The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-08
AMATEUR NEWsPAPERDOM.
Both Grny-HaIred Men and School
Boys Among the Journalists.

New York Evening Post.
The National Amateur Press Association,
the name OF which is abbreviated by its
more indolent members. in speech as well
as in print. to THE Napa," has arranged to
hold its twenty-seventh annual convention
in this city next July. To the editors of
amateur papers, except those affiliated with
rival associations, the convention every
year is the ali-absorblng topic of editorial
and news columns for three months before
hand and two months afterward.
Since an amateur paper circulates almost
exclusively among the editors OF other
amateur papers. outsiders seldom notice
that there such publications at all.
Amateur journalism is, however, an institu-
ton Of long standing in this country. 1t
claims, in fact, TO have begun in 1872, when
a small four-page paper, called the Weekly
Portfolio, was issued in Philadelphia by a
certain Thomas G.. Condie, or Cundie, who
seems TO be about as mythical a character
as Cadmus, for there are now grave doubts
that he ever existed. There is no dispute
that In 1920, Nathaniel Hawthorne, then
sixteen years old. issued his little magazine
the Spectator. By 1865 there were Al least
fifteen amateur monthlies. and in 1869 the
Amateur Press Association was formed in
this city at the house Of Charles Scribner.
whose son, Charles Scribner, jr., was
CHOSEN its president. The National Amateur
Press Association was formed at the Cen
tennial celebration at Philadelphia on July
4, 1876, with membership Of about seventy
i've. A reunion OF some Of the founders
was held a month ago in Philadelphia.
There are about 400 members now.
That the same association should con-
tain at once gray-haired men. who have
kept up the prince of hobbies from their
hrerr hoo IL I'D
tions, and schoolbOys starting fOur-page
sheets on hand presses, brings about
more or less anomalous condition Of affairs.
This diversity of membership in the ma
ttOnal association seems to be the real
underlying cause of the bitter defensive
fight which IL Is now waging against the
United Amateur Press Association. a
younger rival The word kids" seems
fairly to test the gist of the n. A. 2. A. 5
arguments, and the word fossils" that OF
the u. a Z. A. Between elections OF Of
ficers there is plenty Of time for the handy
ing of epithets, and the form of the attack
is often varied. Eugene Fields primer
form is initiated TO furnish ammunition, as
follows:
What Funny bits of Paper Did you tear
them up TO See how Small and how Dirty
you could Get them? No, indeed; these
are more, Just a Little more, than Mere
bits OF Dirty Paper. They are a COllec-
ton OF the Representative Papers issued by
the Members of the United Amateur Press
ASSOcia ton.
AS the amateur papers touch very rarely
on national or international topics, or, In
deed, any matters that are treated by the
professional press, stranger is likely 10
wonder what the editors find 10 write
about. First of all there are the campaigns
for office, which last almost the entire year.
Many OF the papers print at the head or the
editorial page the ticket they support.
There is relatively just as much talk and
argument over the candidates principles
and personalities as there IS In nauohal
presidential campaign. few years ago
the oVershadowing issue was the changing
of the size of the National Amateur, the
official organ of the association, and the
fixing of a standard size for all the papers
so that they would make neat shelf
of books when bound. over this agitation
gallons of ink were spilled. when - as
serts," wrote one candidate. with fine In
dignation, that the position held in the
fight was based on an Interpretation or the
constitution, or when he asserts that |
maintained that the issuing of the National
Amateur, uniform size, was according TO
the constitution, he never told more de-
liberate untruth in his life"
Whether return postage should be en-
closed letters to the national officers has
Seen another burning question. A GER
the fact that the association was once in
debt to the amount of $l7.60. Personalities,
entirely Unintelligible except to the in
itiated, are the rule everywhere, and the
journalism that Mark Twain wrote OF in
Tennessee could hardly have been higher
in expletive and vituperation than are
some Of the amateur journals.
rateships" are awarded for editorials,
poems. and fiction. A good share of the
Literary" contributions for the year are
headed, Entered for such and such
Laureateship, n. A. P. A Some OF the
papers contain at times little except poetry.
Others are hlled from cover TO cover with
short stories usually much worse than the
verse. "Old Ben's Child" bit OF fiction
In one of the smaller sheets, begins in
this wise:
Can't. WalIingford stood on the deck of
he nil 81 in mood
cant gaze riVited on the sparkling waters
of the bay. His thoughts however, were
drifting in another channel entirely, and by
the far-away look in his deep, blue eyes
II was evident that his soul was anywhere
but on the deck OF the schooner.
Ever since 1873, when, apparently, it first
daWned on a United States postmaster gem
eral that amateur publications really con-
stituted class by themselves, there has
been trouble periodically over the obtaining
of second-class postage rates by the tradi-
tiOnal hoy with a printing press 1t has
generally been the practice 10 accord the
cent-a-pound privilege only 10 those papers
that had actual paid subscription list.
The older and more ambitious ones had no
trouble on this account but the new ones
sometimes had hard time, even at 10 cents
a year However, sisters and cousins and
aunts' enough are usually 10 be found 10
give at least a semblance of a paid sub
scriptiOn roll To pay cent apiece on an
edition OF three or four hundred copies Is an
EXPENSE that falls heavily on the publishers.
though there are good many rich mems
sons among them
At a cent a pound the months bill for
mailing is ridiculously small. The govern
ment does not skip little things, however,
and the same huge bill forms, with their
imposing headings. are used even though
the amount due is only cents or cents.
as sometimes happens.
Compliance with the requirement that
copies be issued at regular intervals Is
most difficult OF all. When neither sub
scribers nor advertisers are considered, TO
publish only when the spirit moves is an
impulse that is only too often yielded 10.
Some of the magazines which pride them
selves on their absolute regularity of APP
pearance have made the rule of exchang-
ing only copy for copy with their weaker
brethren. This saves postage and makes
great impression.
Whether 10 call these more elaborate
periodicals amateur or professional is
sometimes a delicate question. Often by
natural increase OF popularity. they be-
come, in time, self-sustaining magazinelets.
In at least one case the editor is supported
entirely by his paper Such publication
surely is agreeahlV in contrast with the