The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-12-10
THE HISTORY OF AN IMPORTANT PUB
LISTING HOUSE.
The Arena Publishing Co. and What it
Has accomplished IN Three Years.
From the Boston Journalist.

and the progress of the Arena Publish.
ing company in developing from mere
ly the publishers of a great review tC
one of the most important publishing
houses Of New England, or, for thai
matter. of this country.
The Arena has from its birth steadily
and rapidly grown in circulation and
influence, long since distancing, with
one exception, all high priced reviews
IN point of popularity and circulation.
This is largely due to the courage, bold
ness and the moral convictions which
has ever been one of the distinctive
characteristics of this review. Ii Is also
the only American review which appeals
TO the tastes of ali members of the family
IN which 1t circuiates. By publishing
each month strong, short stories, bio
graphical sketches, prose, etchlnSs and
interesting pen pictures it has won It's
way into the hearts of tens of thousands
Of people who have been through these
| features attracted to its pages. The
admirable portraits of leading thinkers
and the introduction 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, progress
| sive and reformative thought of the age
and employees The abies. living thinkers
to write for its columns, also gives il a
prestige enjoyed by no other great re-
/ view. At the present time the Arena
| is read each month by more than 100,-
/ 600 people in America, while during the
past six months its European circulation
has increased more than / 900 copies.
| This Is due largely to the great inter
est felt in the Bacon-Shakespeare case
now being presented by the giant think
ers Of the world, who are combating
the opposite claims of the two most IL
| lustrious names in the golden age of lit
erature in England. When such eminent
persons in Great Britain as the Marquis
Of Lorne, Edmund Gosse, Alfred Russo!
! Wallace, ID. G. L.. Professor j. Donald
son, principal of St. Andrews UNIVERSE
ty, and Henry Irving, consent to act as
jurors, 1t is evident that in England as
well as America, the interest in this dis
| cussiOn is very great. Another reason
for the growing popularity of the Boston
review in Europe lies i'll the fact that in
England and on the continent the
thoughtful and progressive people are
| becoming for the first time acquainted
with the Arena and thus learning that it
in larger degree than any other maya
zine reflects the best progressive and re-
formative thought of both the old and
the new world.
The phenomenal success of this great
review under the editorial management
of Mr.. b. O. Flower, is 10 more re-
markable than the progress made dur
ing the past year in the business man
IF thn nnfar ha
vigorous and energetic personal direc
ton of Mr.. Ii. IL. Boyce, who as bust
ness manager, has made the Arena
Publishing company one of the most
important book publishing concerns in
Gently published 1.-The Rise of the
Swiss Republic" finished and
scholarly work, being the first elaborate
history of Switzerland published in the
English language. il contains a de-
tailed account of all the recent govern
mental innovation so successfully intro
duced in the little republic such as the
referendum and the initiative. This
book is one of the handsomest speci-
mems of the printers art of The wear;
printed in large type or heavy paper,
wide margin and richly bound. Another
IdiluSOIllS DOOh WHICH DitlS t6iI " OC
one of tie greatest successes of recent
times has just been issued by this COM
pany. We refer to NJ. French-Sheldon's
story of her travels in the wildS OF
Africa, entitled ''Sultan to Sultan" It
is one of the most superbly illustrated
books of travel ever published, contain
ing almost four hundred photographers
or text cuts, many full page pictures
made direct from photographs taken by
N. French-Sheldon. The achievement
of this remarkable American woman
stands without parallel in the history of
extraordinary attalnments by women
even in this day of their wonderful
achievements. It will be remembered
that she penetrated one thousand miles
into the heart of savage Africa, having a
train OF between one and two hundred
native porters and interpreters, but with
no white person in the caravan. Her
story is of absorbing interest and rich in
information contained in no other work
on the Dark Continent.
In addition to these works the Arena
Publishing company has. since Mr.. Boyce
took control of 1t, bought out many 9TH
er important books. for example: Mr..
Savage's popular evolutionary religious
work on 1.-The Irrepressible Conflict
Between Two World Theories" Hamlin
GarIand's novels "Jason Edwards" and
"A Spoil of Office Helen Gardeners
powerful new story, pray You, Sir,
Whose Daughter" Professor Emil Blum
and Alexander's "WhO Ljes;' hrs. Flor
ence Huntley'S The Dream Child. Mrs.
Celestia Root Langs Son of Man Rev,
Dr. Marion Shutters "Wit and Humor
of the Bible" VIII n Harben's "A Mute
Confessor-The Romance Of a Southern
Town" Rev. Minot j. Savage's Some
Ghost Stories" Benjamin Hathaway's
1.-The Finished Creation" "Redbank, by
NJ L. Cowles and beautifully illustrated
book OF Songs" by Meth Boyce. The
company has also published i've numbers
of the Cooley Square Series" all Of
which have achieved an instant success.
In the meantime the sales of Helen
Gardeners is This Your Son, Ny Lord:
Mr.. Garland's "ManTraveled Roads, 50
and Mr.. Flowers Lessons Learned
From Other Lives taIl published by
this house, have been exceedingly large.
Ii IS a notable fact which initiates the
sagacity and keen discernment of this
firm, that they have brought out not
book which has not been positive and
unequivocal success. 1t is "A matter of
just pride with the management, that
thus far the Arena imprint has been
placed on the page of no volume which
has been, even in a general, way fail |
ure.
The sales Of one of their books has
already exceeded 80, 600 and another
8. 600 copies.
The great publishing house Of Harper
Brothers point with pride TO tie fact
lhat during the past year they have pub
lIshed no less than seventy-iye new