The Saint Paul globe., 1904-10-30


e. HE present time methods of mag
azines are entirely unlike those
of an older day. Time was when
the reader paid his money, read
the magazine and there his connection
with the public began and ended. But
the way it is done now is to allow read
ers to write open letters to the editor
and say what they do and do not like
and the opinions given are used as
guide by the publishers. This is, of
course a trick, but it is an excellent
one. Not so very long ago, a year or
two perhaps, Golfers Weekly asked
for opinions of it's departments from
its readers and literally made itself
over to suit them. One of its depart
ments had been devoted to social sci
ence and the interests of women, but
in the letters received the consensus of
opinion seemed to be that the least in
teresting thing in the paper was the
womans department and they straight
way abolished it. 1t can easily be seen
that the writer's were men. Further
more, they strengthened as much as
possible the particular departments
that the majority of the letters recon-
mended. This departure has been emu
lated by other publications and now
you can have a magazine run to suit
yourself if only you can influence your
friends to ask for the same. The
printing Of harsh, critical letters is also
a modern innovation, as well as the
heart to heart talk with the publishers
generally put in the back pages in
which they tell you of how tremendous
ly their circulation has grown, what
capacity their machines have and what
the senior editor remarked to the junior
editor about their prosperity and how
in the world they We're going to man
age about the Christmas number. This
is all very naive and entertaining and
the editors we'll know that the first
page turned to by some readers is that
intimate little chat by the publishers.
For the confidential air of telling you
something which you should not know,
takes a great many persons, and the
weakness of the average man or woman
for getting behind the scenes and find
ing out things which the general pub
lie is not supposed to know is most
successful trick Everybody's is now
working that scheme to the very limit
in the "FrenZied Finance" articles, for
it prints not only the letters sent to
Mr.. Lawson, anent his revelations, but
any criticisms or hints to the publish
ers. This is another evidence that it
is the real things of life which the pub
lie wants to know about; what real
people said or did, and the details of
their private lives. It is this which
makes the Lawson articles so sought
for. even more than the fact of what he
is telling. For he is writing real his
tory of real people and as long as the
world stands the public will clamor
for it.
We must expect very soon an influx
of worlds fair stories, as every large
event of that kind is reflected in the
fiction of the time. Signs of this are
already appearing in the magazines:
Samantha at the st. Louis EXPOSE
tion," in Pearsons, is a very amusing
contribution on the subject by Josiah
Aliens wife, in which she gives in her
quaint way a good account of what
she saw. She stopped at the Inside
inn, and the great perplexity of Josiah
there was a tree running up through
their room! This was not to be toll
Grated, quoth Josiah, but his wife
agement, as she found it most conven-
lent to hang things upon. They rode
about on the '.intra moral cars, saw
many strange and curious things ut
terly unaware that they themselves
formed a rare exhibit which attracted
many of the visitors. They were ac-
companied by a cousin from the truly
rural district from which they hailed,
als,r.r
way of falling in love with any and
every man who gave her civil word,
so that Samantha had her hands full
between trying to repress Josiah when
he wanted to settle with his fists each
overcharge. and looking after the cousin
who met her fate in each official or
doorkeeper. 1t is written in the usual
breezy style of Josiah Aliens Wife
-
The Closed Book-By William LIE Queux
The Smart Set Publishing Co. For sale
by ST Paul Book and Stationery COM
pany.
It may seem little late for the Sc
cret of the wicked Borgias to be reveal
ed to mankind, but here we have the
whole story of their crimes told in the
most circumstantial manner, the result
being a thrilling and absorbing tale.
The story opens in Florence where we
find the hero, Allen Kennedy, engaged
in search of precious old manuscripts
and other antiques. An Italian hunch-
back, whose interest in old things is
equal to his own, tells him of curious
manuscript in possession of priest he
knows and Allen goes to visit him and
discovers that the book is indeed a
treasure. being nothing less than the
3ost Armoldus. a most curious Borgian
relic, collectors had been in search of
for centuries The priest is not in
clined to rut up the price, so Allen
obtains the book, but his curiosity is
aroused by the fact that before the
Englishman leaves him. the priest begs
him not to buy the manuscript ana
hints vaguely at evil hap which fol-
lows the possessors of 1t. But Allen
refuses to be alarmed and takes his,
precious treasure home with him and
\ -ce starts to transnrihA and trans