News Writing Part 25

=30.=--A telegrapher's signal indicating the end of the message; also put at the end of a story to indicate its completion.

=Tip.=--Secret information about an item of news valuable to a paper.

=Turn Rule.=--A copy-reader's signal to the composing room to turn the black face of the rule, indicating thereby that the story is not yet complete and that more will be inserted at that place.

=U.P.=--Abbreviation for United Press a.s.sociations.

=w.f.=--Abbreviation for _wrong font_; a proof-reader's mark of correction, indicating that a letter from another font has slipped into a word: as, the _u_ in beca_u_se.

EXERCISES

_CHAPTER V_

Most of the following stories held front-page positions on leading metropolitan dailies. Explain their story values:

1. Philadelphia, Oct. 31.--With a record of 314 eggs in 365 days, Lady Eglantine, a white Leghorn pullet, became to-day the champion egg layer of the world. The little hen, which weighs three and a half pounds, completed her year of an egg-laying compet.i.tion at Delaware College, Newark, Del., and beat the previous record of 286 eggs by 28. The pen of five hens of which she was a member also broke the American pen record with 1,211 eggs. The average barnyard fowl produces only 70 eggs in a year.

2. Topeka, Kan., Feb. 2.--While President Wilson was speaking here to-day a pair of new fur-lined gloves was taken from the pocket of his overcoat, which he had hung in an ante-room. It is supposed that somebody wanted a souvenir of his visit to Kansas. Mr. Wilson missed the gloves when he started for his train.

3. Richmond, Va., Feb. 20.--Capt. W. M. Myers, delegate for Richmond in the general a.s.sembly, has introduced an amendment to the anti-nuisance, or "red light," measure, making it unlawful for any woman to wear a skirt the length of which is more than four inches from the ground, a bodice or s.h.i.+rt waist showing more than three inches of neck, or clothes of transparent texture. Delegate Myers said he wished to protect men.

4. Two Rivers, Wis., Feb. 19.--When the Bushey Business College basket-ball team scored the winning point in the last minute of play during their game with the Two Rivers team here last night, Anton Kopetsky was stricken with heart failure. He was taken to the bas.e.m.e.nt of the building, where physicians started to work over him. In the meantime a dance was started in the hall where the game had been played.

An hour later, with the dance on in full swing, Kopetsky died. The dance was stopped and the musicians sent home.

5. Centralia, Pa., Sept. 30.--Forty men are working night and day to rescue Thomas Tosheski, who has been entombed 96 hours in the Continental mine here. Food was given Tosheski in his prison to-day by means of a two-inch gas-pipe, forced through a hole made by a diamond drill.

6. On the north corner of Darling Street and Temple Alley a little old woman, white-haired and shrunken in frame, has guarded all day long a bag of clothes and a feather bed, her only possessions. She was thrown out of her room at 19-1/2 Temple Alley this morning and she has nowhere to go.

7. Harrisburg, Pa., Feb. 20.--Henry Blake of this city has been arrested by State Policeman Curtis A. Davies on charges of burglary. He confessed to a string of thefts covering months in the fas.h.i.+onable suburban districts of the state capital. In Blake's pocket was found a much used Bible. Circled with red ink was the quotation: "Seek and ye shall find."

8. New York, Feb. 19.--The sale of Peter the Great, 2:07-1/4, by W. E.

D. Stokes of this city to Stoughton J. Fletcher, an Indianapolis banker, sets a new record for old horses. Not in any country, at any period, it is believed, has a horse of any breed brought so high a price at so great an age. Peter the Great is 21 years old and Stokes received $50,000 for him.

9. Boston, August 31.--Another world eating record is claimed by Charles W. Glidden, of Lawrence, who sat down at a local restaurant yesterday and devoured fifty-eight ears of corn in an hour and fifty-five minutes.

The previous record is claimed by Ose Dugan, of New York, who ate fifty-one ears. Mr. Glidden is ready to meet all comers. He keeps in condition by eating sparingly of prunes, ice cream, and oranges.

10. Grand Rapids, Wis., Feb. 21.--Two miles north of the city a large grey fox fought for its life this morning, and lost. Conrad Wittman shot and wounded him a mile south of Hunter's Point. The fox was trailed by the dogs past Regele's creamery, when the trail came abruptly to an end.

A search was begun, and a short time afterward the fox was found in a tree, dead. He had leaped to the lower branches as the dogs were overtaking him, and died from the gun-shot wound after reaching safety.

11. New York, Feb. 28.--After all negotiations, counter negotiations, champagne suppers, and "rus.h.i.+ng," it seems that Charlie Chaplin with his justly celebrated walk and his frequently featured kick will hereafter be exclusively shown on Mutual films. Such announcement was made quietly but definitely yesterday. The contracts, it is a.s.serted, were signed Sat.u.r.day. They provide for a bonus of $100,000 to Chaplin, with or without his mustache; $10,000 a week salary, and a percentage in the business. The money is to be paid to-morrow. Chaplin is to have a special company organized for him by the Mutual, and his brother, Syd Chaplin, also an agile figure in motion pictures, is to be a member of it. What price was paid for the brother is not stated. The Mutual Company already has applied for an insurance of $250,000 on the new star.

