The morning call., 1894-01-25
AS1OR LITERATURE.

Everybody has heard that William Wal
dorf Astor invested in the Pail Mall Mag
dzine because he could not induce Amerl-
can magazines 10 publish his matter.
Whether the magazines were right or
wrong in politely declining Mr. Astor' S
contributions depends upon their quality,
and OF that the editors were probably bet
ter judges than the author. Mr.. Astor did
not establish for himself place in letters
by his novels. nor did he place himself in
the front rank of statesmen and diplomats
by his performance as American Minister
at Rome. The articles which be is now
publishing in his Pail Mall Magazine over
his own signature reveal mediocre ca pacity
and rather commonplace mind. On their
face they do not seem to imply want of
Judgment in the editors who rejected them.
But a gentleman of Mr.. AstOr's wealth
is not only able to sustain magazine for
the circulation of his own matter, but he
IS abundantly able 10 buy other matter
FROM the pens of men of established Iepu-
tation and TO print that, and he is doing
so. The problem Of profit and loss need
not enter into his calculations. He does not
need to make money. He probably Goes
not want to make money. Other peri0di-
Gals must be governed TO certain extent
by reports from the business Office; he
need not exact such reports at all. To him
writing is a branch of art which he pur-
sues for arts sake, ana it is immateral TO
him whether the pursuit costs him hun
dred thousand a year Or more. 1t is in
this point of view that the Pail Mall Mag
dzile becomes novel and an interesting
departure in letters. Mr.. Aston is not the
only rich man in the English-speaking
world. If a dozen or more of them start
magazines and undertake to support them
regardless of their receipts from subscrip-
tons and advertisements, it is evident that
the field for writers is going to be broad
ened and that letters may receive a new
impetus.
Our periodical literature in this country
and it is far superior 10 the same class OF
literature in England-has reached dead
lock. By combining artistic with literary
output the leading magazines have raised
the cost of production to such a point that
no rival can start with reasonable hopes
of successful competition. Mr.. Howells
tells Us that certain favorite writer's re-
ceive $50 a page for their matter, and
such articles as those which Mr.. Weeks Is
illustrating as travels in Persia and else
where must cost the publishers thousands
Of dollars. OF course, no new magazine
without established advertising patron
age could incur such an expense, and
therefore the old-established magazines
have q practical monopoly OF the field.
But each Of these periodicals has its regu-
lar staff of writers, whose matter it is
really bound to consume; and these
writers m0nopoliZe its space. Hence it
follows that there is no opening in the
chief magazines for new writers. In
other words. were 1t not for the news
papers the literature of the day would run
risk of perishing for want of outlets. If a
few gentlemen like Astor would under
take to start and carry Cd magazines for
glory deeply felt want would be sup
piled.
The chances are, however. that evil will
be cured by the encroachment of the
newspapers upon the domain which has
hitherto belonged to the magazine
Newspapers are steadily improving IN
quality; they consume more and better
matter than they did. Some of the ablest
writers of the day are engaged on the
daily press. Instead of writing stories
and essays for monthlies, ambitious writ
ers are forming connections with the
newspapers. and it is in them that the
best literary work OF the day is found.
In late review of a book Blackwood con-
temptuously observed that it was written
in newspaper English. to which the New
York Sun replied. 'Yes. it is written in
newspaper English. the best and purest
and choicest English"