information about these pets. He is al- ways ready aleo to talk of the methods by which success in life may be attained, and when he does his talk is always optimis- tie. He thinks the struggling young man of today has just as good a chance to win as the young man who started out early in the last century, and is full of arzcdotes and incidents to prove that he is right. It is not of record, though, that any in- genious reporter ever got Mr. Sage to talk on something he didn't intend to by questioning him about either horses or success in life, Of all the men big cnough to be in- terviewed, Roscoe Conkling was one of the easiest. Proud and haughty in his bearing to most men of his own class, he was generally accessible to newspaper writers, and sometimes he would take a reporter into his confidence in a way that was startling. But it was another thing to get permission to print what hoy man with the hyperion curl had sald. As one young reporter to whom Mr. Conkling had devoted a long two hours of the most interesting talk, which threw much illumination on currenat political matters, rose to leave the office with his note book safely buttoned In his inside pocket, Conkling smiled and said: “let me look at your notes a moment, my boy."” The book was produced, when Conkling stuck it carefully in a pigeon hole. “l didn't tell_you all this to have it printed,”” he said, “for that would never do, but because 1 like you and because I thought it would be a good thing for you to know the inside of some things. Know- ing what you do now, you will understand better how to treat certain topics youw are assigned to ‘cover.' ' The reporter had to submit and the in- formation that had been given was of much use to him afterward, as Conkling said it might be. Another reporter who didn't know Mr. Conkling, but, had been assigned to inters view him, asked a political follower of the great man for an introduction. The poli- tician acquiesced, and the two were pres- ently in ‘“the presence.’”” Then a curious thing occurred. The politician, it appeared, was not only a follower of Mr. Conkling, but he stood in such personal awe of the leader that he war able to say hardly a word beyond the barest .commonplaces, much less to introduce the reporter. After about five minutes of talk on the weather, the politician terminated the interview for the time being, with a “Well, good day, Mr. Conkling,” and the two went away. Later, however, the reporter's wits hav- ing returned to him, he went back to Conk- link and got the interview he wes after. Naturally the reporter or correspondent personally known to a public man as re- liable and capable rarely has any trouble in getting to sce the public man, or in finding out anything that is proper to print. And naturaily public men generally often tell reporters and correspondents many things that they do not want printed, exactly as Conkling enlightened the young reporter mentioned above. But it is not surprising that public men are a little shy of straugers. Just after the present speaker of the house was made syre of his election to hi§ post, a newspaper man was sent from New York to get some facts about a subject then exciting general tttention. The cor- respondent was unknown to Colonel Hen- derson, and, being sure that he would hesi- tate to talk to a stranger, took along sev- eral gtrong letters of introduction. The colonel was found in the rotunda of the hotel in Dubugue, which has been his home for many ycars when he is not in Washington. To him the correspondent presented the letters, which Henderson read through with great care before responding. Then he returned all the letters except one. “I don't mind those letters,” he said, “they mean nothing to me. But this one is from a man 1 can't well refuse. I wish I had him here. He ought to be kicked. But you come upstairs with me and I'll talk, providing you don’t =ay in your ar- ticle that you got your information from me."” 80, fiming over the action of his friend who had made it virtually inpussible to refuse to be interviewed, the colonel led the way to hig rooms and there, pufiing away at their cigars, the speaker-elxct and the corespondent talked cut fully the topic which the latter had traveled 1,300 miles to investigate. Like the president, the speaker of the house s rarely interviewed, so far 2s the public knows, and Henderson was just then 80 nearly a speaker that the correspondent iully understood his reasons for not being quoted. The late Abram S. Hewitt varied in his treatment of interviewers, and newspaper men who knew him tell many anecdotes of their meetings with him. One reporter who went, a stranger, to ask him a lot of ques- tions on certain municipal matters, found him sitting alene in his little office. “l don’t know vou,” said Mr. Hewitt, briskly, not to say sharply, “‘and I don't know how correctly you will print what I may say, but I'm willing to talk with you if you won’t hring cut your note book. Note books always make me nervous. No, I don’'t want to see your copy alier it's writ- ten, Nobody'll believe it if you make me say ridiculous things, and, of course, you'll never come to me again if you don't report me accurately.” Then he talked rapidly and fully while the reporter listened, without taking a note, and wondering the while whether he would be able to remember all that was said well enough to write it out afterward, Apparently he did, for Mr. Hewitt was interviewed repeatedly after that by the reporter and he never complained that the reports printed were inaccurate. Phonograph Clock The kaiser recelved from the Geneva in- ventor a phonograph clock that reminds him of business engagements and other in- tended stunts. If, for instance, he wants to drive to the chancellor at 11 a. m. next day, he informs the phonograph clock, moves the hand to 10:30 and at that min- ute, exactly, the phonograph shouts: ‘‘See here, your majesty, it's about tyme to or- der the carriage for Buelow's.” While This photograph shows again how Omaba's industries are pregressing right along. weeks—a remarkably short time. dustries. These two boilers, which are the largest bollers ever comstructed between the Mississippi and the Pacific coast, were made by the Omaha Boller Works (of which concern John R. Lowrey {8 the head). The