Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-06-14
GEORGE REX GRAHAM.
THE ROMANCE OF A ONCE FAMOUS
PUBLISHER.
kise and Fall OF u Patron Of Genius
Prices Paid Longfciiow, Poo, bryant
and Cooper blind. Helpless
and renniIcss.

i"thNN hl4ilN NNl'fl ull'i lhllh hNtnllt w ~
man who has an exceedingly interesting
history. Forty years ago his name was
literally household word IN every cult
waited home in the United States for it was
attached to n magazine which justly takes
rank aS the pioneer publication Of first class
American periodical literature The man
in question is George Rex Graham, tho
founder Of Graham's Magazine, who was
once also the chief owner Il Tho Phila.
delphia North American newspaper, who
has twice made and lost handsome fortunes.
and who was often the host of men who
have occupie exalted places both at Harris
burg and Washington Blind. helpless,
worn out and suIsiStug on the generosity
of others, TIN old man, now moro than three
score and ten. has for eighteen months past
been waiting in the institution named t.
have operations performed on his cyes for
the removal of cataract.
In the room Of the male nurse. attentively
listening to the latter reading an historical
work, sat Mr. Graham when u reporter of
The Herald callel TO see hIm. lie is now in
the 73i year Of his age, and considering
what ne has passed. through IN recent years,
and his present sai condition. bears himself
with remarkable good nature anl even
cheerfulue,s His hair and whiskers are
n very patrarchal appearance II ono did
not know the contrary he would suppose
that the venerable publisher wns fully pos
SeS,ed # sight, his eyes look so bright and
natural, but he cannot see ANYTHING
Otherwise his health i mo lcrately good.
To request for some facts about his history
he answered Cheeriy: "lf you think ths
public are really interested in ono who
might almost say that he is like him of
whom Sam johnson wrote when he said
'SuperiluouS lags the veteran on the stage
one who is lost to the world--l have no ob.
Jcction TO rehearse the story of my life,
which certainly ha. been eventfuL'
HIS SELF-TOLD STORY.
He proceeded accuriungly, as follows: ~
am a native of Philadolphia, having been
born there in ISIS. Left an orphan when
boy was obliged t. earn my own living |
first learned the trade of cabinet maker,
but next turned my attention to tho law
and studied with Judge Armstrong | sue.
ceeded very we'll and saved "a snug sum Of
money Having devoted my nights t. read.
ing Burke acquired taste Tor literature
and became ambitious 10 own magazine.
| contributed sketches to AtknsOn's Casket,
Il feeble concern. Subsequently, in com.
pany with Charlie, J. Pet, rsOn. of Philadel.
phia who was one of my earliest friends
and fellow students, and who, in these later
years, has been one Of my benefactors, |
purchased from Atkinson his Casket. For n
year Mr.. Peterson and myself ran The
Casket Then he sold out and purchassi
The Gentleman's Magazine from William f.
Burton, the comedian, paying him IS. 800,
or 81 for each subscriber. | massed the
subscribers Of the two publications, and
with n llsf an "a alnnt 4 ~ ~.
Magazine. This was in ISL Eisar Allen
Poe, who hal been editor of The Gentle
mans Magazine, remained with me as edi-
tor of the new venture. | resolved to strike
out boldly from the first and engaged the
best known writers of the day.
ARRAY OF TALENT.
MY list Of con- tlnt contributors included
James Russell Lowell recently our minister
to England; j. T. HeadIy, tho ill-fateI but
highly gifted William Henry Herbert, Bay
ard Taylor, r. I. COnra |, Georg, II. Boxer.
l. T. WhIppie John q. SAKE, William Gull
EN- Bryant, William Devpe, FenImore
Cooper, Mr.. Ann stephens, Louise Cnau-
der, Caroline Chambers, +. l. Cushing
E-telle Levi, and Julia, the very talented
AMI exceedingly LeautIful lady who su, 50
qusntly bcCane the mother 0. Edmund
ClarenC" S'eimau, anI. stilI later tue wife
II the late William Burnet Kinney, the
founder OF The NewarF Daily Advertiser.
The consequence WAS tae imme ilats ami
marvellous success Of tls m4gazln,. Money
and subscriber, rJ.lei in on me with every
mail, until was astOuI,hel myself | en-
gagged the ,ervice- Of John SartaIn, anI pub
lishel handsome eugravIng- | also got the
very latest fashion plates rom Paris and in
serted them. Ihes" took amazingly. In
two year time my subscription list nearly
touched -, 900. / had the neld Of llu,trnteI
magazines alone u my,elf | pai4 for
eyerythiug published. Poor Bavarl Tay-
lori How we'll remember the astoui, hment
on his fine open fac, when / handed him $2j
FOR the two first ppem, he ever wrote
Surely, said he, you are not going 10 ray
me for thrm' Why, this Is tho dr,t money
| ever earnedn
EDGAR ALLAN POE.
What did pay Poet gave him $500 a
year, which III those days wa, con. idered
very literal He was with me as editor for
about eighteen months, AMI for three or
four years | knew him intima' ely. I.itera-
ture with him was a religion, and he. its high
prio>t, with whip Of scorpions scourgei tho
money changers from tue temple In all
else he hal the doci!ity and K ininess Of a
child. Sitting near him for over year,
con family writing near and conversing with
HIM, knew all his hOIss, his fears and little
annoyances OF life, yet he was always the
T. list ed geatIeman, and the quiet uuobtru-
aive, tnuusht!ul scholar, the soul Of honor
IN all his tran actions. This, Of course, was
III his hettsr days. lie wa, the first reviewer
OF his day. He wa, very severe and too
Caustlc, faults which, however, helped the
magazine. Pc u,ed to write from five 70
feven pages every month. One Of hIs serials,
first published in the magazine was the
weird narrative entitled murders in the
Rue Morgue,' which created a great sen,a-
ton in France, Associated with Poe on ths
magazine was Mr.. c. J. Peterson, for
gro sly insulting whom was obliged TO dis.
charge Poe.
LDNGFELLOW AND BRYANT.
"Io F3rmor, Cooper | gave sl 500 for
his 'lslet Of the Gulf Two OF my best in
ve,tment' were LpngfellDw and Bryant
Their writings made subsCriberS for the
magazine by the thousand Mrs Stephen,'
Melinda Gray was also II great card Ex-
cept for the Spanish Student | never paid
Longfelow m re than $50 for n poem, that
being the UNI paid him for The Village
Biarksf1rth, which became 80 popular in
Eng aud that a mass Of Engll,hmen believed
1t was written by an English poet AMI first
published in England. From lSi2 to ISis
my subscription list never ran below 81. .UOy
ana sometimes 1t was as high AS 81, OOU
Men were a'tonished at my success. One
day "A friend came in and said: Graham.
put your hand on that table What forf
| askei. why, because everything you
touch turns 10 gold, was his reply.
sPECULATION-DIs
Il was now on the high tide OF prosperity.
was rich, in fact; had a fine house, horses
carriages, and a loving and amiable wife
but no children. Fond of speculation and