The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-05-31
OUR NEW YORK LETTER
DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED BY MAG
AzlNE EDITORS IN TIME OF WAR.
Some OF tho June Numbers Were Made
Up Twice-The situation Has Introduced
. New Poet to the Reading worid-Bi-
cycle Trade Greatly Injured.

it Is stated that three months often elapse
after the final 'make up of the body of
a magazine and the date of its publication,
while the intervening time is very seldom
less than six weeks.
This may seem like undue elaboration,
but such early preparation of magazines is
absolutely necessary, especially when tho
edition is large, in order to insure good
printing And, as matter of fact, no
more elaboration is possible under this
system than there would be under system
of late preparation, since the numbers are
only one month apart in any case. And
In ordinary times, when there is no single
overshadowing topic, like war, i'm the
public mind, there is little or no disadvan-
tage in advance preparation. The Christ
mas number can be got up as well in Sep
TENDER or the midsummer number in
February as later. In such times maya
zines need only TO be "scasonable," and
"timeliness" is rarely thought of.
Making u Magazine Up Twice.
The editors of some of the older maya
zines have not tried to change the usual
programme in getting up the current
number, apparently being satisfied to get
round to the war in the July or the Au-
gust issue, but the feeling of the men in
charge of the newer, lower priced period
icals has been different They have thought
1t absolutely necessary that the June num-
Der should be entirely up TO date and boil
ing over with war features and therein
has their trouble lain.
One of the editors told me today that the
June number of his periodical as original
ly planned was all well in hand when the
blockade of Cuba began, the articles all
being bought, edited and set, the proof
read, the drawings made, most of the en-
cravings finished, pages made up and part
of the electrotyping completed. Down to
that time there had been hope in the Office
of that magazine that there would be no
war after all, but as soon rs the hope was
seen 10 be futile a complete change of plan
for the June number was decided upon.
AT once every man on the editorial force
put on his thinking cap for the purpose Of
devising new and timely topics. Fresh
articles were ordered, and writers were
sent long distances in some instances for
the purpose of gathering the material there
for. In short, the orderly routine of the
Office was completely revolutionized, and
for days and days il seemed that the task
in hand was almost too big to be accom-
plished. Little by little, however, order
began to evolve itself from the chaos of
the situation, bit by bit the new number
took form, one by one the new articles
came in, step by step the work of reillus-
trating was accomplished, and line by line
the extra typesctting was done. Finally,
full month later than was expected, the
presses were started.
"And, F" said the editor proudly as he
exhibited an advance copy of the periodical
yesterday, 1--WE believe we have made ten
strike, for our June magazine is not only
timely, but it is well written, well illus
trated and well printed. 1t is triumph
of hustle in all its departments. AS an
index of the wonderful advance that has
been made in the art of printing rapidly
and well it is really wonderful. F"
A New Poet.
One of the June magazines, McClure's,
will introduce "a new poet, Mr.. James
Barnes, to the reading world. Mr.. Barnes
made his bow to the public as story
writer through the pages of Harper's Mag
azine some years ago, his tale, Loyal
Traitors, winning general approval. His
facility as a verse writer has never before
been exploited, however, nor has he been
generally suspected of cultivating the muse
at all.
Mr.. Barnes verses in the June Nc
Clure's cover several pages under a num-
Der of titles, and they all possess timely
quality i'm that they deal wholly or chiefly
with the officers and men who serve on
Uncle Sans modern steel fighting ships.
From a cursory reading / should say that
the work has been done well, and that the
lines possess both strength and unconven-
tionality. Moreover naval officer who
has read them assures me that intimate
knowledge of the subject is shown on the
part of the writer.
This latter was to have been expected
In fact, lack of nautical knowledge by Mr..
Barnes would have been matter of sur
prise, for he comes of good naval stock,
his father being Captain Barnes, u. s. NJ,
retired, while the noted Admiral Balm
bridge was his reat-grandfather. The
poet himself is about 80, New Yorker by
birth and graduate of Princeton. He
has never served in the navy, but he has
made many cruises, has spent much time
on naval vessels, and he could undoubtedly
pass rigid examination in all that per-
tains to the duties of "a naval officer.
War and the Bicycle Trade.
There seems TO be little doubt that the
bicycle business has been pretty hard hit
by the war and that what wheeling"
writer terms a shaking out of the trade"
Is imminent
This is not u matter for surprise when
1t is remembered that the 100, 900 and
more troops who have gone to the front
are all young and vigorous men-athletes
every one-a large percentage of whom are
enthusiastic whcelmen. Not few of these
men have sold their wheels at a sacrifice,
and the same may be said of thousands of
others not yet enlisted, but contemplating
enlistment in case Of second call. More
over, many women riders have lost much
of their enthusiasm for cycling since hus-
bands, brothers or lovers have been called
into the ranks, and these things have
brought about much decentralization of the
business.
Down to April the outlook was very
bright for the cycle makers and dealers In
spite Of the fact that there had been a cry
Of ovcrproduction. Since that time the
outlook has been growing worse with ev-
cry week, and today 1t is frankly admitted
that nothing will save the small and shaky
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