The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-02-24

Foremost in this spirit contribution to
the magazine stand the four Harper
brothers-James, with his Lincolnian rug
gedness Of countenance; John, whose pic
| ture Immediately suggests Carlyle; JOS
eph, whose straight, firm lips and level
eye must have made new authors, with
whom 1t. was his rprovince to deal;3 cringe
and perhaps wish they chad, taken their
manuscripts elsewhere, and Fletcher, "a
master in Journalism" who gave the
monthly that early character, the essence
OF which Is Observation-Disclosures to the
good Judgment Of his successors-until
the present day, Tho these men speak
not IN audible whispers even,, their in
huence is. still a thing. profoundly felt
and definitely shaping the present char
acter of the magazine, which is today
read with delight by hundreds of thou
sands. ~. -. .rs-ssssa .rs... ;.
The spiritual force Of the, four :e"'orig-
maj Harpers" of theo publishing house
bearing their name, ~ s7 doubtless COM
municated chiefly thru the present edi-
tor, Mr.. Alden, whojfo more than fifty
years has been an important influence in
the making of the mag azine, and, since
the death Of thei1ast off, the - original
|duartet Of Harpersfan }1s77y has preserved
the traditions of the House, on the rnaga
zine side at, least, fanT ef7ief ,anong those
| traditions that Of adaptabi1ity5 In the
| creation Of a periodical which would be
addressed to all readers Of average intel
ilgence, having for its. purpose their en-
terta1nment and illumina ton meeting in
general way the varied claims OF their
human nan Intellect and .sensibility, and I'M
thls9 accommodation following the lines
Of their aspiration" ~ ss ..>,I-iY H7sfSS
It is Mr.. Alden who occupies the real
haunted room of the iron built, fire-proof
(the first Of the kind In New York cityI
mouse OF Harpers, and that roona-it is
not a; room Of elegant finish and furnish
lngs. No stained glass converts the light
from without to dim, religious" tones. or
TO a literary gloom; no elegant and rich :
Ethru-age Wainscoting protects it's walls:
no no. hand carved furniture delights the
eye no rare and nd costly books look, Out
iron. i9bookshelyesesof 81 .halloWed associa
lions; no alcoves offer retreat for the edi-
tor from his workbench desk. There is no
room for alcoves The room is scarcely
SxlO feet in size. Its wall, or the two of
them that divide the room from the
outer office, where the assistants labor,
d are OF pine, once painted white but now a
I d1ngy gray. The one window is of small
panes Of glass---rlot French, plate-and
1 the lower panes are painted yellowish
white to shut :out the view Of the ele-
vated trestle, which runs almost close
enough to the window to enable one IL
| touch the hands Of passengers as the
trains go crashing and Changing past
The view Is shut out, but not the noise
and one is amazed that the editor, when
4 the 3elevated was built. did not sue out ar
| injunction to prevent the lines being
built On that street, Pearl street-why, is
Ia Mystery, or failing in that; why he
did not move to- some other part of the
building. Perhaps he was afraid the
spirits of good that inhabited the place
would feel less at home elsewhere.
i The furnishings Of this literary holy OF
HOLES are a plainest of plain, old wal.
q nut \ desk-not roll-top; two chairs
also modern antiques of the utmost sim
pl1city, tho in the seat Of the editors
chair Is a very modern pneumatic cush.
lon, resembling a circular life reserver
Isome very plain and cheap bookshelves
without doors, on which stand rows O,
dusty reference books, and three pictures
Over the desk is the most important Of
these pictures-an oil portrait Of Charles
Reade, the fayorite Of the author, in his
will bequeathed to the Messrs. Harper
Over the chair FOR the editors visitors
hangs q portrait. "a large photograph as
we recall it,; Of Charles Dudley Warner
for a long time the writer Of the ''Edi.
/ tors Study and facing the picture Of
Mr.. Warner from across the little den Is
Lone Of w. d. Howells, the present occu.
pant of the Easy, Chair so long anC
happily filled by George William Curtis
The Easy Chair" r. asked to see it,. not
its occupant, but it'is thing not for pro.
fame eyes &
When one remembers that in this little
room have met the editor so many who
have made, or contributed to the making
Iof, the literary history of America and ir
Ino small degree3toS the making of the his.
Itory Of the nation, in much wider sense
fhe admits the warrant for calling the
place holy Of holies"
4 Unfortunately for me, Mr.. Alden was
Iabroad when called. 1t was a pleasure
4 however, to be- introduced to the place
and it's spirits by famous Minneapolitan
Mr.. T. b. Wells, who is looking after 4le
editorial end Of the magazine in the alb.
Isence of Mr.. Alden s .ss
Just without the chamber door ofSDIr
Alden is the space assigned his assist
lants, and near that Is the editoria
workshop OF Harper's Weekly. It look.
much like the reporters room OF TIL.
Minneapolis Journal On the floor abov.
q is the sanctum of the Bazaar, and down
stairs. on the main floor, Just off the i'm
mense counting room Of the company, Il
the private office of Colonel Harvey, edi
tor of the Weekly and owner Of tn,
4 North American Review. Colonel Har
vey's office is in keeping with literar.
l traditions. It is rich library, furnished