Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-11-14
OUR MAGAZINES.

Manuscript Mnrket-Interestins Gossip.
New York Cor Chicago Tribune.
Twenty years ago our monthlles were
in no wise creditable, being tawdry, |
hinnsy, cheap, a mixture of frontier au- |
thorship, diluted sentiment, and weak |
imitation. Those were the days when
Graha,n's, Peterson's and Godeys Lady's
Book purported to represent the talent
and the taste of the writing and reading
community. They were once found at
all the booksellers on every private
ibrary-table and, strange enough,
were thought to have merit. They were
born of Philadelphia, and, saving. Ora
HAMS, still exist,-even flourish in a
mildly-inane way. Their reputation,
however, is extinct, except among
schoolgirls and rustic milliners, who
enjoy the feeble pages as children enjoy
molasses and water.
The one magazine in this city and
country deserving of esteem was the
Knickerbocker. 1t had merit equal to its
fame, and, though we SHOULD not regard
it highly now, its literary qualities and
tone were in advance of its time.
Begun in 1882, by Charles Fenno Hof-
man, who subsequently became insane,
and is still, think, an inmate of
lunatic asylum, it passed into the hands
of the Rev. Timothy Flint, and, soon
after, into those of Louis Gaylord Clark,
almost forgotten now, though still sur
viving in one of the dreary departments
of the Custom House.
Another monthly, deceased, revived,
and dead again, which merited better
81 d. II, e%o of
its existence, 1t was remarkably able
Parke Goodwin, George William Curtis,
and Charles F. Briggs being its editors,
and many of the very best writers of
the day among its contributors. Com
menced in 1852, the magazine virtually
expired in Sc, and, some twelve years
after, reappeared, only to continue, in
feebler life than it had formerly known,
until 1870.
The oldest of the established and
prosperous monthlies is Harper's, now
in its twenty-third year, and, for that
reason, perhaps called New by its pub
fishers. 1t was hazardous experiment
after the failure of so many magazines
that had set out with much promise
and high expectations but the capital,
facilities, and connections of Harper &
Brothers were so ample that they had
faith in its success. Their confidence
was justified. The monthly paid almost
from the start, and its circulation has
steadily increased, until it is at present
nearly 100000, giving it not far from
100000 readers.
Henry J. Raymond was its first editor,
and continued to be for some years after
founding the New York Times. The
early issues were largely made up of
selections from English sources, and the
illustrations altogether inferior to what
they have since become The improve
ment in literary and artistic tone has
long been recognized as the model of a
popular magazine. Of lats years its
contributions have been either original
or from the advauce-sheets of British
authors while its illustrations have
been carefully, correctly, and conscien-
tiously made by a corps of artists and
engravers connected with the house.
The Harpers expend $50, 900 or $50 900
year in procuring literary and artistic
matter for their monthly, and usually
have on hand some $4,000 worth of
manuscripts and illustrations. They
pay for these on acceptance, being the
first house in the country which estab-
lished this rule,-the only just one to
authors and artists. The rate generally
allowed to writers is $40 per page $1,000
words), though it is sometimes more,
and not infrequently less; while for
drawings the figure varies from $40 to
500, according to subject and quality.
The regular artists are engaged at week
ly salaries, and few sketches from out
siders can, from the nature of the cir
cumstances, be furnished to the maya
zine.
The number of manuscripts accepted
and awaiting publication averages, in
dependent of serials, about 200-enough
to support the magazine for nearly two
years in advance. The proportion o.
accepted to rejected manuscripts, as
have learned by careful inquiry, is az
one to thirteen, which certainly is moi
encouraging to novices in ink, or tt
those ambitious of earning fame anc
fortune by their pen. The articles re
ceived average from 25 to 80 day
generally about $50 per week-fron
every part of the country, and from diff
ferent cities of Europe.
One person is actively employed il
merely taking charge of the manuscripts
ofered-entering them, with title, name
of author, date of receipt, return, Oh
acceptance, in volume kept for the
purpose, and corresponding with the
numerous approved and rejected con
tributors. One has only to run over th'
pages of this volume to be convinced o
the uncertainty and precariousness o
the literary profession.
Harper's is the sole monthly in thu
Republic, except the Overland, that doe
not print names of authors with thei
articles. Some names it prints, ano
others-the great majority, indeed
oniits; TIE publishers exercising tn,
right to follow their inclination in thi
regard. aE
The Atlantic, nearly fifteen years olc
now, stands at the head of Inonthlies il
respect to pure literature and the stand
ing of its contributors.
The circulation of the magazine i