, 1884-05-04
HER ENTERPRISE.
Mrs Frank Leslie's Success in Busi-
ness Undertakings
What the Youthful widow OF the
of a Great Periodical
Publishing House Has
Accomplished


Washington Chronicle.
Mrs. Frank Leslie is more widely known
than many of that galaxy of brilliant
women in America, famed for talent and
ability, whose names are household words
where poetry and history are handmaids of
civilization and progress. She is the youth
full widow Of Mr.. Frank Leslie, founder of
the great periodical publishing house in New
York that bears his name.
Mrs. Leslie's maiden name was Miriam
Florence Follin, of southern birth. and one OF
the few from her sunny cline having all the
independence, courage, and indomitable per-
sistence of the energetic woman of New Eng
land. She made her first appearance in
print when but 10 years old, became subse-
quently a frequent contributor to all the
leading magazines, Travelled extensively,
and published several interesting vol
umes giving the results of her jour
neyings. She mastered one foreign Ian
guage after another, until, at 20 years
of age, she could speak and write four other
tongues with as much facility as English.
She possessed, besides, the editorial instinct
in "A very high degree, and from the date of
her marriage to Mr.. Leslie she became his
most valued adviser and most efficient coad-
jutor in all matters affecting the makeup OF
his many publications She assumed at once
the editorship of The Lady's Magazine, and
maintained II general and careful supervision
over the contents OF all the other periodicals.
To rare literary ability Mrs. Leslie added
unusual business capacity, and her husband
soon found her advice no less valuable re-
gaTding the mechanical and business depart
ments of his establishment than concerning
the lstter-press Of his publications.
Her late husband, Woo was, perhaps, thirty
ears her senior, had 50 much faith in her
snpacity that he requested in his last will
and testamout-his dying ~wish-that
she should step into his SHOES and assume
all his obligations and duties when he should
AVE passed from life. She felt the great
responsibility, but fenrlessiy accepted it, and
was confronted with financial obligations
and perplexities that would have appalled,
most experienced and robust business men.
She was fortunate in having good friends to
lend a helping hand, one of whom, Mrs.
Thomas X. Smith. of Brooklyn. advanced
her S50,01 to enable her to pay the debts
burdening the property left by Frank Leslie.
OF course there were plenty of people ready
to tell Mrs. Smith that she had made a fool
of herself and would never see her money
again, and she confessed That sometimes they
made her u little nervous. But the result
FULLY justified her faith. The agreement
with Mrs. Leslie called for the repayment of
the loan In i~nstullments, the first of 81, 900 to
fall due ON the Is of November following
the loan. On tho lyth OF October, before the
first payment could be called for. the last
penny of the entire amount had been paid to
Mrs Smith out OF the profits Of the business
during the previous five months, and Mrs.
Leslie was free from debt,
Toe much credit can not be bestowed upon
Mrs. Leslie. The lady-like, yet firm and
positive, manner in which she met every
obstacle with nothing to sustain her courage
but the knowledge that she was doing right
and the memory of the one who trusted her,
and whose dying wishes she was endeavoriug
to sustain and protect, met the admiration of
the public, who do her honor for it as well.
1t was Frank Leslie's last request that his
wife should have her name changed to his
own, and, by an order issued in the court of
common pleas by Judge Van Brunt in June,
1881, Miriam Florence Leslie became Frank
Leslie.
She is a thorough woman of business.
Every morning she is found in her office by q
o'clock, and there she remains until 3 or even
$3.50 in the afternoon. She signs all checks
and money orders, makes all contracts for
supplies Of every sort, looks over proofs Of
all articles before thcy are published, and APP
proves the makeup of every periodical be-
fore 1t is sent to press. She is the head of the
whole establishment.
- Grastor, h,rrdin~ ~ 1ba -
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distance from the postOtfice, and near the
business center of New York. The size and
extent of this business may be judged
400 .hn III ri 80
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no., Ea infor,aJ grnra ,ha sizo ~ ~ lii g.,
- oon,rnnditv fnr short Dor;oS In tU.
"I.tp- NJ I..,3s - ~ I - 80 aa
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