The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-25
IT'S FUN TO Be A TOY EDITOR.
LOTS or PAPERS PRINTED BY
YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN.
More Than 500 Members in the National
Amateur Press AssOciatiOn--S0me
Elaborate Publications Got Out--Others
lust Leafets--What They Print.

Amateur Press AssOciatiOn-SOme
Elaborate Publications Got Out-Others
Just Leanets--What They Print.
Probably no small boy ever owned
toy printing press without having the
desire for bigger press 80 that he could
become editor, reporter and printer OF
lis own newspaper There are hundreds
Of persons in this country to-day who are
exemplifying that desire and they are
not boys either. They call their fad ANA
teur Journalism, and In their papers they
rrint their own views and the contributions
of their friends and get as much fun out
of their hobby as a millionaire gets out
Of his steam yacht,
Through the National Amateur Press
Association, to which most OF the toy Jour
nalists belong, they get circulation OF
more than 900 for their papers, and their
publications are read all over the country.
Every year the toy Journalists have
convention at which they discuss improve
ments in their papers, award prizes for
the best stories and poems and discuss
means for getting more to embark In the
field and experience the delight in 1t. The
last convention met at Chica go last July
and at 1t we're more than 300 toy edi-
tors who had come from all over the
country THE next convention Is to be
at San Francisco and the attendance is
expected to be even larger.
Nine-tenths Of the owners, publishers
and editors Of toy papers now belong to the
National Amateur Press Association. Their
organization isn't incorporated, but 1t has
L. ptv- oh
founder was James NJ Beck, the Phiia-
delphm lawyer and Assistant Attorney
General of the United States.
Mr.. Beck was an enthusiastic toy jour-
nalist in his younger days. 1t is said that
even now he is very much interested in the
fad and reads good many Of the toy
papers.
Recently he wrote for n souvenir number
Of one paper en- arti cle in which he at
tributed much Of his success in life to his
efforts in amateur Journalism. II eforded
him an opportunity to learn to write fu-
emily and discuss current topics, he said.
Mr. Beck, when he was running an amateur
paper got a lot OF others who were doing
the same thing to exchange papers with
him, and out Of this grew the assocn-
ton.
The owners Of toy papers say that the
fad is an education as we'll as a pleasure
and the cost can easily be proportioned to
ones means Some of the amateur editors
get out papers that are nothing more than
leaflets at irregular intervals. majority
do their own printing.
A printing press can be bought for from
SIS up. With such press boy can get
out parer in which be en- air his views
and send them to every one of the associa-
tons 800 members.
While the cost Of toy journalism on that
scale is uncomfortable many so into it much
more heavily. Some, IN lact, print little
magazines of twenty, thirty or even sixty
pages with neat covers and containing
stories. poetry and even small cuts IT Il
q condition that ali tine contributors shall
be amateurs that is, hat they shall not
write for u living.
One publication of ambitious scope il
called Fiction and is got out by young man
in Brooklyn named Wills 1t Is devoted ia
short fiction stories written by himself
and his friends.
1t IL tastefuIly bound and costs him about
$500 a year, az he does not print 1t himself
He il young LAWYER and says that he ge.e
run worth twice that out Of II.
The president Of the association, Foster
GilrOy, 10 young man VINO hVes al IAhs-
s1owne, Pa, and gets out a paper whose
Typographical features would DE credit
20 a big printing house. II is called tho
Styius, He has his own press and sets NJ
livery biz of the type himself
There are fourteen pages usually in ar
issue, and IN these are short stories, jokes
some verse and usually some small illusL ra
tions Editor Gilroy even makes use O
minated capitals
This is the second year Of the Sfyius
Young Gilr0y announces on the front pag,
hat il u published occasionally" In IN,
last pumi O. he mad an editorial complain
ing bitterly because San Francisco will go
he next convention while the ~ lou
Fair managers offered a special day should
the convention bs held there, This viii
'robAbly lead To an editorial discussion