The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-22
THE GOSSIP OF GOTHAM.
THE YEAR OF FREAK MAGAZINES
AND PRESIDENTIAL BARRELS.
sDick" Davis and AIexandra-Ath-
Ietic News and Prospects - An
American HOnOred in Italy-The
Plank Road Again.

Copyright.
New York. March 2l.-Ths is the year
of Freak Magazines
The freak magazine was an accident,
and has become design. A Chicago man
was its Columbus. but. please. he didn't
mean TO discover it, He thrifuly planned
10 push the sale Of his books and printed
400 circulars which he called the Chap
Book. All that is ancient history, how
those first freaks. marked five cents each,
but really given away. are now valued by
collectors at from % to so times that
modest price. In fact, they can't De
bought.
Anybody can do it. now the egg has
been made to stand up. Type and paper
can be bought on tick and so many people
want to see their otherwise unpriutabie
things in print that copy costs nothing.
Hence chips is followed by Clips, Dips,
Lips and Nips. Shorts by Orts, Thorts
and Warts. and each imitation has its inn
itators; like the heas. And every man is
his own editor. Walter Blackburn Harte
writes a whole magazineful at one sitting
and boasts, instead of blushing. that he
signed a different name TO each article.
prose or verse. Some of the freak maya
zines are decadent. some as rosy and in
are read because the stuff they print by
reason of its indecency. irreverence, ill
nature or plain foolishness. couldn't pos
sibly get into any magazine of standing.
IT slakes the thirst for novelty.
Some of the freaks may last There is
the Philistine. for instance IL was found
ed by a retired soap boiler with literary
ambition named Ebert Hubbard, and
newspaper man, Harry +. Tabor though
other writers helped II along with rare
thoughIulness and libelous contributions.
II is calculated 10 make people squirm-
chiefly the successful author, who has no
friends, except among readers who don't
write
Now comes capital into the field backing
Book" whose first copy will be out in a
day or two. 1t will be a monthly, appear
ing mainly to poster collectors and lovers
of beautiful printing. Bradley is the most
successful poster designer in the country
and eats mince pie three times daily for
the sake of the Nightmares, which are
mandy IN his business
If l were to pick winner" I should
play for place the Chap-BOok Bradley's
Book and the Phillstines, or its successor
about which there is talk The Chap Book
already pays its way, Bradley is backed
by money, and in the Philistine combina-
ton Hubbard furnished soap and the
other Phtlistines experience or else IT was
The other way; il doesn't greatly matter.
Both are necessary.
A class Of literary composition upon
which more money is spent is the railroad
annual OF summer resorts. The writing
of one of these books is a task eagerly
sought by literary hacks as a soft snap"
The railway men are learning the ropes
too, and are demanding better work every
year. For instance, the artist, Charles
Sraham, has been engaged to design the
cover Tor the West Shore book He is
making for IL two paintings, one of the
Tower Light and West Point and one of
Niagara.
Graham doesn't work for nothing. but
the West Shore. which taps a summer
resort region of great beauty, can stand it
Even the sums that railroads spend are
trlnng compared with the outpouring con-
tents of the political barrels with the con-
Ventions only three months away.
The situation in New York is peculiar
on both sides-on the republican side be-
cause Strong and the Ohio crowd are en-
trenched in the city hall and beating the
tomtom for Mckinley, while Platt, the
state leader is out for Morton. Peculiar
on the democratic side because of the curl
osity concerning Crokers real attitude to-
Tammany Hall.
Plat is a personally honest business
man who does in politics a good many
queer things. because he must do them
or thinks he must. He doesn't go to All
pany hlmself, but sends his orders from
GCew YORK Every Saturday and every
sunday the rural legislators shake off the
bunco men at the entrance to Mr.. Platts
hotel and crowd around him for orders or
inspiration. Legislation is judged solely
with a view to its effect on national poii-
tics, which is bad for the legislation
Is Plat honestly for Morton? Certain
able to secure the nomination Of the New
yorker, whether in the event of a dead
lock in the convention he will persist in
supporting his man, how long he would
feel justified in holding out against the
oner OF practicable combinatiOn-of sew
eral candidates against McKinlev-ah
these are other questions!
MT. Platt is a practical politician.
The game OF politics is queer one. The
candidates spend the money and do the
work, and the dark horse gets the oats
At least, he usually does; perhaps not this
Is Croker honestly for whitney? Again.
why not2 Croker is also a practical pol-
atician and notice that the sporting men
who get a better reputation for wisdom
before the convention than after it, make
whitney the favorite in the betting, in
spite of his attitude of unconcern.
Whitney's popularity is rather curious
and, on the whole, encouraging. He Is
the richest candidate on either side pos
sibly excepting Morton He is the son-in-
law of a Standard Oil man and lives in
house bought at a bargain for $500 600.
yet he is quite a favorite with the plain
people simply because he is an able execu-
i've Gn sG6 ms IT, with lightning rod;
piously. but Whitney, though Cleveland :
close friend and former secretary, is
somehow different Besides he's a
New York man. and as I said before Mr.,
Croker is practical politician
There's nothing very alarming about
the split in Tammany." There's al
way been one, Gilroy, the abest bust
ness man in the organization, has gone
to the springs for his health Many regard
Sheehan, the nominal leader, as too new
a member for the post. but Croker is still
the power that pulls the wires.
It's strange, by the way, how completely
Hill has dropped out of sight. The rea-
sons might fill pages. Perhaps the way
to get a thing is not to want it,
Mr.. Whitney is said not to care whether
he is named President or not. but he is
deeply interested in his son, Payne Whit.
ney, named for the grandfather getting
place on the Yale boat crew The mat
ter is still in doubt, believe. The Blues
speak hopefully of their crew, which is t
go to Henley to meet the British varsity
winners. Capt. Treadway has carefully
sorted out of his crew all candidates who
having done manual labor are barred bS
the Henley rules.
In this country man who has worked
with his hands for pay can be a gentle
man; Englands different
While our oarsmen are planning the in
vasion of Britain, her track athletes are
meditating revenge for their last year.
beating. Not under the London A c. flag
1t seems, but by some other arrangement
not fully worked out Fry and Fitzher
bert will be here again. Horgan. Kieh
and Others missing last year. are expected