The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-01
A WOMAN OF BUSINESS.
Mrs. Frank Leslie and Her Many Publications
She Is too Busy to Get Married.

II
She Is too Busy to Get Married.
| Cincinnati Enquirer.
The very handsomest and most fascinating
| newspaper man. in America to-day is Mrs.
! Frank Leslie, of New York, known to every
reader in the land through the various Frank
Leslie publications. This statement is made, not
after the usual manner of the business depart
| ment of paper at so much per line, agate
measure, but because an Enquirer reporter who
called on Mrs. Leslie at the Burnet House, last
evening, knows whereof he speaks, and speaks
| as if by affidavit She arrived in the city from
| the South at o'clock last night, en-
| route to New York, and win re-
main here until Saturday morning to
visit her niece, the wife of Mr.. A. F. Wrenn, the
paper man, and the only relative Mrs. Leslie has
| in the world
| The Enquirer man sent up his card about 9
| o'clock, and it was responded to promptly by an
| invitation to come up" Knocking modestly, as
| is tho reportoral custom, pleasant voice said,
| Come in" and he went in, and was met by the
! lady herself, who shook hands and smiled him
/ 10 chair. 1t was not necessary TO state the Oh
| ject of his visit; Miss Leslie has been in the
newspaper business too long for that, and she
comprehended the situation, and put the young
man at his ease at once by her gracious manners
! and SAVIOR faire.
After the usual inquiries Of courtesy and con-
yentionality the reporter asked the lady if she
were only stopping to rest for day in Cincin
natl or intended to remain longer.
WELL she said Il am one of the few women
| whose health is always good, and who never
know what it is to have headache or. a back
| ache; bat two weeks ago was threatened with
! pneumonia, and the physician told me had bet
| ter go away from New York for rest. l told
| him did not see how l could leave my business.
| Then my people in the Office came TO me and told
lose me altogether / finally concluded to 60,
| but left them only enough money to last tor two
| weeks, so could not stay longer if wished. l
| went direct to New Orleans, my birth
| place. and there, what with numberless
| friends and the great exposition was just kept
| in whirl, and did not have a moments rest.
From New Orleans we went to Atlanta, as l
| very much desired to see that city which had
| sprung up in day. The people were all very
| kind to me, and / do believe that l saw every
woman in the place"
| Mrs. Leslie stopped to answer question
| asked by her niece and then resumed the con-
| versation, naturally turning it upon her own
business affairs: She alluded briefly to the con-
dtion of the business when she first took charge
| of it, and then proceeded to speak Of the alto
| gether phenomenal success which had attended
her efforts as publisher not, as she might we'll
have done. taking any credit to herself for her
prosperity but rather attributing it to the uni
versal kindness manifested toward her by the
press of the entire country. She continued
Il feel deeply grateful to every newspaper
| man in this country. Had | been man no
doubt would have aroused bitter enmities but
| have never met with any but the kindest pos
sible treatment. You know what severe strug
gle l had Everything was disorganized, and
my inheritance was a load of debt Yet, would
you believe it, in the first year cleared 500. 600!
You know it was phenomenal year, that of
| 1880 just after / had assumed control the
shooting of President Garfield occurred which
deplorable event, as you are aware, opened up
tremendous field for illustrated newspapers.
The shooting occurred Saturday morning.
about half-paSt 9, and two of our special
artists were Immediately dispatched to Wash
ington. with instructions to sketch as long as
possible, and then one of them to take the
midnight train for New York with the combined
result Of their labor, while the other remained
on the field. Our whole force was called out,
and we worked all day Sunday, Sunday night
and Monday, and on the evening of that day
had the satisfaction of seeing my paper on the
press, / went home and fell on the floor COM
pletely exhausted"
In this connection Mrs. Leslie remarked that
often during those dark days the paper reached
circulation of 300, GOO copies, and she did not
deny that the combination of these sad circum-
stances contributed largely to her ultimate pros
perty.
She was asked if she had noticed any appre-
ciable falling off in the circulation of her publica
tions since the advent of such weekles as Puck,
the Judge, etc.
The lady unused moment. and answered.:
mo; feel that there has not. At first we had
some fears but they unfounded. For in
stance, consider my most valuable property to
be the German edition of the Illustrated News
/ paper. This idea was materialized nearly twenty
years ago. and while the circulation was slow in
coming, there was constant increase. 1t finally
/ reached a certain limit. and there it has re-
| manned. At times there will be an increase of
perhaps hundred copies week; then, again, it
will fall off a little. But we generally know
what to expect, and never print too few or too
many
She urged this as an argument going to prove
the faithful adherence Of the Germans to that
which they believed to be good. and their disin-
clination to receive anything that came to them
in experimental guise. With Americans. she
held, it was different as they always believed in
giving any new thing q trial.
After slight pause in the conversation the
reporter, with some hesitation or speech, re-
marked:
MRS Leslie, there has been good deal of
speculation of late among newspaper men es-
pecially, concerning you"
Indeed" she responded with an innocent
smile, .! do not see why they should indulge in
speculations on my account"
We'll, do not know, either, except that
all have particular interest in you; but be that
as it may, we are burdened with an anxious fear
that we are about to lose You by marriage
She threw up her hands appealingly. and with
laugh full of music, exclaimed, "Why. ! am
too busy to get married" Then, quick as
thought, she turned the tables, and put her
questioner to the blush by pointing her shapely
finger, straight at him, and asking "You haven't
time to get married, have your
The abashed young man didn't say it, but he
thought it mighty hard that if such woman as
Mrs. Leslie was to be the party of the other part
he would hustle around pretty lively to find
time. At this moment, Mr.. Bridgman, one of
the Leslie staff, entered the room and remarked
that he had gentleman in waiting to see Mrs
Leslie, and he would try to keep him Gagged until
she was at leisure The reporter feeling that it
was cruel to impose on Mr. B, friend by remain
ing longer, expressed his thanks for the more
than cordial manner in which he had been re-
ceived and entertained, and withdrew, carrying
with him recollections of the most pleasant cpl
sode in his reportorial experience.
In conclusion, few words concerning Mrs.
Leslies personal appearance, work, ETC., will
not be malapropos She is of medium size,
beautiful figure, wonderfully graceful manners,
and looks to be about thirty years of age. What
ever may be said of her, ''her face is her for
tune" 1t is study which grows in charm by