The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-04-26


The exclusive engagement, BY the proprietors
of the New York Aeretry, Of the talented
American tourist aud author, Bayard Taylor
| Esq, is among the most brilliant of the many
journalistic enterprises Of this journalistic age
The announcement of this arrangement has
been greeted with farove Of mingled surprise
aud admiration, on the part of the public, and
not only has the literary world been aroused to
decided pitch of excitement, but all other
circles have likewise been brought to the gui
vipe of expectation and interest.
The variety and piquancy of Mr.. Taylor's sd-
ventures-the romantic and interesting scenes
the thrilling incidents-among which his path
has lain, and the fresh, sprishtly, strictly con-
scientious style Of his writings, will render them
peculiarly appropriate to the columns of pa
per that aims to be- and is, at once brilliant and
chaste in tone. The general title, chosen for
these contributions, is STRAY CHAPTERS OF
LIFE AND TRAVEL Va simple but expressive
head, under which, not only the characters and
customs Of other lands will be portrayed, but
the voyager's own personal adventures. yissssi-
tudes, and fortunes, sad and merry, tragic and
comic, also.
The first of these "Chapters," which has
just appeared in the MERCURY for April S0th is
entitled TnE First JOURNEY EVER MADE"
and is all that could possibly be desired, for
fascinating interest, instruction, and amuse-
ment. The author considers the first journey to
hay han, eho a
any, aud he has certainly made glorious bit in
describing it.
The recent engagement of our great Ameri-
can artist. Felix o. c. barley, was master
stroke Of enterprise on the part Of the MERCURY,
and indicated what their second coup d'etat cor
roborates-that the proprietors intend to en-
ploy the very best talent, in order to make the
very best paper. barley is universally ac.
knowledged to be the most talented artist new
living, whose works are engraved upon wood
England has her Gilbert and Leech France
has her Gavarni and CHAM but our own barley
combines the best qualities Of all-the pic
turesqae appreciation Of Glbert-the humor OF
Leech-the mastery effects and rendition OF
character that slgnalize Gavarni-the love Of fun
and satire that have made the Paris Charipari
what it is-al are uLder the control of barley
and when two such instruments as his pencil aud
Bayard Taylor's pen are brought together, to
enrich the columns of a family paper, We may
indeed wonder at the progress of weekly litera-
ture, and the enterprise Of publishers.
The proprietors of the Mercury deserve great
credit Tor having made this acquisition to their
already brilliant corps of contributors, and
although the expense has unquestionally been
enormous there is mol particle of doubt tina,
the reading public will most gladly second their
efforts to give additional ustre and solidity to
home reading
As might naturally be expected, the demand.
for the MERCURY of April soih, containing the
FIRST of Baysrd Tnylor's journeys. is entirely IN
paraleled in newspaper history, and the rush
for it, at all the book stores and news depots
throughout the country, plainly attests the i'm,
mense popularity Of the talented traveller. A
further proof in the came direction, if further
proof were desired may be found in the fact,
that the subscriptions received by Messrs.
Caldwell, South orth and Whitney, the pro-
prietors Of the MERCURY, since the announce.
ment of Bayard Taylor's engagement, amount,
as We are credibly informed, to over Fire Hun |
dred dollars Day, in addition to the enormous
sales of booksellers and news agents!
But this, perhaps, is hardly to be wondered |
at either, when we consider that the New York |
MERCURY is acknowledged to be the largest |
cheapest, and best literary journal in America,
being large quarto sheet, filled with purely |
original matter from first to last, for which I
only two dollars per dnnuna is charged, with as
liberal reduction to clubs as is made by other
papers of half its size and less than half its I
merritt