The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1896-04-02
'rpme. $1.OO per year. in advance
1"o Six Months 80 cents.

suit was that young Box accumulated
a marvellous collection of valuable let
ters. This collection grew, accounts
of it got into the newspapers, and thus
the name of Edward Box first became
known to the public. This hobby nat
urally brought him in contact with the
leading people of the time, and his
method of securing letters from them
gave him singularly good knowledge
of their lives. Thus, before he was
really twenty years of age, he had sue
ceeded in placing himself in direct
touch with some of the foremost men
and women of the age. Such men as
Longfellow, Wendell Phillips, Beecher,
Holmes, Whittier and others became
his friends. This invaluable auto
graphic collection is intact, and now
numbers over $4,000 pieces-one of the
finest compilations of its kind in the
world. His first success came to him,
therefore, out of hobby.
When he was twenty one he left the
Western Union Telegraph company,
where he was employed as stenogra-
pher, and went into the publishing
house of Henry Holt and Co., and aft
er remaining there for one year he
connected himself with the Scribners.
Here he imbibed his love of literature,
and eight years ago began writing his
literary letters. The first field he at
tempted to conquer was good one;
that of literature. He had love for
it, and knew that if he could establish
himself as an authority on literary
matters it would give him prestige
He did not attempt anything critical
in his literary writing, but decided to
become the inimitable literary racOn-
teur which he is today. 1t can be
truly said that he is the best posted
literary man, in a general sense, in the
country. His knowledge of authors is
wide and singularly correct. He knows,
personally, every author of repute, and,
what is more, he has their respect and
|
self as factor in the literary world,
Mr.. Box very shrewdly turned his at
tention next to the idea of becoming
literary reflector OF women and their
affairs. He was quick to realize that
there was a limitless field, and one
comparatively unoccupied. Henry
Ward Beecher, who was a close and
valuable friend of Mr.. Box, started the
young man in establishing newspaper
syndicate, by writing series of arti-
cles for him. This gave him an excel
lent start, and he repaid Beecher by
paying him round sum for his work.
He was the first man really to make
money for Beecher's pen. Everybody
who touches my literary work" said
the great preacher once, ''loses money
by it, except Box. He makes it go for
me-" The consequence was that, dur
ing the latter years of Beecher's life,
his literary work was practically in
the hands of young Box, and almost
, to the day of his death he made money
!, for the preacher where others had lost
, it for him. When Beecher died, Box
turned his syndicate into channel for
| supplying the newspapers with mate
5 rial of special interest for women. In
: this he was amazingly successful. The
5 most experienced editors saw at once
| that this young man knew better what
: women would read than they did, ano
: they bought his articles largely. He
!. suggested the "women's columns ane
l. "women's pages which are now par
: of every newspaper. 1t was at thi:
l. point that he left the Scribners to take
the editorship of the Ladies HON.
t Journal. He was then twenty-five
n and within year the now famed mag
v azine began to show the young editor
It hand. 1t had circulation of abou
e 100000 at that time, at fifty cents ;
g year. Now the journal has more thai
- double the circulation at double tn
II price. Mr.. Box picked the your7a0
r, out of it's cheap grade, and immed
d ately lifted it up to what it is toda!
;c He worked tirelessly at it, almost shat
= tering his health two or three tlme
s. but he succeeded. Today the Lane
I'd Home Journal is what it is because
e. it's editor.-Current Literature.