New-York tribune., 1889-10-20
TWO GREAT MAGAZINES.
THE LIFE OF sTHE CENTURY. COMPANY.
ATTRACTIONS OFFERED TO THE READERS OF
ToDAY-CARRYING OUT A BIG

Rapidity of movement tineneSs OF mechanlcai
execution, artistic establishment and responsive
sympathy with the tastes OF the people have oeen
the distinguishing characteristics Of the puollshng
business in the UAited States. And amcng those
houses which unouestionably stand in the front
rank of publishers each uneNceled n It's lavoflte
field. that of The Century" Co. is especially
noteworthy. The lie of The Century Co
has not been long Que. but it las had so
nany brilliant undertakings and successful achieve
monts crowded into il IN short time that 1t
does not seem unreasonable to say that in no place
other than America would it be possible to find an
example of such quick development and grave
maturity First OF course. among the great works
of the company in magnitude, popularity and sue
cess is The Century Magazine" Then there
are the delightful st. Nicholas" for young
folks says the publication itself, but for older
folk as well, say the American readers; the hymn
and tune books: William Lloyd Garrison, inc
Story of his Life, Told by His Children Battles
and Leaders of the Civil War; works of fiction.
travel and history; books for boys and girls ana
the ponderous exhaustive and unrivalled The
Century Dictionary
When one speaks OF " The Century Magazine
he is in danger of appearing rush into eNtrala'
CANT statements. The present issue oi Inc
Century" is always above 100000 copies month
1t has run 200 beyond that. In lss@ III "'S
estimated that The Century" ana ."
Nicholas" were read by nearly l'oVV'-
900 people each month But at tha'
time the combined circulation OF Dun puuh-
cations was not nearly so great as that OF ,nn ,
Century" alone to-day. If the same raOo @ ny'ii
holds true then at the present time When -"
Magazine is at its highest circulation marx IL
bas over 1000. 600 readers; and it and 81
Nicholas together under the same cond'uohS'
about 100000 That is TO say, these magaziheS
are road by every one person in thirty OF tle
cnuntry's population Since The War fapers
began TO appear in The Century Its circulation
has about doubled. 1t is by no means an easy
task 10 please the American people, month IN anu
month out fair weather and FOUL Inc Oeu-
turvp not only pleases large share of them, bit
month nv month pleases larger share. And TINS
leads one to look for the attractions which eaten
and hold the attention and favor of the people.
THE BEGINNING OF THE WORK
~The Century is the old Scribners Monthly,
which. under the edtorship of DR.. j. e. Holland
and the management of Roswell Smith, became so
we'll known and so valuable contribution TO perl
odical literature. The Monthly at once became
thoroughly American publication, and It's success
was scarcely short of phenomenal. us circula''oH
increased rapidly, and the artistic execution kep'
mace with its prosperity and its literary excel
the Scribners WIRE purchased The pr!nctpaI
x,or,,ers among the Younger men were taken into
the orQanizat:on and the name was changed
to "The Century Co. 1t became neceS-
sarv 70 find larger home for the rapidly growing
ma sazine and in that year the company moved
into the quarters now occupied by 1t at No. 50
East Seventeenth-st, DR.. Holland did not live TO
see the great work of his life fuzzy started on us
second era, but he had seen the circulation rise
from few thousand copies monthly up be-
yond the 100, 900 mark, and had seen the maga-
zine attain position in the literary field uncN-
eelhd either in this country or abroad.
HOW SUCCESS CAME.
The causes which led 10 the brilliant success
of The Century are many, but a few examples
will serve to illustrate how a great mag glzine is
made Independent of DR.. Hollands remarkable
abilities, which alone could scarcely have failed
TO make a great reputation for the magazines,
there were in the tremendous vitality. the eX-
ecutive ability and the watchful care OF Roswell
Smith those qualities which sought and found
new ideas and improvements in rapid succession
American wood engraving made such swift progress
that il soon stood head and shoulders above that
of any other country in the world And TINS ao-
vance in the art of ma agazine Illustration, que 10
the efforts Of the publishers of The Century"
net with the recognition 1t deserved
on both sides of the Atlantic. English papers and
periodicals sang its praises while lamentng that
their own country wQs deficient in this KIND ol
work A. W. Drake, who from the first has been at
the head of the art department OF the company,
has been unremitting and tircless in his labors
for results which once seemed unattainable, but
are now seen in perfection in each issue of The
Century" 1t is scarcely necessary to speak Of the
printing of the magazine. This publication has
hno hold hDfo fha "A illustration
of the printers skill. The work is done by L. L.
De Winnie 81 Co. and is the finest that years Of
study OF improvement and Of mechanical devices
could bring about. And this degree of PERFECTION
is in no small measure due TO the demands Tor
exquisite results which such publications as The
Century" aud ST. Nicholas created. SO that
while the arr of beautiful printing has added to
the merits Of magazine publishing the require
ments of the latter have no less made necessary
this mechanical excellence.
SOME OF THE CONTRIBUTORS
But above all these attractions must be placed
the literary work which has been given to the
world by The Century" One glance at what has
been offered TO its readers explains the great success
achieved by this magazine. From the first 1t has
given special prominence to American authors and
artists 1t has contained the writings OF Il. {.
Stedman. Irwin Russell Edward Eggleston
Mrs Burnett, Joel Chandler Harris, Bret Ilarte
fhs only long novel, Gabriel Conroy," appearing
here, George W. Gable, Frank Il. Stockton, SAKE
Holm and many others whose bright touches
have enlivened its pages. Prominent among ite
serials was The Bread Winners" and there
were " The War Papers," which, beginning in
November, 1884, shot the circulation of the maya
zinc so high that it never came down. Battles
and Leaders of the Civil War equally well
known as The Century War Book" is the
publication of these papers in book form, com
prising "a complete and valuable history of the
Civil War. But 10 these papers has been added
a vast amount Of new material. Indeed, fully
two-thirds Of the book is new There are /, 700
illustrations handsome portraits maps,
battle scenes and dia grams As is always the case
with CenluIy" publications. the volumes are
III nl