Thousands of Copies of The Notes Sold Saturday Night and Yesterday
CROWDS BESIEGE OFFICE
For the first time in its history of more than 36 years The Notes issued, yesterday, a Sunday edition. This was made necessary because of the incessant demand for news concerning the disaster. Recognizing its duty to meet this demand and to give an accurate account of the disaster which overwhelmed the community, and without a thought of making money, the paper was issued at 3:30. Many false reports were circulating in the streets about a number of the injured having died since midnight Saturday, and these seemed to make necessary a public statement of fact.
It always costs much more money to print an extra edition at night and on Sunday than is made out of it, but doctors and lawyers owe a certain duty to the public, at times, even though they know they shall receive no reward. The same is true of newspapers; it is their duty to publish the news, truthfully and promptly.
About 5000 papers were printed and sold from midnight Saturday to last evening. The press facilities of The Notes were inadequate to meet the demand, and some orders could not be filled. One order alone was for 900 copies.
As the hour announced for putting out the afternoon extra approached, the people began assembling in the vicinity of the office. Jefferson avenue near Pike street was practically blocked. People active in church work telephoned as to what time the paper would be issued. Inquiries came from Houston and the surrounding country.
The crowd from the street got into the press room at the time the edition went to press, and so packed were the quarters that the employees of The Notes could hardly work. Never before has there been such a demand for any newspaper in Canonsburg. The papers could not be printed and handed out fast enough. For three hours the press was kept running, and so anxious were the people for the news that the boys handling the papers could not get more than a few yards from the office before their supply of 25 copies would be sold out. Telephone calls from the residence sections followed one another for hours, asking that boys with papers be sent to this or that part of town.
Old “Sixty-Three,” The Notes’ telephone, had a strenuous time Saturday night and yesterday, and one person was kept busy answering the calls. Nearby towns and cities called up to know if any person from that particular place was among the killed or injured.
The people appreciated The Notes’ reports greatly, scores of people have complimented the paper on its extra editions. “They were splendid, “ was the general expression.