The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-12-27
Especial Correspondence

plete Novel Feature - A Letter from
JunhIs Henri Browne.
Especial Correspondence
NEW YORK, Dec. 22.-The periodical lit
erature of this country has improved prob
ably more than any other one thing during
the last quarter of century. This is true
particularly of the magazines proper, or
monthly illustrated publications, whose
superiority is recognized abroad as well as
at home. Europe has nothing to compare
with our best specimens, either in regard to
pictures or letterpress, and does not pre-
tend to have. Our wood engraving is con-
fessedly unequaled. and our magazine con-
tributors surpass those of the Old World
in style, interest and variety. Our Illus
trated monthlies have large circulation
in Great Britain and limited one on the
Continent
The republic has issued periodicals since
early in the century, but most OF them
have been short lived, and very few of any
special merit. The first magazine 10 at
tract and deserve general attention was The
Knickerbocker, founded here by Charles
Fenno Hoffman in 1892 and continued
mainly by Lewis Gaylord Clark until 1860
leading a precarious, sickly life toward the
close. Putnam's Monthly, also issued here,
was of high class, including such con-
tributors as Parke Goodwin, George Will
lam Curtis, Richard Grant White and Fred
s. Cozzens, who furnished to its pages some
of their best work. 1t lasted four years
1S53-57-and was revived after the war,
but was finally relinquished in so for bust
ness reasons.
~, q h
is Harpers, still called a new monthly,
because, perhaps, it is the oldest extant, its
age being forty years. The progress of
American magazines is shown in the
marked difference between its early and
recent numbers. The former were largely
made up from the English periodicals, and
the illustrations we're crude and clement
airy. The recent issues contain very little
from English sources, unless advance
sheets Of a transatlantic novel. Until
within few years it did not print the
names of authors with their articles, eX-
cept where those had high reputation.
Anonymity has gone entirely out of fash
ion in periodicals. Many editors cannot
be induced now to publish An unsigned
paper of any kind, which may DE an objec-
tionable extreme. The ietterpress of Har-
per's has advanced in the last decade near
ly as much as the illustrations have, the
publishers being anxious to secure the best
for their purpose in literature and art
They still aim to preserve the popular char
acter of the monthly, and continue to
make feature of articles of travel and of
serial stories. They seldom admit essays
of an abstract or general character, and do
not lean to poetry of the Browning school.
Practical subjects in prose and verse are
always preferred.
Their editorial departments, intrusted to
George William Curtis, William ID. How
ellis and Charles Dudley Warner, are always
attractive. Their general editor is Henry
N. Alden, who has been there twenty
years, and is particularly competent to dis
charge the complicated duties of his po-
sitiOn. Harper's circulation is enormous.
have heard it set down at 10000, which
may be an exaggeration. The firm does not
brag or give big figures about this-it is
not their habit or their policy-but they
are ever on the alert to increase it, and are
evidently satisfied with the result. They
pay literally for what they want, as high as
s3Oper thousand words. occasionally higher.
Their nominal rate is STILL l think, $40 per
thousand words. which they are very ready
to increase if they have any reason. Among
the living contributors are Edward Atkin-
son, VIII Carleton, Moncure d. Conway.
Rose Terry Cooke, G. B. Cranch, J. w. De
Forest, Edgar Fawcett, Kate Field, Ed
ward Everett Hale, Thomas Wentworth
Higginson, John Hay, Joaquin Miller, Don
aid q. Mitchell, Louise Chandler Moulton,
James Parton, Elizabeth Stuart Phelps,
Harriet Prescott Spofford, Richard H.
Stoddard, Edmund c. Stedman, T. De
Witt Talmage, John 7. Trowbridge and
William Winter.
The Atlantic was issued in 1857 as the
representative of Boston mind and culture
in that city, and was for years III advance
of any periodical in the country Long
fellow, Emerson, c. c. FELTON,, Edwin p.
Whipple, James Russell Lowell, Oliver
Wendell Holmes, John Greenleaf Whittier
and other literary lights of Massachusetts
appeared almost exclusively in its pages.
Lowell was the first editor, succeeded by
James T. Fields, W. D. Howells and T. B.
Aldrich, Horace +. Scudder now holding
the place. The magazine has lost its suprem-
acy, though still able and interesting, and
prides Itself on appealing to the intellect
ual, rot to lovers of the pictorial. Its cir
culation is not above 10000, mostly in New
England. Although said to be fairly re-
to its publishers, Houghton,
Aliiflin s; Co., it does not aim to make
much money. Its contributors, paid from
SO 10 SIS per thousand words, are less
notable than they have been, necessarily, |
as IL cannot offer the same pecuniary in
ducements as the New York illustrated De
~ Il =
il was in the early days, and some of the
writers, once fayorites. have lost their vel
come. Many OF the Harper contributors
are to be found there at intervals. The
of The Atlantic proves what
has been doubted-that 4 periodical may be
sustained out Of New York
The Century. begun as Seribner's in 1870,
by Charles Scribner, Dr.. J. q. Holland and
Roswell Smith, has become the rival of
Harper's, though its circulation is thought
to be less-from $4,000 To 10000 Less
popular in quality, ii is unsurpassed in en-
terprise and hbe-ality, and contains some
Of the most striking and valuable papers
in current literature. The sending of
George KEENAN, through Russia and Sibe-
ria TO determine by personal observation
the wrongs Of the car ; subjects from eX-
lie and imprisonment was a mastery
stroke. 1t is said 10 have cost not far from
100000 but the money was well invested.
The KEENAN, articles have attracted uni
verSal attention and excited universal in
dignation. The Life OF Lincoln by Hay
and Nicolay and the war papers, despite
the fact that they occupied a vast deal of
space, largely increased the number OF
readers. Since the death OF Scribner and
Holland the magazine has been made a
Joint stock company in which the princi-
pal workers are interested. Charles Serb