The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-06
THERE ARE MANY
 FREAK JOURNALS Newspapers Published for Beg
 gars and Bachelors ALSO ENGAGED COUPLES Mendicants' Journals Have Large Circulation Bathers' Courier
 Waterproof-English Hang
 men Have Paper.
ALSO ENGAGED COUPLES

or less reputaDle ana auliolltdtlNN' o"' nearly always interesting to the curious. It would appear that the publication Of ..freak" periodicals, magazines and jour nals find a profitable field throughout the world, inasmuch as a goodly number ot them have their birth in foreign coun- tries though the United States furnishes it's due quota.
 The first of these odd sheets devoted to the "interests' of engaged couples ap- peared a few years ago in Paris, and while at first thought it might be sup posed that it's field would be quite limited, it nevertheless prospers. Agents in the service of the journal are employed at various points in France collecting items of interest to folks who have contracted to marry. In each issue there are set forth fin the paper the names, addresses, and other information concerning en- gagged couples. Each maiden mentioned receives a free subscription for a limited period The real beneficiaries of this publication are the tradesmen taking the paper, inasmuch as they are able to ap- proach the girl intending to marry with more or less alluring Inducements in the way of materials for trousseaus etc.
 Journal for the Engaged.
 Against the papers for the engaged there may be cited, as an effect, jour nal for bachelors, printed in the United States This periodical was the idea of members of a bachelors club in an east ern city. and it's columns are given over to articles from the pens of gentlemen fond of argument in support of the bless edness of "The Single Life which is in fact, the name of the paper A stand ing caption in this paper is a quotation from Rudyard Kipling who. as bach elor declared that The travels farthest who travels alone" The original sheet, devoted exclusively to the 'interests'' of beggars was born in Paris This paper. entitled Le Bon Guide, affords daily complete list of the baptisms weddings and funerals to take 1 place in Paris on that day, in order that I its patrons may be well posted as to ia | vorable localities wherein to pursue the
 days work"
 For begging letter writers Le Bon Guide l publishes a list of the addresses, arrivals :, and departures of travellers known to be l of charitable dispositions.
 Beeears Have Organ.
 l The beggars in London, too have their
 organ, but it is not of so high class a
 nature as the. Parisian publication The
 English Beggars Journal is weekly and
 brides itself on the exclusive character
 of it's information. It is unique in that it
 is written not printed. by mmeograph,
 the paper employed being the coarse
 brown variety commonly used by butch CTS and grocers in which to wrap their ! wares.
 There are lots of other papers for beg l gars published in various foreign eoun-
 tries and in the United States, too, but
 the French and English sheets are re-
 markable by reason of their enormous
 subscription lists and for the unquestioG- able influence they exert.
 Another queer French journal which 1 died not long ago was Le Bien Etre. | whose sole object for existence seemed l to be an old-age pension scheme. To sub i scribers who should die at the expiration l of 40 years Le Ben Etre offered free l burial.
 l Le Courier des Baigneurs CBathers' 1 Courier) is the product of a well-known 1 French seaside resort It is printed on l waterproof paper, the inducement to buy
 being predicated evidently on the idea 1 that the bather may take his journal into the ocean with him and so enjoy it's pe- l rusal while bathing.
 1 On the other side of the Pyrenees the ] Madrilenes have their freak paper in the 1 shape of the Luminaria, which. it is 1 claimed, is printed in ink containing an l amount of phosphorus which enables the 1 reader to peruse 1t in the dark. Newspaper for Rheumatics. l There are any number of medical jour l nals in the world, but perhaps the only paper devoted exclusively to the dissem- 1 inaton of information touching a partie- l ular disease is that published in Ger 1 man city. The publication carries as title l the German equivalent for rheumatism " ! and 1t is claimed that only specially aual- l flied experts are permitted to contribute i to its columns.
 ! London is also the home of the Money 1 Lenders Gazette, the title of which suf l ficiently indicates it's raison d'etre. Sim 1 liar publications are to be had in Vienna l Paris and Rotterdam
 Publications, obviously not of a partlc- i ularly cheerful nature, are the Under 1 takers Journal and the Hangmans Rec 1 ord, both published in the British capl- | tai. It is difficult to assign reason for l the latter. but 1t is of respectable age there must, of course, be a demand for the grim sort of news it dispenses. The New Moon, most appropriately named, is a paper published in the United States by a certain institution for the insane. If any one supposes that it's columns are devoid of interest for asne lndlVldual, then he is much mistaken. for contributions from the pens of inmates of the asylum frequently evince literary ability of no mean order.
 In the matter of mere utility the paln, must be awarded to a newspaper pub lished in fishing town of Norway This journal points with pride to the fact that It is printed upon paper of so tough a quality that when read it may be cut into strips and twisted into a most serv- ment when the calling Of the villagers is taken into consideration
 The Walters Friend PoIyqIot.
 An odd periodical in this country is The Walters Friend, which presents the unique appearance of being printed in five anguages-English, French. German, Italian and Swedish-arranged in alter nate columns
 Another product of American ingenuity in the way of freak papers is one pub lished in southern city in the interest of paperhangers. This odd organ is of sexcellent typographical appearance, but the paper whereon it is printed is no other than wall paper, or rather the cut tings remaining of wall paper used for the usual purpose Trade pride, presum- ably, Is to be assigned as the reason for this strange notion.
 One enterprising owner in an Ohio town conceived the laudable desire to provide persons with weak eyes with a journal that would incur no injury or fatigue to them. This was to be done by means of