Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-09-18

stitution broken, at three-and thirty. de
used to talk good deal OF short lie ana
a merry one. His was a short life, but 1t
was very, very far from merry:
Fitz Hugh-Ludlow, also dead, and also a
contributor to the popular monthly, resem.
| HE'D George Arnold in mind, disposition,
and morality. He likewise was brilliant !;
he likewise threw away his radiant
chances: he likewise went to his grave
early. He killed himself with drugs he
ate hasheesh and opium to excess, and
wrote accounts for the magazines of his ex-
perience and sufferings, their allurements
! and fortunes, accounts most melancholy and
picturesque of what he had endured. He
| had fine Imagination, much scholarship,
thoroughly gentlemanly instincts in many
things, and complete lack of principle in
others. His beautiful, loving wife (now
Mrs. Albert Bierstadt), he cured Of her
love by his open infdelity with common
woman, and refusing to give up his mis-
tress, his wife obtained divorce, and after
ward married the artist | have named.
Ludlow had conquered his appetite for
drugs completely before the end !;
but they had done their work
upon him, and when his friends heard,
ten years ago, that he had died
in Switzerland, they were not surprised,
nor were they panied. The best thing
many men can do is to die.
THE FIRST EDITOR OF "HARPER's"
Was Henry j. Raymond, then but 81, and
comparatively unknown, although he had
lived here some time, and occupied the po-
sition of associate editor of the Courier and
| Enquirer for six or seven years. Editorial
labor on the magazine was not so eXacting
at first that it could not be performed with
other duties. After twelvemonth Ray
mond retired to go upon the Times, which,
founded in 1851, assumed at once an i'm
portant place in metropolitan journalism.
His pay on the monthly was, believe, $40
month-considered at that day munif-
cent price.
Charles Nordof, afterwards on the Euen-
ing Posi-, and now on the Herald, was for
some time semi-editor of Harper's, at least
until A II. Guernsey had been regularly
installed. The latter remained there for
years, being voluminous contributor to its
pages. He must have written about a
hundred papers, many of them on Alaska,
Abyssinia, Armenia, the Barbary States,
Japan, Siberia and Spitzbergen. 1t might
be inferred that he has been great trav-
eler but his articles are made up from
books written on the countries mentioned
the editor having Wis 'ted strange lands with
his pen while sitting in his sanctum in
Franklin Square.
Henry Nj. Alden is the present editor, and
by far the best the monthly has ever had.
1t has improved greatly under his direc-
ton, both in the quality and variety of its
contents. He thoroughly understands
what the public wants, and furnishes it in
the most acceptable shape. An excellent
writer as well as editor, he has made
number of contributions to the magazine,
but seldom appears now in its pages on
account of engrossment by his immediate
function. Such place as his is very diff
cult to fill, but he fills it admirably. He
is evidently the right man in the right
place. Alden is the general editor. Geo.
VIM Curtis does the Editors Easy
Chair, and w. A. Seaver the f" Editors
Drawer" other departments being in the
hands of specialists.
Writers are indebted to Harper's for
first paying for MSS. on acceptance, the
publication, which was unjust to and hard
and want money as soon as they have
earned it. The time of publication in the
majority of cases is uncertain; is often
deferred for a long time, as has been shown
by the Galaxy and asking any one to
wait until then, is very much like with
holding payment from tailor for suit of
clothes until they are worn out. Harper's
is the sole monthly day that makes it a
rule to pay on acceptance. The other
monthlies pay SO when they cannot well
help it; but generally they oblige con-
tributors to tarry for their pleasure. The
Harpers have found the habit beneficial to
themselves as we'll as to their writers. 1t
saves them from deal of annoyance, and
gives them the pick of the literary market.
Alden says that he hardly ever loses Ms.
By staieness that events revolve so regu-
larly that the thing which seemed gone by
last year comes up again this year, and is
disable and desirable. He naturally has
many accepted papers on hand, often from
250 to 800, or enough with the editorial
and routine work to publish the magazine,
without further contributions, for two
years ahead. Since the dull, hard times of
'73, more MSS have been offered than
ever before. There are more persons out
of employment, and men and women OF
culture and capacity had taken to writing
to exc out their diminished income. Not
infrequently Alden will have 600 to 700
MSS, including those accepted, in bis pig
eon-holes so that the task of reading and
deciding on these is prodigious. If candi-
dates for magazine honors knew how many
competitors they have, aud how slender
their chance is, they would not have, many
OF them at least, courage to enter the lists.
DIscoURAGISG TO WRITER'S
The proportion Of manuscripts offered to
the manuscripts accepted is about twelve
to one. The chance of a decline of any
paper on any subject is always good, inin-
itely better indeed than is desirable for the
army of contributors. Writing for the
magazines is very poor business; in
truth, it cannot properly be considered
business, since nobody lives by it. One
may earn $500 or 5000 year by it, though
very few contributors earn so much. /
frequently hear of considerable sums made
by contributing to periodicals, but l know
the stories are not and cannot be
true. Those who appear often in the
monthlies, and have reputation
well deserved, have to depend for
subsistence on other occupation. The man
who should depend on them would come
so near starving as to find himself physi-
cally disqualified for composition. Sup
posing an author could get dozen articles
accepted in year by all the magazines
if he should, he would seem to be monop-
olizing them - he would nos receive
over 81 900 at most; 5000 to 800 would
be nearer the probable figure, and this
would not half support him. Besides, he
could not keep it up. Twelve accepted
papers would last, in all likelihood, three
or four times as many months; and if he
really needed money, he might have to
pledge his clothes at pawnbroker's for
material sustenance Very few Of the best
known and most valued contributors to the
atlantic, Harper's or Scribnsr's get,
l venture to say, $500 per annum for
their contributions. Contributing to the
monthles must be regarded as luxury
it cannot be converted into necessity.
One must have other work or some income
to be able to afford it.
A COMMON ERROR CORRECTED.
a popular notion is that any fresh, well.
written, interesting article can always find