The Portland daily press., 1891-12-25

siSn The Cosmopolitan has improved in
every way. 1t was believed that he in
tended to remain editor as well as
publisher as long as he owned it.
That had, however, never been his in
tention. 'Ever since The Cosmopolitan
came into my hands," he said to me, "I
have had Mr.. HoweEs in mind. I en-
gaged him because he represents all that
is to me clean and best in American lit
efature. He is man who is in SYM
pnthy with all that is noblest in America.
After becoming the foremost American
in letters and attaining high social po-
sition, he has remained perfectly simple
In character, with tastes that are demo-
cratic and sympathies that go out in the
broadcast way to the struggling masses.
This was the idea that wanted at the
head Of the nagazine-a man who stood
for purity and nobility of character"
The report that Mr.. Howells left the
Harpers because Of some dissatisfaction
is without foundation. "Their treat
ment of me-" he said, in reply to my
question on this point, "has been uni
fornly kind and considerate under cir
cuInstances when men of less delicacy
and generosity might have made it pain
fulfor me. have nothing but the kind
est feelings toward them, and SO far as I
know there is no dissatisfaction on their
part with me. It was well known that
our relation was to cease on the LIST of
January before any offer came from The
Cosmopolitan. Mr.. Howells had found
that his work on the Editors Study"
was SO serious an interruption to his
story writing that he decided to leave
the Harpers and devote himself exclu-
sively to the production of fiction. For
this reason he will probably have no spe-
cial department in The Cosmopolitan.
AS an editor Mr.. Howells has had a
long and interesting experience. His
first work was on his fathers paper, the
Ashtabula Sentinel. Here he served
seven years When nineteen years old
he went to the capital of Ohio as legisla-
tive correspondent for the Cincinnati
Gazette and Cleveland Herald. when
I left" he said, describing in brief his
editorial career, "Whitelaw Reid, whose
acquaintance had made, took my place.
In 1859 went to'the Ohio State Jour-
nal and became news and literary edi-
tor. Twas connected with it three years.
then got my appointment as consul to
Venice, and was there till 1865. came
to New York and began to look up
newspaper work. / became an outside
contributor to The Times and to The
Nation, which had then just been started.
'tMr. Godkin, the editor, then offered
me salary to write exclusively for The
Nation, and for three months did work
in the same Office with him. Then Mr..
Fields came on from Boston and asked
me to become his assistant on The Allan
tic Monthly. l was with him from 1868
till 1879, gradually assuming all the edi-
torial duties. In the latter year he re-
tired and became sole editor, and con-
tinued to be till 1881. Then | resigned
and went abroad the next year. In 1885
the Hsrpers asked me to undertake The
Study which I invented and named,
and / have written for it ever since"
l did not dare to ask Mr.. Howells the
tmpertinent question, Chow much does
The Cosmopolitan pay your" Mr.. Walk
or himself had refused to answer it, say
ing simply that it was the largest salary
paid any editor in tho United States. I
am in position to assert, however, that
it is in the neighborhood of $4,000 or
$4,000 a year. FRANKLIN SMITH.