Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-03-15

cyclopaedia Vatican, and not long
thereafter from an English person, in
quiries for the English rights Of
'BIase Tales the nearest approach to
which they could offer being Stewart
Edward Whites 'Blazed Trail"
There is sound sense as well as good
natured raillery in a New York Sun
editorial addressed to the tens of
thousands of Gifted Hopkinses in the
country. Says the Sun:
An article in the Independent on
Literary Aspirants and Magazine
Editors" may be received with doubt
ful joy and even with dismay by the
magazine editors, although the author
is described as one of those sceptre-
bearing kings of literature. His know
ledge of mis- subject is necessarily am
pie. His advice is sound and kind; and
probably it will not be taken. 1t
ought 20 he obvious to everybody who
thinks he has great thoughts to COM
nit to pen or typewriter that he must
suit his goods to his market. Consider
the ways Of the ma gaZines and be wise.
says the kindly editor. When you are
in Labor with an article of any kind.
criticism. essay, description travel or
what not, anything save fiction or
verse, perpcnd what ma gaZine is like
" to want that sort of article. and
write the editor: Sir or Madam. do you
want such-and-s Il piece? If so,
how much of it do you want? Thus
may postage stamps be saved. Even
then, the odds against your breaking
into that magazine are great.
AT present there is q demand for
good special articles, especially on Am
erican topics which is hard to supply"
A word to the wise. Thousands of res
olute men and women will strive to
satisfy that demand. This magazine
editor may be swamped with many
innocent colleagues on the sea of man.
uscripts which he invites.
Before that catastrOphy comes,
listen to the words of truth and sober
ness. Take magazine of 100 pages
and notice the distribution of the
stuff" Serials, 40 pages: illustra-
tons. so; departments TO IL. Aver
age total. 50. Remaining for all other
contributions whatsoever, IS pages, OF
which weli-known persons will occupy
a good deal. The magazine editor de-
tends the great contributors against
the doubt or envy of the Aspirant. Per
haps the latter will not be convinced.
This is not the frame of mind in
which a deserving Literary Aspirant
should seek to be. The thing for him
to stamp upon the tables of his men,
DRY is that in the course of year the
magazine of 160 pages will publish
perhaps $50 contributions from new
writers. In that year it will receive
more than Il, 900 volunteer manuscripts.
Many are called but few are chosen.
The magazine editor estimates that
there are in the country perhaps hun
dred thousand occasional contributors
of manuscripts to the periodicals.
Probably much too low an estimate.
The experienced literary man" who
puts the number of amateur verse
makers in the United States at two
hundred thousand" was far too
cautious, in our opinion. There must
he Mt least two millions, and we
shouldn't be surprised if there were
seven millions.
OF the $1,000 manuscripts, so per
cent. are verses. If Gifted Hopkins
has any horse sense, he will hang up
his fiddle and his bow and pound out
prose. word to Gifted. Every
mayazine has its cruel load of manu-
script examined carefully. Not often
is there a needle in the haystack. a
pearl in all that monstrous collection
of shells. but the editor is paid to be
patient He and his fellow sufferers
long to discover an unknown genius
even as the hart longeth for the
water brooks. Scratch, pens. Thump
b;.rh your contributions around the
faithful editor.
MOSCOW has the largest hospital in
| europe. with 1000 beds. There are 90
nbvsicians and 800 nurses, and about