What Newspaper Sensations Cost.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXIV, Issue 7496, 20 April 1899, Page 4

What Newspaper Sensations Cost.

Immense soma of money, are often paid for sensational pieces of information which no other paper has got. The editor of the Pall Mall Gazette paid LSOO for the news that Mr Gladstone was about to resign, and the secret was well worth the price For weeks every paper in England and America was constantly referring to the news which the Pall Mall had been first to give to the world, and the circulation of the paper received a tremendous impetus. The Daily News obtained a memorable "exclusive" many years ago for a mere LSO and sundry other trifling expenses. Twentyfive years ago all England was thrilled by the story of the burning of the Cospatrick on the way from England to New Zealand. Three of the crew survived, and the story of how they cast lots which of them should be killed for food forms one of the most horrible tales of the sea ever told. Only one man came back to England—the mate, who kept himself alive by cannibalism—and he was brought home by the steamship Nyanza. Thirty journalists waited for the arrival of the vessel at Plymouth, and it was decided that the best thing to do in the circumstances was to let the mate tell his own story in the presence of all. But the arrangement did not satisfy the Daily News, and Mr Archibald Forbes went down to Plymouth and awaited events at an obscure inn. Chartering a tug. he ordered the skipper to be in readiness at an unfrequented jetty. At last; newa came that the Nyanza had passed the Lizard Light, 25 miles out, and as soon as dusk had fallen over the harbor Mr Forbes set out in the tug to meet the ship. On coming up with the vessel Mr Forbes boldly jumped from the bridge of the tug and caught the mizzen chains of the Nyanza. " Where can I find Macdonald, the mate of the Cospatrick 1 Quick ?" he exclaimed, as he was pulled on deck, and the next minute he was listening to the man's weird story. He gave Macdonald 50 sovereigns down to tell his story to him alone, and when the ship reached Plymouth Mr Forbes handed the man over to a colleague, who took him to London by the next train, engaging the whole of a first-class carriage ! The cnagrin of the 30 waiting journalists may be better imagined than described. " The public have a right to know your story," one of them pleaded; but all they could get from the man was, " They maun read it i' the Daily News. It'll be all there in the morning."

Even if the news in itself is not very sensational, it is worth a great deal to have it exclusively. When the Prince of Wales went to Niagara to see Blondin cross the Falls on a tight rope, the New York Herald monoplised all the wires, so as to get the news exclusively. A heavy sum was paid in wiring unnecessary matter, so as to keep the line engaged; but at the end of two bours the Prince had not arrived. The Herald was wasting dollars by the hundred and the reporters telegraphed to New York asking what they should do to keep the wires.

"Telegraph the Book of Genesis," came back the reply, and this was done at a cost of Ll5O. Still the Prince did not come, and the reporters, afraid to spend so much money again telegraphed to Mr Gordon Bennett, and the word came back with lightning speed, "Go on to Revelations." Fortunately it was not necessary to telegraph the whole Bible, as the Prince arrived, and the Herald gave the news to the public. But the exploit mast have cost considerably over LIOOO. Many years ago a man called on Beveral editors in London at an early hour of the morning, declaring himself to be the sole survivor of a terrible shipwreck, and promising to give full details in return for the payment of a cab fare. His story was regarded as a hoax by most of those to whom he offered it; but the Daily Telegraph investigated it, found it to be true, and came out the next morning with a glowing account of it, running into several columns, And all for a cab fare.

Newspaper booni3 do not always pay in cash down. A London evening paper spent L3OO a week in securing spscial news about the recent war between America and Spain ; bnt the re-.ult did not nearly cover expenses. In the first week the circulation went up to 100,000 extra copies a day, in the second week it fell off heavily, and in the third week the circulation resume-l its normal level. The value of an " exclusive'' is well illustrated by the effect of the news of the fall of Omdurman. This was published simultaneously in all the evening papers, the result being that the gross receipts of .an evening paper which spent LBO on a single telegram were only L4O.