The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-26

uIst impulse was TO take IL to the
Century, Iadeed. I would have done so
had l not remembered at that moment
that hns does not like low life."
We are assured by Mr.. Ford that there
Is AN excellent reason for his prohibi-
tion." and II is just the same reason as
that which, in the other case cited, rem
dered three or four TASKS preferable to a
dozen. 1T is because OF this Century
taboo . that / know of hardly a
single magazine writer of to-day who
has made himself familiar with the great
wealth OF varied material which may be
found in that section of New York which
II Is the custom 10 refer to vaguely as
The great East Side"
Even before the heyday Of the great
monthly magazines. Mr.. Ford informs
us. there were ironelad laws existing in
the offices. for example, of papers such
as the New York Ledger which placed
an embargo upon certain things being
said or done in stories which found &C.
ceptance there. He recalls an incident
known TO him personally.
"One day a make of prose and verse
received from the great editor (of the
Ledger a story which he had submitted
to him the week before. If you please
said the poet politely, L should like to
know why you cannot use my story so
that / may be guided in future by your
preferences Certainly replied Mr..
oOAllCIs ILLS SlOIy Will uOl uO lux IAc
you nave in it the marriage of a
man with his cousin But protested
the young author, cousins do marry in
real life very often In real life, yes
was the reply, but not in the New York
Ledger. And it is related of this talented
young maker of prose and verse that he
changed his hero n heroine from
cousins to n~eighbors and the very same
night was making merry over the defeat
| that was turned into success"
Mr. Ford adds: LAS a matter Of fact
Mr.. Bonner knew that a great many of
his subscribers did not approve of a man
marrying his own cousin, and so he for
babe the practice in the columns of his
paper"
AGAINST STEPMOTHERS.
Here is another instance Of pruning
hook editing:
We'll do L remember Jack Moran COM
ing on us one bright morning a dozen
years ago with bitter invective on his
lips because his poem, The Stepmother's
Prayer had been retunred to him from
the Ledger office. He read it aloud for
US n then inquired. pathetically, Isn't
that poem all right?' 1t was more than
native bit of verse. . . . 1t was a real
poem. All. Jack exclaimed a sympa-
thizing poet. you should never have
taken it to the Ledger. Didn't you know
that Bonner was down on stepmothers !!
Change it round and he'll give you ten
for it. And why was Bonner down on
stepmothers? Simply because he wished
to avoid giving offense to those who dis
approved Of second marriages, n who
formed a very large part OF his con-
stituency."
Referring again to the taboo in the
magazine offices Upon low life" litera-
ture, Mr.. Ford says that lone summer
evening not very long ago 1 saw, to my
intense surprise, Mr., Richard Watson
Glider crawl cautiously through the
barbed wire fence which was long ago
stretched. with his sanction, across the
city at Cooper Union. Once within the
tabooed district the distinguished Cent
ury editor cast an apprehensive glance
about him and marched swiftly and
resolutely down the Bowery. ]
was still marveling at the spectacle OF
the editor in search' Of facts when
learned that he was pursuing his studies
Of what is known in the magazine Offices
as low life by virtue of his office on the
tenement house commission"
Thus the mystery was explained; and
Mr.. Ford winds up his reflections upon
p~runing-hoOk editing:
But these remarks are not made in a
carping spirit. There is some good rea-
son for every one Of these (editoriaD
likes and dislikes. If Mr.. Glider prefers
wheate grits as a breakfast table dish
for the hero Of the new Century serial It
is because he has an eye on his Scotch
subscribers: Inc If the manuscript Of
Robinson Crusoe' is returned to Mr.. De-
foe with the remark that Burlingame
editor of Scribner's) Is down on goats
it is simply because Scribner's Magazine
is not pushing its sale in Harlem and
Williamsburg"
So a little pains taken on Mr.. Fang
Wills part to inform himself as to GER
tain conditions precedent in American
literature will enable him to write I'M
derstandingly in the Pail Mall as to why
Jude the Obscure" was "Bowdlerized'
in Harperis.
Let him look UP the Literary Shop"