New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-20

AND THE GRAPHlC'-lHES 81 JAMH-" .
THE STRAND MAGAZINE-THE Sc
RIOIys MONTHLY REvIEwS-MR.
ALFRED HARMSWORTH THE
YELLOW BOOK-THE EDIN-
BURGH AND THE QUAR-
TERLY REVIEW.
London. May l.
The connection between English and American
monthly magazines produces some curious re-
sr,ts ono Of them is that the same story may
annear as serial at the same time in two maya
zines both having a circulation in the same con-
stituencv Mrs. Humphry Wards new snort
novel "Thc Story of Bessie Costrell.' is adver-
t,eed simultaneously in "Scribners" and the
"cornhiu Magazine" How the rival publishers
agree or how copyright questions are settled
know not But this every one knows mat 'he
competitlon Of the American illustrated maya
zines has been severely felt in England Inc
Century" ''IIarpers" and "Scribner's' each has
q large circulation. The only surprising tnins Is
that they have not a larger. No one of them mas
an English rival which is equally good In d
sense. no one Of them has any rival at all Inc
English seem to have retired from the cofnpeu-
lion. If they ever entered upon IT,
The English effort is of different KIND, or
~ two different kinds. They excel in the
+rated weekly Perhaps in neither is such an
amount of capital embarked as IN any Oh
the American monthles, and on none Of them Is
On much money spent month by month whether
4, text or illustrations. The serious EnSlsh
,ronthlies or the best Of them, have in ther turn
made their way into the American market ana
ore reprinted there. and their circulation IN Amer
lea IL numbered by thousands Such are Inc
Nineteenth Century, "The Fortnshty' ana
"rbc Contemporary" None OF these IS Illus
+ratcd The prices they pay for articles are mere
thought high. They do not compare with inc
prccs maid by "Harper's. "Scribners or Inc
Century" Perhaps they are nearer on a leVei
with The North American ana Inc foru''
'sThe Pail Mall Magazine. in when Ahe''ca"
cori,a, Is invested. is also a liberal paymastar'
md Is understood to be successful. IL appears 10
that class OF the public which likes its literature
80. 20 no too serious and likes it to be enlivened
nv efforts toward pictorial art. do not think II
can he said that in either respect 1t mas quite
reached the highest American level
OF English illustrated weekles the name Is ie-
eion. Some of them are devoted to women ana
these are among the most lucrative Their EDITORS
know exactly what interests the average leihaie
mind or lest I be too sweeping VIII say tha'
they know exactly what interests their own leih'-
nine constituencies The fashion plate plays
conspicuous part and the special interests OF
women are carefully consulted. THE Queen"
had once monopoly of this profitable business
now /, has half dozen rivals all making great
deal of money.
The regular illustrated weeklies, like THE IL
Illustrated London News" and The Graphic"
Gator for both sexes ard both are interesting
Roth have children. The Graphic gave birth
some years since to a Daily Graphic. There
was a theory that this would elthe: superseIc
other daily papers or force them TO follow It's eX-
ample Neither of those two predictions mas come
true. though THE Chronicle has recently re-
sorted to woodcuts for certain purposes and WIN
. in rather narrow limitations. Nor Is Inc
Graphic" though an interesting and well edl'ed
paper quite in the front rank of daily Journaiis'
"The Illustrated London News" is the parent OF
sThe Sketch" and Of The Album, each win
special features and each thriving
Then we come to the so-caed Budgets. THESE
hogan as weekly summaries of daily evening
papers One Of them is dead The PAL Mall
Budget" which Mr.. Aston for some reason re-
solved TO extinguish and did extinguish. though
7 beleve he was offered good price for the good
will of IT, On it's ashes and on the ashes OF Lika
Joke" rose THE New Budget with Mr. harry
Furniss as editor. Mr. Furriss is clever, though
eccentric artist, Of no great range outside of car
feature and of the fantastic once on the star: OF
"Punch" he did we'll there--so well as to think
he could do better with paper OF his own an
authorization which I fear was not verified. at least
IN the case Of the now defunct "Lika joke" Of
which | cannot remember that ever saw num-
her anywhere; not even on a club table, which is
usually the receptacle Of the mos. miscellaneous
collection Of literature in the world. hope he
&c doing better with The New Budget" for Of
his ability there is no question II he will but con-
sent to give the public what they want and not
what he thinks they ought TO want. The differ
ence between those two formulas makes all the
difference between success and failure at least
In the commercial sense.
But the Budgets" OF to-day have grown into
regular illustrated papers with the usual varied
assortment Of pictures in black and white, OF
stories OF special articles; little news perhaps.
but with more regard to what VIII attract than
what will instruct The ST. James's Budget" is
really an ambitious sheet. nor Is its ambition,
without much to justify it. The Westminster
Budget" is. perhaps, less ambitious. These week
" editions are said to pay better than the daily
There IT, indeed a theory that none OF the funny
evening papers returns a large income 10 its pro-
rerietor THE Pail Mall" is n very expensive sheet
Of twelve pages on thick paper. yet with no very
remarkable superiority in news over other and
lesser evening papers. But Mr.. Aston cam Of
course keep an evening paper If he cares to, as
he could yacht II he cared for that
This does not exhaust the catcgores OF Illus
trated papers. nor Is II necessary to exhaust
them / give specimens. You will see from the
specimens even in these outlines. how different
the conception Of illustrated journalism is in Eng
land from that which prevails in New-York
Probably each might borrow something from the
other. IL either chose to. There are different
grades Of these publications, which seem to have
worlds Of their own; If they had each discov-
cred a planet for themselves. 1t was said the
other day. in an English paper. that THE Strand
MAGAZINE" has a greater circulation than any Of
the American magazines. AS no figures were
given. the statement is not easy TO test or to con-
tradict have heard the figure put at quarter