The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-03-19
n 1
I Tile
kCR[y BOEA.
By.W.tP. lakewood.

JoURNEYINos AMONG THE MAoA-
ZINES NO. 16.-THE ES-
TA8LlsHlNG OF A MAGAZINE IN THE
March 16.-The es-
tablishing of a magazine Of general inter-.
est In the west has been tried more than
once and resulted in failures In other
cases the, project has tempted but those.
tempted have recoieds from the task, In
light OF this It took some daring on the
part, Of the Bobbs- Merrill company of In
dianapolis to enter aupon such a venture,
but daring was, as it still is, one of the
valuable assets Of the company, and the
plan was undertaken. The Reader Maya
zine, OF today, a success, Is the result.
| The Reader is a magazine Of general in
terest. It Is not a magazine of criticism.
1t Is not a review. tits not a western
magazine. 1t Is a magazine Of high class
literature whose home is in the west. The
Reader was begun with no very definite
policy. 3 The matter of policy was left
open at the outset; it was to take shape
as experience dictated With this under
standing H. H.. Rowland, one of the
literary advisers Of the company was
made editor and told to. give, battle on an
unconquered field He was ITO -, come
home with his shield or on it," Having con-
Quered the, original field, he has not: come
home, but Is, carrying the war into new
fields, still in possession. Of his shield.
With his advance, Mr.. Rowland. has
gradually formed a. policy. His final cri-
terlon as to what to, put, into the Reader
has been his own preference. He has
come to feel that what interests him will
interest others. Therefore, if a thing
takes grip on his attention and is suit
liable magazine material, into the magazine
1t goes. He goes after it unless 1t has
already come to hand In commendable
form. Being man. Of catholic taste,
he has succeeded upon this line. He be-
lieves that had he followed the only other
course open to him. and begun to ask
himself, would this or that thing appeal
to the wider number begun to trim and
hedge, he would have tied his hands
1 paralyzed his effort and become COW.
| ard. The question has been, not what
, someone else would do in like circum.
. stances but what was the thing to do as
ne saw it. This decided, Mr.. Rowland
has acted with vigor and courage. Sue
cess could. hardly fail to run to meet g
method so direct and sane.
Personally, Mr.. Rowland is a man such
as it delights one to meet The gray ha:
begun to show on his temples but there
; is no sign Of waning enthusiasm in the
mans bearing or for his work. Like
George Horace Lorimer of the. SATURDAY
Evening Post, Mr. Rowland had valu
able business experience before he re-
sponded to the call of letters, and it i:
OF Interest that lit was in the same line
OF. business, Mr. = Rowland being a. pro
Z vision broker at the same time that Mr.
"a Lorimer was travelling for Armour & Co
Perhaps this business experience has :hat
something to do with Mr.. Howlands dis
position to avoid blowing trumpets II
the market places over: the progress hi.
magazine, has made He prefers to take
the time and effort, that trumpet bowins
would require, for climbing AS he ad
Nances the quality of the magazine eacl
month he SETS new standards TOWARD
Il which to climb, finds some new. ans
higher and brighter star to which. t
D hitch his wagon? rc.-. O.. 90 -:
2 The office Of the Reader Is in the hear
: OF Indianapolis. :;sDownstairs is "a fin
bookstore On the second ifloors of tn
pulldlng are the offices Of the book pub
fishing department Of the Bobbs- merrill
a company, AND oneths thittl. foor the Read
eras editorial roorfs, Mr. Howland's offie
looks out on eWashington street, one O
j. the busiest of the city,, roaring wit
p trolley cars, heavy trucks, and ,fussy au
tomobiles.i Only a short distance away
o the famous indianapolis soldierss mon
ument, and but a little farther is tn
e American, and has been the center of
remarkable literary activity. Jane
Whitcomb Riley, Booth Tarkington. Meri
d1th Nicholson and others have made \
their home. Mr.. Riley is a daily yisfto
at the Reader office. 1t is not surpris
g ing that the literary activity of the pIa 6
r should have resulted in the initial impe
tus, That set the Reader magazine goin
and in the. support that has followed
:. and doubtless aided good deal in max
ing It the success 1T is. - >-'>-'. +>@0@
81