Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-15
No TINE FOR CORRECTION S
LightOn's Erratio Article in Alta nti
Monthly Goes Unanswered.
MAGAZINE EDITORS IN sELF-DEFENSE
They Assert that Their Descriptive
Writers Are 81 UniformIy Inac-
curate that R~eJOinders
Fairly swamp Them.

The severe structures upon Omaha which
recently appeared in the Atlantic Monthly
and which created such resentment in this
city have been brought 10 the attention Of
the editors Of the magazine. but they DO
not want to give space to a reply. A week
ego Victor Rosewater telegrsphed the edi-
tors asking permission to make corrections
and received an adverse answer. He did
not stop with this, but wrote to the editors
on the subject, the following correspond
ence showing the position taken:
OMAHA, April T.-Editor Atlantic
Monthly Boston-Dear Sir: / regret that
your answer TO my telegram is adverse 70
my request for an opportunity to correct
through your magazine some Of the mis-
representations embodied in Mr.. Ighton's
article on Omaha in your April number. end
hope you Will see your way clear TO IRE
The people OF Omaha who have had the
article in question called to their atteu-
think are uncalled-for reflections on our
city and its people. II you have any doubts
Of this you can readily ascertain the feel
ing by corresponding with the agents who
handle your publications here. l am sure
that, although IT will be merely a matter
of Justice after an injury has been in
hicted, a favorable response to my request
will be appreciated by your readers here as
an indication that you wish TO deal fairly
While 1 assume to myself no special au-
thority to champion Omaha, l am prompted
~ i ~ 1Ou bttdlEt = UtlabNb L all
familiar with the past and present condi-
lions here. AS to my literary style, l would
refer you to the chapter on Omaha In the
their Historic Towns" series. Trusting
you Will give the request more serious con-
sideration, I am, very truly yours,
VICTOR ROSEWATER. d.
The reply is as follows:
BOSTON, April 10-Dr. Victor Rosewater.
Omaha-Dear Sir: We have your letter of
April Z and appreciate your reasons for de-
string to make reply to Mr.. Lighton's ar
ticle. There are, however, great difficulties
from our point OF view, In printing re.
joinders to these descriptive articles about
cities and states which have been appear
ing In the magazine.
The ordinary conditions of magazine pub.
ucation make 1t necessary that at least
three months, and usually four months,
must elapse between the publication of the
original article and the reply. BY that
time most people have lost interest In the
for Example our June number Is made up
and we could not possibly print anything
about Omaha until July or August.
In the second place, we have found tina
no matter how carefully we select the
writer of such papers and how diligent we
may be In avoiding what seems to us con
please all of the inhabitants Of any. par.
ticular section of the country. Indeed, the
Atlantic's descriptive papers have uni.
formly called forth so many ~rejoinders tina
we should have been obliged in mere self
defense, IL for NJ other reason, to ask oul
critics to print their ~reioinders elsewhere,
into the question of Mr.. Lighton's &C
curacy. AS a resident of Omaha, however
we supposed that ne was a competent per
son to prepare the article in question; II
our opinion. whatever qualification and re
buttai of his statements may prove de
sirable can be made much more effectively
through the daily press than by means Of
THE