The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-10

wives-Thomas G. Plat (Mme. Platt that
day returned from Europe) and Benjamin
Wood, formerly for many years local
Democratic boss of this city and once
its Congressman, but now editor of New
York's lie petit journal-the Evening News
"a 1-cent newspaper with daily circula-
ton of just a thousand or so short OF
100000 These two are the Oldest habitues
among the residential guests for years past.
Despite popular beliefs to the contrary,
both politicians are eminently domestic. l
have found Mr.. Platt, as well as Mr.. Wood,
to be very lovable man In private
life. Ex-Congressman Wood is nearly
twenty years the senior of ex-senator
Platt, but they made good comrades, al
though SO diametric in politics. The
former, although 76 years old. gives daily
attention to his newspaper, directing its
policy, supervising its business details,
placing his impr1matur on every editorial
and auditing every weekly payroll. Both
of these Fifth avenue Hotel habitues are
wealthy, hospitable and generous. They
| are political institutions of the city, march
ing as celebrities, in company with Mayor
Strong or Richard Croker, Chauncey
Depew or Gear Roosevelt. Indeed, | never
yet knew political leader-and my
procession OF them moves from the year
1840-whose social side was not tender
and interesting, a remark which APP
plies even to the much vilifed Richard
Croker.
Think of the Christmas numbers of the
| magazines already made up and ready for
the press SO as to reach all points of the
Union for the day of home publication.
And the editor of the North American
Review informed me yesterday that its
future numbers were scheduled as to ar
| ticles into the new year. This necessity
of preparation more or less Injuries
| the up-to-dativeness of the topics treated.
| And the ingenuity of the different
editors to avoid conflict of topic and
sameness of treatment is, Of course,
greatly challenged. New York City now
issues fifteen monthly magazines. Har-
est, and the Metropolitan the junior;
though another, the International is
promised for the New Year. The two
first, along with the Century and Scrib-
ner, remain high-priced. But the Nc
Clure, the Cooley and the Munsey
sell at g, dime: The Harper, the, Cen
fury and the Scribner are each cliquey,
and bear an impress of sameness
month by month. One generally can
fancy who will be the contributors of
these magazines, and guess at the subjects
to come in a next number. The Leslie,
now under editorship of Henry Tyrrell-
replacing Nine. Leslie, who sold it to a
charming poet, an able critic, and
a wideawake entrepreneur. And it con-
tinues what Frank Leslie named it.,
Popular Monthly" l fancy l am pro-
nouncing popular verdict when / say
that the Mcclure Magazine is the best
of all. Its November number is Won
derful specimen as beginning, with rare
photos and pictures, life of Lincoln, that
must inevitably become his leading biog-
raphy. 1t takes the lead in advertise
ments of any of the magazines, and we
all know wi at large income that brings:
out of which to expend outlay for famous
contributions and the extravaganza of
| finished pictorial use. 1 notice, for in.
stance, ninety-uwo pages of reading mat
ter, but 102 pages of advertisements at
| probably $3.50 page. There are eighty IL
vertlsements. and every picture is worthy
of being cut out to compose frst-class
| pictorial album. What a Jump such
a magazine makes from the Knicker-
booker and Graham of a century ago.
But the New York magazines have dan
gerous rival in the monthly Ladies' Home
Journal of Philadelphia, the success of
which has been deservedly phenomenal,
Foreigners who visit this city remark
| Why, London has only six magazines, and
in all Great Britain there are not as many
as are published in this city. Unprophetic
Edinburgh reviewer vert thou who,
noticing in 1881 a Harper publica-
ton, wrote sneeringly: "But who reads
an American book2" Have not Amer
lean readers made the fortunes of
Du Maurier through his impossible novel
of "Trilby." and of Hall Game through
'Deemster'' and 1.-THE Manxman'2 Lit
erary America would form capital theme
for review article in Arena and
| Forum. A. OAKEY HALL.