The morning call., 1894-07-15
A LITERARY "REMINISCENCES.

or those who knew George r. Graham
in his palmy days few survive, yet he was
at one time the most conspicuous figure in
American literature. Nearly sixty years
ago, when he was a very young man. and
was working for his living in a cabinet
makers shop. he was selected to be editor
of the Saturday EUeniRg Post. which was
aiming to become the leading literary
paper in the country. Graham gathered
round him a staff of promising young
writers. including LOngfelow, Bryant,
Fenimore Cooper, Edgar A. Poe. Wash
ingtOn irving and Pauldng. With their
assistance he made the Post a power in
letters, and people of taste subscribed in
such numbers that it became a good prop
erty. He did not agree with his partners,
aud in 1871 he started Grdbdm'S Magazine.
in which the late George W. Childs took an
interest.
Graham's ownership and editorship Of
the magazine lasted from first to last ten
years, though during that period he had at
one time to assign it to secure debts he had
incurred in the stock market. There were
years during this period when the ma gaZine
made money. Graham was himself a
bright writer, and his corps Of cOntribu-
tors comprised the leading writers Of the
day. But in an evil hour, the idea occur
red to him that he might increase the in
come of his periodical by reducing his out
lay for matter, and gradually his best men
dropped off, and were succeeded largely by
young ladies who wrote love stories, and
to whom the glory of print was ample
compensat for their labor. The public
quickly discerned the falling off in the
quality of the matter published, and
GrdhGm'S Magazine fell to the level of
GOdey'S and the Nelp Yorker. 1t did not
die then and there, but languishing did
live, and perhaps 1t would have been
better for all parties if it had died.
In 1856, when the late Fletcher Harper
resolved to publish a new monthly maya
zine. he made profounl study of era
hams, aud he came to two conclusions {:
first that there was not literary ability
enough floating round in this country to
supply $50 pages Of really good matter
monthly; and second, that the American
people. having been brought up on a diet
of English literature, would not support a
purely original periodical. We had no one
in this country who could produce such
fiction as was appearing from the pens of
Dickens, Bulwer, Marryat. Thackeray,
Collins and James. and with all their 10y
atty, Americans wanted the best reading
they could get no matter where it was
written. Mr.. Harper accordingly started
his Ne1u Monthly to absorb good English
matter which il was not cOnven lent to
reproduce in book form. The immediate
success of the magazine indicated Mr.
Harper's sagaclty, and in less than two
years it began, cautiously and prudently,
to buy and publish original matter. In
five years it contained more original Amer
lean literature than English. and now, for
nOre than quarter of a century, it has
been purely American, the English con-
tributors being placed on the same footing
as Americans and being paid for their man
uscripts just as if they had lived IL this
country. This was the evolution of Amer
lean magazine literature, of which it may
safely be said that it is without a rival in
any foreign country.
Poor Graham lost his grip when he lost
his money. He was an industrious
writer, but he was unable after 80 to pro-
duce as good stuff as he had easily pro-
duced at 80. He hawked his manuscripts
round from publisher to publisher. bul
there is a not unreasonable prejudice
against old men who have not secured q
mastery of their markets before their hair
turned gray. The present, like the future,
belongs to the young men. Mr.. Graham
was helped in his straits by the ever-ready
benevolence of George w. Ch;lds; he man
aged to earn living, though it was scanty;
he was generally forgotten when it was
announced that he had been stricken with
blindness. He underwent one or more
operations, which were only partially sue
cessful, and the light Of his life went out
in gloom.