The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-04-19
HIAGAZINE-MAkERs.

The Editors of the Century, HaFper's and
Other Periodicals,
Boston Courier.
As the editor and one of the founders of
Puck, Mr.. Bunner ought to know what he is
talking about. He tells US that each successive
rival which has been started to his paper has
resulted in net increase of Puck's circulation.
This is certainly a very delightful state of
things, and this seeming paradox he accounts
for by the fact that each well edited publication
educates moro readers and thus enlarges the
field. This would certainly seem to be true in
the case of the establishment of Scribner's Mag
azine, for, though it is the formidable rival Of
Harpe1's Magazine, the latter gained a fresh
prosperity by the new competition At
the same time how many magazines
have entered the field only to lose great
sums of money and to die. Appletons journal,
which o. b. Bunce edited for example. was
pushed vigorously while there was any life in it.
Everybody knows the fate of Putnams Monthly
and the large amount of money which Mr..
George William Curtis, its editor, sank in try
ing to make it go. Potters Monthly was anoth-
er attempt. Lppncotts Magazine is almost the
only one still in the ring, and its proprietor is
wont to say, even now, that it costs him each
year about what would keep first class yacht
going. The Manhattan is the only magazine
which is contesting the place with Harpers at
present, and Mr.. FOrman is making desperate
efforts to push it into the public attention, but
he labors under many difficulties The mot
i've power of the Manhattan is sup
of the firm of Arnold Constable & Co.. the dry
goods merchants, and he is himself one of the
chief contributors ] question very much if
even the extraordinary amount of money which
is being expended can ever bring the periodical
into position likely to affect the two older mag
azines The impression seems somehow to have
gone abroad that Mr.. George William Curtis is
the editor of Harpers Monthly, since it is well
known that Mr. Curtis writes the Easy Chair"
This is perhaps, not unnatural, but with this
task Mr.. Curtiss connection with The monthly
ends The etS4ar is Mr.. Henry M. Alden, a man
who shuns society, Singularly unaffected and
modest in his manner, he has always
managed to keep himself in the back
ground. His sanctum in Franklin Square is
an odd contrast to Mr. elders gorgeous Office in
the Century rooms on Union Square. Mr.. Glider
is protected from the manuscript people by an
associate editor Mr.. R. NJ johnson; an assistant
editor, Mr.. O. G. Buell. and another assistant
Mr.. William Carey. Mr.. Alden so far as l have
been able to discover after having had not a lit
tie business with him, is quite unprotected from
the casual visitor. He manages himself the ed
torial work of the magazine, even to the reading
of all the manuscripts submitted, herculean
task in itself He inhabits, when in his Office a
little uncarpeted box, say seven by twelve feet
and here, month by month, Harper is put to-
gether and sent out in the world. Another box
of this same size, few feet away, is occupied
by Mr.. Conant who is the editor of Harper's
Weekly, with Mr.. Curtis as political editor,