People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1892-12-09
The Arena Publishing Company and
What it has Accomplished in Three
Years

ohS WOOhly DuobOilf lhdoo'
About year ago we published a
brief sketch Of Mr.. B. o. Flower, the
editor of the Arena, and then took
occasion to note the phenomenal sue.
cess of this popular Boston review in
the field of serious periodical litera'
ture.
Since then we have watched with
interest the rapid strides of this mag
azine, and the progress of the Arena
Publishing Company in developing
from merely the publisher of a great
review to one Of the most important
publishing houses of New England, OIL
for that matter, of this country.
The Arena has from its birth
steadily and rapidly grown in circula
ton and influence, long since distanc
ing, with one exception, all higE
priced reviews in point Of popularity
and circulation. This is largely due
30 the courage, boldneSS and the
moral convictions which has ever beer
one of the distinctive characteristic
of this review. 1t is also the only
American review which appeals tC
the tastes of all members of the fam
lily in which it circulateS. By pub
Fishing each month strong, short StOr'
ies, biographical sketches, prose etch'
ings and interesting pen pictures it
has won its way into the hc1tJS OF
tens of thousands of people who have
been, through these features, attract
ed to its pages. The admirable por-
traits of leading thinkers and the in
production of fine Illustrations when
the text has called for them, have
also contributed to its popularity, but
doubtless the fact that it is in perfect
touch with the most advanced, pro-
gressive and rerOrmatiye thought of
the age and employs the ableSt living
thinkers to write for its columns, also
gives it a prestige enjoyed by no
other great review. At the present
time the Arena is read each month
by more than 100000 people in Amer
lea, while during the past six months
its European circulation has increaS-
ed more than 1000 copies.
This is largely due to the great in.
tereSt felt in the BacOn-ShakeSpeare
case now being presented by che gi.
ant thinkers of two worlds, who are
combating the opposite claims of the
two most illustriouS names in the
golden age of literature in England
When such eminent persons in Great
Britain as the Marquis of LOrne, Ed.
mund GOSSe, Alfred Russell Wallace,
d. c. L., Prof. j. Donaldson, principal
of st. Andrews University, and Henry
Irving, consent to act as jurors, it is
evident that in England, as well
as America, the interest in this
discussion is very great. Another
reason for the growing popularity OF
the Boston review in Europe lies in
the fact that in England and on the
Continent, the thoughtful and pro.
gresSive people are becoming for the
first time acquainted with the Arena
and thus learning that it in a larger
degree than any other magazine re-
fleets the best progressive and reform
alive thought of both the old and the
new world
The phenomenal success of this
great review under the editorial man.
agement of Mr.. B. o. Flower, is no
more remarkable than the pro-
greSS during the past year in
the business management of the
vigorous and energetic personal direc-
tiOn of Mr.. H. H. BOyce, who as bust
ness manager, has made the Arena
Publishing Company one of the most
important book publishing concerns
the New World. This company has
recently published, "The Rise of the
Swiss Republic" a finished and schol-
arly work, being the most elaborate
history of Switzerland published in
the English language. 1t contains a
detailed account of all the recent gov
ernmental innovation so successfully
introduced in the little Republic such
as the Referendum and the Initiative.
This book is one of the handsomest
specimens of the printers art of the
year; printed in large type on heavy
paper, wide margin and richly bound.
Another handsome book which bids
fair to be one of the greatest successes
of recent times has just been issued
10y this company. We refer to NJ.
French-Sheldon's story of her travels
in the wilds of Africa, entitled "Sul-
tan to Sultan" 1t is one of the most
superbly illustrated books of travel
ever published, containing almost
four hundred photographers or text
cuts, many full page pictures made
direct from photographs taken by NJ.
French-Sheldon. The achievement
of this remarkable American woman
stands without parallel in the history