OCR Text |
Show FOOLED A BROTHER EDITOR. How The Chicago Morning Nw Cot It Preen Franchise. Special Correspondence. ' Chicago, May 15. That The Chirago Morning News now enjoys the benefit of an Associated Press franchise is due to: the shrewd work of its former editor, j Mr. Melville B.Stone. In order to . ae-' cure admission it was necessary to obtain ob-tain the written consent of the proprietors pro-prietors of the othqr .papers already members of tho association. Mr. Stone i found pretty smooth sailing at the I offices of the Jnter-Oceau and Staats ' Zeitung, but he struck a snag when ho broached his desire to Mr. .Joseph JUe-dill, JUe-dill, editor-in-chief and principal owner of The Tribune. He argued and pleaded, plead-ed, but all in vain. Finally, Mr. Medill made a small concession. "Tell you what I'll do, Stone," he remarked. re-marked. "Tf you can get Storey .to sign that puper The Tribune will consent to your having a franchise." Mr. Stone went away and Uncle Joe turned to his business manager, who was present, and remarked witkoneof his dry chuckles: "Guess that Battles him, Cowles. If ho goes in The Times building build-ing old Storcv will have him' thrown out." '"" Then Mr. Medill packed his gripsack atkI went to New York at peace with all the world. . , Next day The News hustler invaded the sanctum of Tho Times. lie rushed through the managing editor's room and bolted into Mr. . Storey's private, den without permission or introduction. The otill magnificent looking old lion of western journalism looked, up with a frown. . "Who the devil are you?" he asked. "My name is Stone. I worked for you once." Mr, Storey brightened, and the frown disappeared. He stretched out his hand in welconio and exclaimed: "Why, of course, of course, Leander; I ought to have remembered you. But I was deep in thought, my hoy, deep in thought. What can I do for you?" . I The situation flashed over the visitor's mind in an instant. He had heard , as a rumor that Mr. Storey was failing mentally, men-tally, He now was sure of it, for the old gentleman had mistaken him for a favorite employe of former years named Leander Stone, who had experienced religion, re-ligion, abandoned daily newspaper work and become proprietor of a denominational denomina-tional weekly. The News editor took advantage of the situation and replied: "Well, Mr. Storey, a paper devoted exclusively to church affairs doesn't seein to prosper, and I want to publish a little news also. Now if I can get an Associated Associ-ated Press franchise I will be all right. Mr. Hesing and Mr. Nixon have consented, con-sented, but Mr. Medill will not sign unless un-less you do." "He won't, eh? Give me that paper;" and down went "W. F. Storey" in the bold, peculiar hand so well known to heads of departments on The Times who failed to do their duty and received the "red hot scorings" for which their chief was noted. "There," hesaid, handing hand-ing it back; "now go and make Medill put his name below mine. The old cuss always has to follow me, even in writing his name. Glad you've dropped the gospel line, Leander. Give the people the news, and give it to 'em with ginger in it. , They like it, my boy; they like it." Mr. Stone escaped as quickly as he could. He flew by Managing Editor Snowden like a streak and in two minutes min-utes was heading for The Tribune office. "Where's Mr. Medill?" he asked on entering. en-tering. "Gone to New York," Mr. Cowles replied. re-plied. "Well," was the comment; "you'll do just its well. You heard our conversation conversa-tion yesterday, you know the agreement, and I want- your signature to this document docu-ment as representative of The Tribune company." ... . Mr. Cowles demurred, but in the end consented, and by nightfall Mr. Stone had paid his cash and secured his franchise. fran-chise. ' Meanwhile over at The Times building build-ing Mr. Storey had callod in' Mn Snowden. Snow-den. "I've done something," lie remarked to his chief lieutenant, "that'll make old .Too Medill's heart sore. I've given my consent to Leander Stone's purchase of a press franchise." ' "Do you mean the man who was just here?" "Yes." "That wasn't Leander Stone. That was Mel Stone, of Tho News, who has been abusing you day and night for the last six months." Eye and ear witnesses say that this intelligence in-telligence nearly effected Mr. Storey's permanent euro' ' both mentally and physically. He forgot his lameness, I and pranced about liko a caged wild animal. Ho forgot the slight paralysis of his tongue, and cursed in tho choice; copious and cultured manner man-ner of his prime. He discharged everybody every-body on whom ho chanced to gaze, and threatened to make the elevator boy managing editor. Tho gust passed, and he bowed his head and wept. It was a pitiable spectacle of a strong man in his dotage. Ciuklss Allen. |