Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-11-09

A WONDERFUL WIDOW.
The Work Of the Lady Who is Now at the Head
one or the Largest Periodical Publishing
Houses in America.

Vhp Vi the ihTEest fefiOulci fubiisHInS
Houses in America.
Yesterday met Mrs. Frank Leslie on
her way to New York, which she visits
from Saratoga for two days each week,
to sign checks and direct the policy and
management Of the thirteen illustrated
periodicals that issue from her immense
establishment. Her position, as hap
pen to know, is by no means a sinecure.
She is q thorough woman of business.
She delegates as little as possible OF
the work to assistants, and makes it
point, summer and winter, to sign all
checks and money orders herself, make
all contracts for supplies, see the proofs
of all articles before they are published
and approve the make-upo of every peri
odical before ii is sent to press. When
in the city she gets to the office by 9
O'Clock and stays there till or o clock
though the establishment is now so well
organized that so much attention can
scarcely be necessary. | suppose the
novelty of being at the head of such
vast business has not yet worn off, and
Mrs. Leslie wishes to prove, what is
now sufficiently obvious, that she is quite
qualified for the difficult and exacting
post.
| knew well Mr.. Leslie, who died so
suddenly two years ago. He was not
only an artist of rare skill and power,
but he was business man Of tremen-
dous energy. | suppose it is known
that his name was not originally Frank
Leslie at all, but Henry Carter. He
was an English boy, and, when his faith
cr sent him into the large dry goods
''shop" of his uncle in London, he stud
led and practiced art on the sly, made
pictures for the Illustrated paper under
the nom de crdgon of Frank Leslie
and finally bolted and came to New
York to pursue his chosen calling. Find
ing that the fame of his adopted name
had preceded him, he adhered to it, and
when it became obvious that nobody
knew Henry Carter, he applied to the
Legislature and had his name changed
to Frank Leslie. OF his struggles
against poverty and opposition for
twenty-five years it is not necessary to
speak now, nor of his assignment in
1878 (l think, after which he became
alienated from his sons. While in the
enjoyment of splendid health he was
told, on New Years Day, 1880, that he
had but ten days more to live. He made
his will, giving, if | remember correctly
all his property to his wife, and enjoin-
ing on her to Ego to the Office, sit in my
place and do my work. y
1T was not 50 easy TO obey when my
husband told me to 60 down and rescue
the business and pay the creditors and
manage the establishment" said Mrs.
Leslie, when congratulated her on her
splendid success. THE whole concern
was in the hands of a receiver. The
creditors were clamorous, and, naturally
they did not want "a woman to have
the management"
But you seem to have justified Mr.
Leslie's confidence in your ability"
1.-The business certainly never was so
successful as now,n she said quietly;
"but, perhaps, it is somewhat to be at
tiibuted to the prosperous times. | have
just footed up the books for this year
my iirst-and am gratilied to find that
the establishment has made, clear profit
| 100000 more than it ever made in
year before, under any management"
Her face glowed with satisfaction as
She spoke. You have not had very
easy time" | said.
mot very. had eight lawsuits the
| first year, and won them all. Mr.. Les
lie 5 sons tried to break the will 1t
would have been a shame if they had
! succeeded, for Mr.. Leslie had disinherit-
ed them for their misconduct and posi-
lively refused to see them during the
last year of his life, and it was only to
CRAFTY me he consented to let one of
them come TO his death-bed with pro-
testations of penitence. Then tie credi-
tors tried to get the whole property and
drive me out | refused to go. They
said they would give me $4,000 and
send me to Europe. / was absolutely
without money, suffering for the very
necessities of life. But | said: mo |
am Frank Leslie's widow, and will carry
out Frank Leslie's instructions to the
letter whatever happens" Under the
composition with the creditors it was
necessary that should immediately pay
800, coo for a release. | had no money.
| knew nobody of whom could borrow
it, In the midst of my pcrblexities, a
lad in the Office, without my knowledge,
called on Mrs. Thomas K Smith, OF
Brooklyn, and laid the case before her.
She was a wealthy and kind-hcarted
lady-a total stranger to me-and the
result was that she gave me, without
security, her check for $50, 900, You
may imagine how surprised and CRATE.
full | was to come into possession of the
property through such means. Thi.
was in May Of last year. | agreed tc
repay the first instalment of S. 900 OF
November /. but the summer was
prosperous one, and last October re
paid the entire sum Of 5000 and in
terest before the first installment wa
due. | was free from debt, and rejoiced
1t was like being snatched from ship
wreck. -
is the name being pirated an,
more?"
mo; that has been finally settled
and, to clinch it, have had my nam,
changed to Frank Leslie by law S,
} my name is no longer Miriam Falin o.
Miriam Leslie or even Mrs. Frank Les
lie, but just Frank Leslie, exactly Xix,
my husbands, and identical with Iii,
trade mark. =
GLOW came the business to take sucl
Sudden strides last Summer9''
Nv ell, III the first place, every MAJ
in the whole establishment felt the relic
OF orr being free once more; they were
all loyal and true, and did their hes
to work. Then poor Garfiefd's dealt
gave us Il tremendous impulse, that last
cd nearly all summer. During the weeE
after tue assassination we published
three tremendous editions, and we sole
$4,000 in Cleveland alone with illustra
lions of the funeral. In the four month.
ending with November 80 last, | pale
out S17,i790S for white paper. | hay,
fourteen artists always ready, and thirt,
engravers one of whom is paid $3.50 Z
, week. Some of the fastest engraving i.
done by subdividing the block into small
pieces aud giving one piece to eacf
man, system which Mr.. Leslie devised
} and by which he often profted."
Mrs. Leslie still wears deep mourn
ing, and has secluded herself from so
ciety since her husband 5 death, scarcely
seeing any one except on business, al
though she possessed brilliant socia
qualities and many friends She wa.
finely educated in girlhood and Travelled
much. and she now speaks and write,
liuently French. Spanish and Italian
2 and, believe. German She has pub
, lished several interesting volumes, ans
! she did regular editorial work before
Mr.. LeSlie'S DEATH SO She is now merel,
continuing on the line of her training
! She is a strikingly handsome, or rather
I diStinoruiS bod -lOokin.r yvnn,ap an or,,i