Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-07-28

The Midland Monthly by J hDsob
Brigham, of Des MDin 8, ] wa, has
closed its sixth Dumbsr without abate-
ment of It's eL thusiasm or decline IL
quality. Thirteen papers OF even
excellence and more than average In
dividuality as literary performances
comprise the June number. The cult
vation ofa atmosphere Of letters In
the New En- gland Of the Missis' ippi
valley is no small undertaking and Mr..
Brigham deserves the encourageme Z
If Iowans wherever they may be foui O.
A natural process of evolution seems 10
demand that newspaper workers go OF
into the broader fields Of magaziDt
work. The editor of the Midland was
ior many years journalist at Cedar
Rapids, Iowa. MT. Rounseville Wild
man, who is now editor Of the Over
land Monthly, was formerly editor OF
the Idaho Statesman. 1t seems bot
natural that men who struggle for an
existence IN the Improbable meshes of
journalism should tempt fortune In the
still more precarious net work of maga-
zine publishing. Howells, Clemens,
Curtis and other American literary
men of the present generation, were
products of the newspaper treadmill.
1t is the fate of all ages that the asses
who browse off the thistles shall be-
come the literary burden bearers Of the
people. The higher classes of animals
that feed on ambrosia and nectar beai
no load at all for humanity.
The new manager of the Overland Is
cursed by not few tor his firm resolu-
tion to pay nothing for the contribu-
tions he uses, unless he agrees to do go
beforehand. This policy does not de-
teriorate in the merit of his magazine
article. TIE hest work in 1t done
,rails is superior to much of the paid
work ia more pretentious publications.
The writer whose thoughts are worth
lu1 lnlbE iuC IBdi hCO VI lCbtCAo W al
probably have buyers after him, and
the multitude who write for pay were
better chokcd off by notice beforehand
that all their products would be highly
enough honored and the world worse
enough bored by their publication free
gratis. Let Mr.. Wildman maintain
his heroic position and the world will
applaud
The Overland is again, as it has many
time become, the only literary publI-
cation on the Pacific coast. Thousands
of dollars have been expended upon it
in the past to maintain it's continuity
as literary enterprise. 1t is one OF
California's many luxuries and deserves
to be supported comfortably as its years
advance. A worlds fair prize has just
been awarded 1t for excellent and artis.
tic illustrations. The free and easy
Sanctum Talks by the editor are con-
glomeration of culture permeuted by
the pungent odor of burning wild and
woolly western wit. Articles of de-
cided literary merit are, '"The Perma-
nent in Poetry" by Warren Truitt, an
Oregon man if we mistake not; "A
Problem In Authorship" by Rev. Robt
Whitaker formerly of Salem, editor of
the Portland "Pacific Baptist" This
Is discussion of the authorship of the
federalist papers, very valuable for all
historical students, and in line with
the educational trend of the new Over
land. 1t is fact of interest that this
distinctively Pacific coast publication
has been adopted as permanent fea-
ture of California public school libra
ries. This movement should extend to
Oregon, Washington and Idaho, as the
cultivation of an interest In our local
historical treasures will have marked
influence on the development of the
western literature of the future. Our
educators and county and state school
officials should take deeper interest in
this matter.