The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1859-04-28


path has lain, and the fresh, Spright!y, strict
ly conscientious style Of his writings, will rem
der them peculiarly appropriate to the columns
of a paper that aims to be, md is, at once
brilliant and chaste in tone. The general title,
chosen for these contributions, is STRAY
CHAPTERS OF LIFE AND TRAvEL"-a simple but
expressive head. under which, not only the
characters and customs of other lands will be
portrayed, but the voyager's own personal ad-
ventures, vicissitudes. and fortunes, sad and
merry, tragic and comic, also.
The first Of fthese = Chapters, which has just
appeared in the MERCURY for April 3oth, is en-
titled " THE FIRsr JOURNEY EVER MADE" and
is all that could possibly be desired, for fas-
cinating interest, instruction, and amusement
The author considers this Grst journey to have
been. perhaps, the most interesting of any, and
he has certainly made glorious hit in de-
scribng it.
The recent engagement Of our great Ameri-
can artist, Felix o. c DarIey, was master
stroke ofenterprise on the part of the NEEcrAY,
and indicated what their second coRp-d etdt
corroborateS--that the ProprietorS intend to
employ the very best talent, in order TO make
the very best paper. Darley IS universally
acknowledged to be the most talented artist
now living, whose works are engraved upon
wood. England has her Gilbert and I.eecll
France has her Gayarpi and Cham, bnt oar
own barley combines the best qualities of
all-the picturesque appreciation of Gilbert
the humor of Lecch-the mastery effects and
rendition of character that signalze Gavarni
the love Of fun and satire that have made
the Paris Cberipari what it is--all are under
the control Of Darey and when two such in
struments as his pencil and Bayard Taylors
pen are brought together, TO enrich the columns
of family paper, we may indeed wonder at
the progress of weekly literature, and the en-
terprise of publishers,
The Proprietoss of the Mererg deserve great
credit for having made thjs acquisition to thejr
already brilliant corps of contributors and al
though the expense has unq@estionally been
enormous, there is not a particle of doubt that
the reading public will most gladly second
their efforts to give additional lustre and soli.s-
ity to home reading.
AS ASmght naturally be expected, the demand
for the MEsscURY of April both, containing ehe
Grst Of Bayard Tnylor's journeys, is entirely
unparalleled in newspaper history, and the
rush feG it, at all the book stores and news
dcpots throughout the country, plainly attestS
the immense popularity of the talented travel
er. a further proof in the same direction, il
further proof we're desired may be found in
the fact, that the. subscriptions received by
Messrs Cauldwell, Southworth. andt Whitney
the proprietors Of the MERCURY, since the an
of Bayard Taylor's engagement,
amount, as we arc credibIy Informed to over
Fire Hundred D)lLdrs Il Day, in addit;Dn.to to the
enormous sales of booksellers aDGncws agents
Bot this, perhaps, is hardly to LIE wondered
at either when We consider that the New York
MEECURY is acknowledged to be the largest
chez pest AM best literary journal in America
being Il large quarto sheet, filed with purely
original matter from first to last, for which
only two dollars per annum is charged, with as
liberal a reduction to clubs Is is made By other
papers of half its size and less than half its
Aerit