The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-14
THE LITERARY OUTLOOK.
ALARMING AMERICAN AGGRESS-
SIONs ON BRITISH EDITORSHIPS.


Iincss-ProfcSsor Harry ThurstOn
Peek and His Wonderful VcrsatiI-
ity-Mr. Vnchcn Gone 10 England.
The Most Popular Author NOW
WritinE-W. W. Jacobs Retire
ment TO Literary Ease.
New York. May BIS the editorial func-
ton in England about to pass entirely into
American hands? l don't ask the ques-
ton to stir an International consterna ton;
but. really, it presses for consideration.
Within d few weeks now Lady Randolph
Churchill will have launched her new
quarterly, the Anglo-Saxon; and if the
sounding terms OF the manifesto" are
one-half lived up to, it viii leave every
thing else in the way OF British periodi-
Gals pretty much out of sight. And Lady
Churchill though it is now twenty-five
years since she married away from US, is
an American. She showed her American
energy very soon after removing 10 Eng
land in the part she took in her husbands
political contests; and thereby had much
10 do, no doubt, with establishing new
political method in Engiand-that Of the
more or less active participation of the
danes" 90 adopt the designation sane
tined by the Primrose League in party
warfare. In the founding of the Prim-
rose League itself she also bore a very
important part. And in so doing she pre-
scented 70 the world the rather curious
spectacle Of an American promoting with
all possible fervor what at first view seem
cd a ratncr sentimental association in
alteration of Tory idol, Lord Beacons-
field and III support of an arlstocrauc
policy But this first view Of the Prm-
rose League had soon to be modified, and
some one has lately said that mo other
association has done so much TO demo-
cratize English society and 40 promote
the enfranchsement of woman" so
perhaps Lady Churchill was not so I'M
American in her primrose devotions as
she seemed. The same fervor that mark
ed them is now, apparently. going into the
organization Of the new magazine; and
one may safely predict that she viii do
with the Anglo-SaXon what Charles Dud-
ley Warner once predicted that Chicago
would do with culture-"make il hum"
Already another American, William
Waldorf Astor, has acquired quite a large
strip Of the British editorial province or
course. Mr. Aston has kindly given Eng
lshmen the opportunity 10 serve under
him, even admitting 10 his various STATS
some men whose need of the job was not
so unquestionabe but thai he might, with
out any special hard-heartedness, have
bid them apply TO their own countrymen
for employment No doubt Lady Church
ill viii be no less amiabie. Indeed. she
proclaims as much, naming as many as
half a dozen Englishmen who are TO be
given chance under her But, after all,
there is small comfort in this; one hates to
be subordinate. especially if one is Eng
lish. The next thing l expect to hear Is
that Lady Churchill and Mr. Aston opcr-
ating in conjunction with J. Pierpont Nor
gan (who even now is in Europe), and
Roswell p. Flower, have brought their
own publications. along with the London
Times and number Of others, into a
magnificent trust with preferred stock and
common stock, and no end of fun in the
markets.
Mr.. John A. Hill. the writer OF railroad
stories. isn't a starving. striving author
as some of his readers may have sur
missed, but a prosperous business man,
directing an important publication, Ameri-
can Machinist. and an extensive business:
and lately | went down 10 see him In q
new suite of offices and a new factory
TO which he has removed. The visit re-
peated a wonder that had first been re-
vealed 90 me on visits TO Mr.. Hill in his
earlier quarters-ar order the ike of which
l have never seen in any office, much less
printing and editorial Office and scarce
~ in any residence. The place looked
positively bare, it was so orderly. I could
not but remark upon it to Mr. Hin, and
ask for the comb nation" by which such
a miracle was wrought. He said that in
his carly days as an editor and publisher
he decided that there was no good reason
why an editorial or publishing office should
not be kept as neat as any, and he set
about to work some change in his own
Al first he aimed only al little straight
ening up" and the exaction of a little
more care for the future. But he very
soon found that this only mended things
for the moment; before long the same old
habits of neglect on the part of occupants
and caretakers reasserted themselves and
the place was in as greet disorder as ever
Then he resolved to make disorder q real
crime and pursue IL and extlnguish II down
10 its smallest manifestations And he
has. In the offices desks are so clear OF
accumulated papers and books that they
look TO be scarcely in use and the press
and composing rooms, in their way, are
as Sunday-clear of litter as the offices. OF
everybody and at every point 4he extrem-
est orderilessNis exacted with as much rigor
as abroad a man-of-war. This sort Of
precision in man who has run locomo-
tives in every part of the country, from
Massachusetts 90 California, leading often
the toughest and most adventurous OF out
of-door lives, one who also is a writer
with not a little of the free, easy-goine
temperament of the cla2s-seems to ms
very interesting.
Prof. Harry Thurston Peck is soon to
bring out volume OF his poems. He
has been a wel-known contributor OF
poems to the periodicals for some years
bur this will be his first collection Nc
doubt when II appears, it will be made
the opportunity for a return game
with Prof. Peck by some of the person.
who have suffered from his own trench.
ancy as reviewer. But this will no.
disturb him greatly. for those who know
him Intimately say that he rather relishe,
the fire of criticism and that he can take
blows as handsomely as he gives them
That ruthlessness. however. that he some
times shows rather unpleasantly, with 8
pen seems not to he of the essential chnr
ncter OF the man, for in his personal re.
latlO0S he has nftpD oaep y-a~.r