Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 77, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 May 1902 — Spoiling a Good Story. [ARTICLE]

Spoiling a Good Story.

Newspapers all over the country have freely retailed a story published originally In Philadelphia and relating how Admiral Dewey, while at Manila, bought up a lot of coal without consulting the. Bureau of Equipment at i Washington; consequently these cablegrams are said to have passed between th 6 admiral In command at Manila and the admiral at the head of the Equipment Bureau: Navy Department, Washington, D. C., to Dewey, Manila: Why did you buy so much coal? BRADFORD, Flagship Olympia, Manila. To Bradford, Chief Bureau Equipment, Washington: To burn. DEWEY. And now Admiral Dewey comes along with a statement ruthlessly denying this little tale, which really ought to be enshrined In the anecdotal literature of the centuries, side by side with thousands of other yarns less entertaining and quite as mythical. With the details of the admiral’s disclaimer and with the corroboration of his chief Afforded, we grieve to say, only too willingly, by Admiral Bradford, we have nothing to do. The. story was recognized from the first as being too good to be true, and being so recognized what was the use of producing documentary evidence In rebuttal? In spite of the two admirals we venture to say that the coal yarn will live as long as the story of the May day fight In the harbor of Manila.—Brooklyn Eagle.