length of each of these enor- mous boflers is 16 feet 6 inches, the diameter of shell 10 feet 6 inches, and the total weight 64,000 pounds, and were built and completed in the short space of 10 The boilers were built for the Storz Brewing Co. of this city, who had these made to replace two of their smaller boilers, which were found not large enough for their steadily increasing business. credit of Storz Brewing Co. that they patronize home industry in placing thelr order with a home concern, and shows plainly that our city and state is well able to compete in any line of industry—a reason that everybody should patronize heme in- It is to the . William breakfasts, the clock tells him half a dozen things he must not forget, and if the eggs are bad, or the cutless burned, he steps up to the cleck and tells the phonograph that ‘‘ecok will get ha walking papers unless——."" Cook must report to the clocck imme- distely after meals and hear what his majesty thought of the food s2t b forre him, The kaiser thinks the phonograph clock a wonderful success and tas ordered half a dozen for the different nalaces. Bachelor’s Reflections A miser can't bear to think even of the money his’ coffin will cost. A man who can't think up a new way once a week to make a woman believe he loves her just as much as the day he marricd her is a failure ag a husband, It makes a thoughtful man feel pretiy bad to think tbat if he had all th> money he has spent for drinks in Fkiz life he could afford to smoke imported cigars. A man is so appreciative cf his virtues that when he is economizing and buys a two-for-a-quarter cigar instead of a fif- teen-cent straight, he regards himsclf as a hero. It's the man who kicks like blazes against his wife paying $2 a month more to get a good mald that calls anybody pretty mean who doesn't tip the waiter where h: gets his lunch a quarter a day.—New York Press. . His Busy Date Adam was naming the animals, The pterodactyl slippeé into the line and came forward again. “Here!” exclaimed Adam, “didn’t I name you once?"” . “Yes, sir,”” answered the ptercdactyl, *1 merely wished to ask you how to pro- nounce my name.’ “Go look in the dictionary,’ replied Adam, “I'm busy enough telling the Smiths, Smithes and Smythes how to spell their pames without being bothered by you.''— Judge. Michigan Wrestling Bear While blazing a trail to a homestead in Elm river dietrict, Houghton county, Mich- igan, Charles Buchanan and Elmer Demary encountered a bear. The meeting nearly ended fatally for Demary. He bhad no weapon, so he fled, with the bear close at his heels for a quarter of a mile. The brute caught him at the bottom of & hill and was about to devour him when Bu- chanan 2nswering Demary's shouts, ran up and belabored the bear with an ax. The bear left his victim unconsclous, with a broken arm and a severely laceratea shoul- der. Buchanan, after furnishing his com- panion medical aid, overtook the bear amd shot him with a rifle. “Balkan Question”’ (Countinued From Fourth Page.) risor of Turks and sings little songs care- fully calculated to embitter even the most stolid souls. The care-free spirit of the Macedonian is beautifully expressed by his simple moethod of inciting the Turks to commit atrocities, in order to attract the attention of the outside world. This charming little bit of scate craft is not rare. It explains many things—among others why a Mace- donian brigand may be expected to keep his word if he promises a captured traveler that his ear shall be cut off if ransom is not ready at a certain time. A person who is ready at all hours of the day or night to provoke the Turk into massacreing his friends, 18 not likely to hesitate unduly about a stranger's ear. Everybody lives in the past. The Balkans were the portals into Kurope of all the strange tribes of early time. The traces of the Dacians, the Marcomanni, the Quad., the Goths, the Huns, all are to be fouad in survival in tbe Balkans, It is as It all those irrupting tribes and races had left their flotsam and jetsam there, to re- main unchanged in those undelectable mountains. Their songs are songs of the Czar Sir.eon and the Czar Boris and the C.ar Dushan, who ruled more than 1,000 years ago, when there was no such a thing as a czar in Russia Throughout the Balkans today the fave orite dance is the kolo, which is nothing more or less than the ancient Roman dance of Horo, without a change. Bagpipers go around evervwhere and everywhere the inhabitants are prone to drop their work suddenly and dance and sing as if every one cf those queer villeges were a stage village and all the peasants were ballet. The land has been described by one trav- eler as a land that still lives in the days of the Troubadours. The Montenegrin, if he is truly patriotie, still wears his little reé¢ fez with a black band. It has been worn by Montenegrins for more than six centuries in memory of the killing by the Turks of the last of the great Serb Czars in 1880, The loyal Monte- negrin declares that the cap shall he worn until a terrible revenge has been wreaked on tkhe Turk. The Bosnian is another old one. Al- though the Hungarian railroads beat at his door with goods, he still ploughs with v a wooded plough. His ox-cart is made of wood alone, without a bit of metal in it. The harness of his horses is of rope. The little Bosnlan horse is still the leading means of transport. Instead of a saddle, a wooden thing that looks like a table upside down, istied to the beast with ropes and the load is tied to the lable legs with simple disregard of beauty or the finer feelings of the horse. Building a Bridge (Continued From Fifth Page.) the draw spans. They will be capable of ralsing the ends and turning the spans 90 dégrees in two and one-half minutes under ordinary conditions. The motors are to be placed in little operating houses above the roadway and directly over the pivot piers, in what are known as the “towers’ of the bridge. Ball bearings will be used throughout, and the mechanism is of the most apyroved and efficient pattern for the transmiseion of power and the gafe manipulation of the draws. P HOW MANY HANDS “do you suppose" dip into that bulk coffee before you buy it? mu in okulod. air- t ckages; no chanup:or handling, or dirt or things to get in, *Clean, Fresh and Fragraal