Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-07-24
EARLY MAGAZINE WRITER
Some ofthe Older Contributors to Ameri-
can Periodicals.

Some
can Periodicals.
A recent contributor to the independent
calls to mind the fact that the old contri-
butors to the magazines are fast giving
place to younger writer's Many have sto-
len from the ranks unnoticed some have
retired with fame and competence 9th
ers have sacrificed careers full of birh
promise to reckless living Since
days when Putnam's Magazine was the
leading PERIODICAL and Harper's had Just
begun its existence, the magazines have
been developing tale of personal history
full of interest and instruction. In the
dusty volumes of various magazines
alone may be found the forgotten work of
many choice spirit, whose friends will
ever wonder what mischance or luckless
fate could have made his perfect failure
possible.
OF the earlier writer's for Putnam's Hen
ry r. Tuckerman was the best known and
the most prolific From the days of the
old Democratic RcrjCU down to the time
of the first volumes of Scribner's he car
ried on in the University Building, New
York, a sort of literary manufactory
Though for thirty years he turned out a
large variety of salable matter and
though very popular in his day. recollec-
ton of his productions has faded rapidly
since his death, fourteen years ago.
Herman Melville and Richard b. Kim
ball we're writers of widely read serial stO-
ries during the years just preceding the
war. Thirty years ago Mr. Melville seem
ed to be destined to take his place among
the chosen few ; his sea tales are better
than those written by any other Ameri-
/ can, not excepting Cooper In England
| they have retained some of their old popu-
larty in spite of Clark Russell and others,
! who have taken to torecastle stories. But
he finally grew weary of writing, took
! office u
! balls most successful work was patterned
after Bulwer's later productiOns-full of
mysteries, philosophical speculation and
show of learning. "A Story of Today"
| i'll which he turns his attention to realism,
ended his career rs Il popular author and
helped to sink the second series of Put
MANS. AT that time FitZ-Jalhes O'Brien
and Fitz- Hugh Ludlow were younger
writer's rapidly gaining attention. Then
there were frequent contributions by
Frederick 5. Cozzens, Or. John w. Pal
mer, w. ID. O'Connor, George Arnold,
Maunsell b. Field Caroline Cheseboro'
Mrs. Kirkland, Alice b. Haven and Rob
ert Tones. Calvin W. Philler won quick
recognition but he died Young, leaving
the leading serial story in the first number
of the atlantic incomplete. O'Brirl' ;
best work went to Harper >, from which ii
mas been brought to n-ht ny his friend
Mr.. Winter in Il volume OF poems and ~tu-
RES. LudloWs work has not recclN ed
such kindly attention. except from him
self, when he published volume. Lit
tie Brother, and Other Stories, "A Brace
OF Boys, " "ThroWn Together" Pairing
Off, ~ and "Ihe Cruise Ga the DcacOns
are full of humOr and character sucn H.
magazines rarely obtain; they are bright
and graceful, full of invention and skill
full in construction. He began literary
life fresh from Union college. He found
a ready market for his work, and his
friends anticipated much for his future.
But his life was destined to be one OF the
most melancholy and tragic recorded in
the tale of the magazines; he soon became
a slave to the opium habit. He died in
1870 of the poison, having drunk, it is be-
lieved, a barrel of pure laudanum in the
fifteen years of his literary life.
George Arnold's poetry went regularly
to Harper's and travelled the rounds of the
papers from month to month. Charles
Dawson Shandy was from the north of
Ireland He had drlfted around the world,
gathering curious information and eXpe-
rience. "A night i'll the Sewers of Paris, ~
his most noticeable paper, was published
in the Atlantic. n. &. Shepard wrote
1.-The Roll Call" and other stirring poems
during the war. He died of delirum ire
mems in 1868, after IA reckless career. n.
5. Dodge, it is believed derived
"A larger income from his writings than
any other periodical writer of his day.
j. Ross Browne got quickly rich as a
stenographer i'll the primitive California
law courts next he took pictures,
then he rambled through the territories
with his box of colors and portfolio. All
of his adventures We're made interesting
features of his literary productions. Al
terward he made tine grand tour of Eu
rope which he described with pen and
pencil Finally he dropped magazine
work to cultivate grapes i'll California,
Coloner Thorpe achieved success in &
small way by his papers on the bee hunt
ers /; f.. q. Squier ruined his health during
. his travels in South America; Benson j
Losing, w. G. Prime, David II. Strothel
C'Porte Crayon'D, Charles Nordhotf, Ed
mund kirke," Charles q. Leland, Juniu'
Henri Brown, Albert Rhodes and DR., Al
fred ii. Guernsey also did valuable service
and many of them still write.
Ralph Keller was an entertaining write
who attracted attention for a brief period
His "Three Years rs Il Negro Minstrel,
, "The Tour of Europe on SlSl Currency
and "The Confessions of Il Patent Medi
cine Man, We're excellent and notable
> magazine articles. In 1874 he sailed from
New York to describe the Cuban insul
1 recton for II daily newspaper, and wa
: never heard from again. 1t is believe
f that he was murdered before the vesse
rauphnI bnr dos estimation