The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-07
A SUCCESSFUL MAGAZINE
GROWTH OF A TECHNICAL PUBLICA-
TION PRINTED IN THIS CITY.
1t Began in Unpretentious Way.
Six Years Ago, and Has Succeeded
Beyond All Expectations.

from a very small beginning into one of the
largest technical publications in America,
is an interesting bit of publishing history.
1t was started, in 1890 an unpretentious
| little sixteen page journal under the name
! of Paving and Municipal Engineering, rot
ito fill long felt want" but rather an
| immediate convenience to the editor. 1t
was an outgrowth of the Paving Exposition,
which was made such a marked success in
| Indianapolis and has since been initiated
| on smaller scale in several cities The ex-
/ position gave to Indianapolis a wide repu-
/ tation, particularly among the smaller
| cities as headquarters for valuable fnfor-
nation about street improvements, and this
| suggested to William Fortune, who was in
| charge of the arrangements for the exposi-
| ton, that the distinction of the city in this
| respect could be best emphasized and MAIN
! tanned by the publication of journal iden-
| titled with street improvements while it
| would at the same time relieve his CORE
| spondence somewhat and would probably
| be sufficiently worth while in a business
way But the business END of it troubled
him. He couldn't undertake to look after
that and not having the right man at hand
| for the work, gave up the idea; but it
wouldn't down. He spoke about it one day
| to William c. Bobbs, the present manager
of the publishing firm of Bowen Merrill
| Company. Mr.. Bobbs at once became very
enthusiastic over the idea and expressed
a desire to join in the project business
manager The offer was accepted and the
| first number issued, after very
encouraging response to the prospectus,
which had been sent OUT much of the pre-
ferred advertising space having been en-
gagged by telegraph.
| The publication gained in strength and
| IN VIZ ri, cd
| to magazine form. and the business having
| in the meantime passed into the hands of
| the Municipal Engineering Company most
| of the interest of Mr.. Bobbs was bought in
| 1894 by Mr. Fortune, who had become con-
| WINGED that there were large possibilities
| for the publication.
| The magazine has grown rapidly in the
| last two years. Its average monthly gain
| in 1895 was 401a per cent. month over 1894,
| and the increase during 1895 over last year
! has averaged about 90 per cent a month.
| 1t is recognized as the foremost represent
| tative of the interests connected with the
| Improvement of cities, embracing the field
| of paving, sewerage, water works, parks,
| etc. 1t circulates largely among the peopie
who are interested in these matters
| throughout the United States and Canada
and to some extent in foreign countries. 1t
|
| and diploma for excellence.
Leading daily newspapers, such as the
| Boston Herald, Philadelphia Press, Detroit
| Tribune. Milwaukee Sentinel, Omaha Bee,
| Minneapolis Journal, New Orleans Plea
| yune and others of like rank, accord it at
| tention in the review of periodicals equal
| ly with the leading popular magazines.
| Probably no technical publication has re-
/ ceived more attention or more praise from
| this source. The Sacramento Record
| Union says lit is one of the most valuable
| technical publications of the age The
| Milwaukee Sentinel oalls il "a model high
| standard publication The Detroit Jour-
| nal says 1T has been a large factor in an
| educational way in the remarkable prog
| ress in the improvement of American cities
in the last few years" The Topeka State
| Journal refers to it as 1.-The American mag
| aZine which has done so much to enlighten
Inc pup1e aegarong Ihe improvements OF
it as the most helpful publication in
America to all who are interested in pub
! lie improvements The Hartford Couran t
calls it IAN excellent magazine The De-
| troit News speaks of it as ''indispensa BILE. :
The Philadelphia Press says 1T is itself a
good example in enterprising and progress
| sive work, and the Portland (Ore.) Ex-
press says: Municipal Engineering is con
temporaneouS with the era of the most in
| telligent and thorough modern work in the
| physical Improvement of the cities Of this
Country. II mas Deen IurIn6r SAID OF the
| magazine that its volumes constitute Ii
| brary of the best literature in existence on
| the improvements of cities. The demand
| for complete files of it for college, munich
pal and professional engineering libraries
has resulted in a standing offer of 81 per
| copy for early numbers, sold originally at
10 cents.
SECRET OF IT'S SUCCESS.
The success which has brought the maya
zine up from sixteen pages to the proper
| tons of 12S pages a month in a few years
| is attributed largely to the qualities which
! have been so generously praised by the
| press It's editorial policy has been to rely
! on men whose technical education and ex-
| perience has distinguished them as the best
| qualified to discuss the questions treated in
| the magazine. These men are experts in
their special branches, and their writings
| for the magazine are incidental to their
| practical work Civil engineers, analytical
! chemists, contractors and others who have
| achieved the distinction of being foremost
| of their class have been among the writers
| for the magazine.
| The latest issue is an instance of it's quail
| ity in this respect. Among its leading arti-
| ces is one by Leon Malo. for thirty-seVen
| years the consulting engineer and the man
ager of the Seyssel asphalt mines in France
| Legion of Honor for his writings on as
phalt. Another contributor in the same
D. Sc. the foremost authority in America
| on Portland cement and still another
| is Robert GrimShaw, a distinguished
| author of books on engineering sub
i jects and for many years a United
| States consulting engineer. Mr.. GrimshaW
| is the special representative of the maya
| zine in Europe, where he has been engaged
for several months in gathering informal icr
for series of articles on engineering work
in the leading cities of the continent. The
| magazine has already in hand enough
manuscript from him. together with photo
| graphs and sketches for ilustra tons for a
| year, but Mr.. Grimshaw will continue his
| work until he has exhausted the field
| which is. of course, very large one. In
| deed. it is stated that the supply of manu-
| script important technical subjects
| which has been accumulated by the maya
zine is quite sufficient to fill its space for
| many months should nothing additional be
| obtained This stock is. however. continue
| ally being added To- and new arrangements
are being made for important Investigations
| and valuable contributions.
| In pursuance of the aim to make itself oil
| Indispensable value the magazine under
| takes TO furnish it's readers the services OF
| a consulting engineer to a limited extent
without charge and has regularly in its
employ civil engineers who answer such
| questions may he submitted. The usua
professional charge would in any be
several times the subscription of the maya.
zine.
The news service of the magazine is fur
| niShed by CORES pondents in the leadins
cities and towns, numbering nearly 500, and
is compiled from newspaper clippings, OF
| which several thousand are received eacI
month from bureaus in Chicago, New York
| and Boston These clippings are verified By
the news editor of the magazine through