New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-10

,rcJJrRE'S VIEWS OF THE METH
INC WHICH MAKE FOR SUCCESS.

INNS
~. success Of the magazine bearing his name.
~. man is the embodiment OF energy and in
-, in his work. His personal force looks out
s,-n his keen blue eyes, End speaks itself In the
w. nervous intensity of his words. He talks
- no acts. with his whole soul. There Is enough
Initial activity in his makeup TO need consider
NV more than the vitality of one man to keep
!. -nnnlled wiki running power. and no one who
TOW Mr.. Mcclure vas surprised when he broke
.au,n few months ago and wen; to Europe for
,ons rest. He returned on September 10. and.
}. snsaklng Of The trip last week to a Tribune
..,asentatjve. said: 1T had come to the point
Ns.n had either to die or give UP work and
~.ouav for d while. and decided on the latter"
.r,en vou didn't do much while abroad in the
-, q, acquiring new ideas or features for your
magazine!
sNothing whatever. I went for rest. Besides.
..v ideas are not got by looking for them. you
,,ov They come OF their own accord The
..ntraI thought Of great feature comes as an
.ren,ratlon. Then /, grows. That is very
.,,r;ous thing-the way in which an idea grows
- .u directions not only by development from
--,,h,n hut By accretions from every side A
800, illustration OF this was the Life OF Lincoln
which we published AT first that was intend
the plan Of the human document series which
ve have published. supplemented by few arti-
eyes on Lincoln. A long. connected biography
was not thought or but that is what was grad
uaIly developed from the original idea Why.
even when the first nstalment OF the Lincoln
matter was about TO be pu; upon the press. we
had different plan for the later chapters from
that which was ultimately evolved The work
grew steadily as it became known TO the public
I. proved a subject Of vital interest TO the peo-
pie Of the country. and it practically assured the
success IF McClure's Magazine. The circula-
ton Jumped up one hundred thousand overnight
30 to speak We had something Of the same
experience with our Life of Grant but on a
smaller scale
UNITY OF PURPOSE.
Giving expression to one IF his governing theo-
ries MIR. Mcclure said earnestly:
"A magazine ought to be an entity 1t must
represent the idea and principles of one man
or a group of like-minded men; it must have
single purpose all through. Any body could
make a magazine by hiring a competent stan
Of assistants. buying certain amount OF his
torlcal matter a certain amount of fiction. Of
descrirtiy- articles Of travel. poetry etc. and
mixing them together in suitable proportions;
but {. would not be good magazine, nor would
II be likely to be a success. lacking unity. the
Inspiration and direction from one central head.
The pages Of a good magazine ought 10 show
Q governing idea and constant watchfulness
over al that is important and interesting IN
current events. so that the articles may set
forth the life Of the world as it is to-day. 1t
must therefore, be the duty OF some person or
group Of persons to keep 1t informed Of what
goes on. and to draw from the daily news ideas
and features for the magazine. The world ages
very slowly and because Of this a magazine
editor must remain young. His interest must
remain fresh and keen in later years as It
was WHOM he began. or he will be out of touch
with his readers and the world
"There is an individuality about each maya
zine which distinguishes it from all others For
instance, McClure's has field OF its own. 1t
recognizes. wherever 1t finds them, materials |
which belong within its scope. If it can. 1t gets
them. Occasionally" and Mr.. Mcclure smiled |
q II In reminscence. I'VE find in other maya
zines articles which ought to have had |
which. from their nature, clearly ours |
Then feel badly
But in speaking Of unity, you understand, l |
don't mean that the features Of a magazine |
should be monotonou sly alike There must be |
diversity also. for the sake Of peoples varied |
interests. Diversity and yet unty-the two can |
be combined"
when you started your magazine to compete
With many others long est ablished and we'll
known d.l lou think there was a new field to
be work 3D. Mr.. Mcclure?
II didn't think Of that at all. I did 1t be-
cause | wanted TO 10 It Month after month I |
had real Inc different magazines. and said to
myself Why cid they that artclec or
Why DIDN'T they have something else in the
place Of that one? and at last came to feel