Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-09
MAGAZINES, OLD AND NEW.
Contrast Between Those of Fifty Years
Ago and Now.
From the Philadelphia Recor,

From the Philadeipnla hecoru.
The contrast between the American mag
azines of fifty years ago and those of to-
day is so marked that it will impress the
most careless reader. Take bound volume
of Putnam's Magazine from the shelves OF
a public library, free it from it's layer of
dust turn its following pages. and lol you
are confronted with some of the most ia
nous names in the literature of the nine
tenth century Contrast this treasury OF
wit, humor pathos and sentiment-em-
bodied in the clearest of English prose. In
the most musical English yerse-with the
current number of a magazine of today, and
the unfavorable gulf set between the two
periods will at once be apparent. The great
names of literature have given place to
those of men and women who have gained
a passing notoriety through good or bad
fortune.
A successful Wall street broker is travel
ing for health and pleasure. and In noun
famous country Of eastern Europe is cap
tured by bandits. The bandits, In a BUSH
nessike manner. demand $4,000 as ransom;
otherwise the American traveller will re-
turn to his sorrowing family and friends
minus his ears. Negotiations are entered
into with the outlaws, and after long de-
lays, during which the brokers' precious
ears are constantly threatened the money
Is paid, and he returns in unmutilated
condition to his office in Wall street. But
his adventures have made him famous
in their demands that he shall tell the story
of his capture and retention by the bandits
in his own way. Their ordinary rates of
payment shall not stand in the way of this
much desired contribution; the manuscript.
If accompanied by photographs of his emf
nent ears, will be paid for at his own val
uat ton
The Wall street broker being a man of
business. If not a man of letters, writes the
desired article or series of articles and re-
ceives in return a check that satisfies even
his own conception of the value of his work.
His eminent ears are photo-engraved for the
public edifcation, and all that can possibly
be made known of his perilous adventures
are given to the waiting. The result is dou-
ble-distilled dullness, presented in the most
unattractive form, and without the slight
est natural or acquired literary aptitude.
But the editor believes that he has satisfied
the curiosity of the readers of the maya
zine of which he has control: from his point
of view, the lasting value of the article for
which he paid so high price does not enter
into the question And when the eminent
ears of the Wall street broker have ceased
to interest a tickle public the frost bitten
nose of an Arctic explorer may be used az q
substitute. --..
There can be no doubt that a famous or
notorious name adds a seeming Importance
and weight to a magazine article however
lacking IL may be In interest attractive
ness of treatment: and contribution which
on its intrinsic merits would be rejected is
published " 1t bears the name of some ce-
lebrity of the hour. OF course, readers are
primarily to blame for this state of things
They yearn for names with which they are
familiar. and the editors of popular maya
zines endeayor to satisfy them as a mere
matter of business. The question of literary
culture is not considered either in the edi-
torial rooms or by the purchasers of the
periodicals of today. And 1t must be ad-
farther than the most dulcet notes OF Pans
pipes. -s~f..