12. Greencastle, Ind., Feb. 22.--Fifty De Pauw University students have been suspended for the present week because they violated the college rule against dancing. The students attended a ball given three weeks ago during the midyear recess.

13. St. Joseph, Mo., Oct. 16.--Until the other day a horse belonging to Elias Chute, 80 years old, of No. 2404 Faraon Street, had not been outside of a little barn in the rear of 1626 Frederick Avenue for more than a year. Through most of one winter, spring, summer, fall, and part of another winter the faithful old animal had stood tied in his stall.

His hoofs had grown over his shoes and everything about him showed he had been neglected in everything but food and water.

_CHAPTER VIII_

_A._ Explain the faults in the organization of the following stories:

_WILSON SPEAKS TO DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION_

Was.h.i.+ngton, Oct. 11.--The Daughters of the American Revolution applauded what they regarded as a gallant compliment to his fiancee uttered by President Wilson in his speech on national unity at Continental Hall this afternoon.

In that part of his speech in which he served notice that he purposes to administer the discipline of public disapproval to hyphenated Americans, the President remarked:

"I know of no body of persons comparable to a body of ladies for creating an atmosphere of opinion."

Immediately afterward he said smilingly:

"I have myself in part yielded to the influence of that atmosphere."

The official White House stenographer inserted a comma in his transcript of the President's speech at the foregoing utterance, but the members of the D. A. R. thought the President had come to a chivalrous period. They looked over the President's shoulders to one of the boxes where sat his fiancee, Mrs. Norman Galt, with her mother, Mrs. Bolling, and they applauded tumultuously.

Several seconds elapsed before the President, whose face had flushed, could wedge in: "for it took me a long time to observe how I was going to vote in New Jersey."

The President's hearers just would not believe that he had had the suffrage issue in mind when he began his sentence, and Mrs.

Galt herself blushed in recognition of the applause.

Mrs. Galt, with her mother and Miss Helen Woodrow Bones, had been taken to Continental Hall in one of the White House automobiles. The President walked over, accompanied by his military aid, Col. Harte, and the secret-service men. Before he left the White House he had stood for several minutes leaning over the side of the automobile having a tete-a-tete with Mrs.

Galt.

Curious persons pa.s.sing through the White House grounds thought it a very interesting sight to observe the President of the United States standing with one foot on the step of an automobile talking with a member of the fair s.e.x. They got the impression from the animated character of the conversation that Mrs. Galt was disappointed because the President was not going to accompany her to Continental Hall, and that she was trying to persuade him to abandon his plan of walking over.

Society people are as much interested as ever in the plans of the couple, but little has been learned definitely as yet. No disclosure was made to-day of the date of the wedding, and similar secrecy has been maintained as to their honeymoon plans.

It is known that the Misses Smith of New Orleans, relatives of the President, are urging that the honeymoon be enjoyed at Pa.s.s Christian, Miss., where Mr. Wilson and his family spent the Christmas holidays two years ago. It is believed the President will not choose a place as far distant as Pa.s.s Christian. His friends predict that if he takes any trip at all it will be on the yacht Mayflower.

Congratulations of the United States Supreme Court on his engagement were extended to the President this morning when the Justices called formally to pay their respects on the occasion of the convening of the court for the fall sittings. The Justices were received in the Blue Room. They were in their judicial robes and all members were present except Justice Lamar, whose illness prevented.

President Wilson's impetuosity as a prospective bridegroom is keeping the secret service on the jump nearly all the time. More frequently than he ever has done in the past, the President leaves the White House unattended and without giving warning to his bodyguard.

He did this yesterday when he started for Mrs. Galt's residence, where he was to be a dinner guest, and again this morning when he walked down town to purchase a new travelling bag. The purchase resulted in renewed speculation whether or not the date for the wedding is imminent.

_LEO FRANK WORSE TO-DAY_

Milledgeville, Ga., July 19.--Physicians who examined Leo M.

Frank in the state prison early to-day said his condition was much worse. The jagged cut in his throat, received at the hands of a fellow prisoner, William Green, Sat.u.r.day night, was swollen and his temperature was 102 2-5.

Physicians have succeeded in stopping the flow of blood from a jagged wound made with a butcher knife by William Green, also serving a life term for murder. The blow was struck as Frank slept in his bunk.

An investigation of the attack probably will be made by the Georgia prison commission.

Frank's temperature was as low as 101 Monday noon, but ran up to 102 2-5 Monday night. The wound is an ugly, jagged one.