New-York tribune., 1910-06-10
OBITUARY
Sir George NeWnes, Famous
London Publisher. Dead.

London, June Sir George Nev-nes v-b
was the owner OF The Westminster Ca
zette" and founder of Tit Bits" and .r-Tbs
Strand Magazine" and gave the interna-
donal chess trophy bearing his name dieI
to-day. Sir George was born on March Is
1881, and formerly was q Liberal member
OF Parliament representing Swansea Town.
He was the son of a Derbyshire clergyman.
Sir George Newnes founded a fortune es-
timated at $7,oOO.OOO on the judicious use
OF scissors and paste. The great idea came
to him one evening while reading to Mrs
Newnes a paragraph out OF THE Manches-
ter Examiner
There" he exclaimed. That's what
call real tidbit! Now. why can't some
body bring out paper with nothing in 1:
but tdbits like this? It could be edited
with scissors and paste >"
Why don't you do it?' asked his wife
Then they talked it over. and that very
evening planned out the little green weekly
that was to pave the way to fortune
But there were several reasons why
George Newnes-he had no title in those
oays-shouid not saddle himself with a
publishing venture. His father. the Rev
7. NJ Newnes, Of Matlock. Derbyshire.
where the son was born in 1851 was a poo.
man George had been forced to content
himself with such meagre education as was
afforded by a school at Stilcoates. York
shire. and the City of London School Be
fore he was of age he was earning his own
living as a clerk in merchants offica.
When the great Tit Bits" idea dawned
he was still struggling from hand to mouth
as salesman for firm of paper manufact-
urers- But he had made a fortunate move
vrhpY, IN s-E ho bc al
yard. daughter of a Leicester clergyman.
Her womans instinct saw clearly the value
Of the new magazine idea. and her keen
brain devised ways and means and urged
on her husband to the attempt.
So il came about that in October 1881,
based on the meagre earnings of the young
drummer and such small sums as he could
borrow, the first number of Tit Bits APP
peared It was a success from the first
moment. something like five thousand copies
being sold in two hours by the Newspaper
Boys Brigade OF Manchester alone. Nj.
Newnes gave up his former employment
and devoted his whole time to the new pa
per In six years he was able to sell
part interest in the business for $4,000 900.
Sir George ushered in a new era for
British publishers. He became the father
Of THE Review of Reviews and of THE
Strand" which gave Sherlock Holmes TO
the world He it was who trained Lord
NOrthcliffe and Cyril Arthur Pearson, both
clerks in his Office at the outset of their
careers. He had struck for fortune at the
right moment. The establishment Of the
educational system in 1870 had just pro-
duced its first crop Of readers among the
masses Newnes saw what this newly
awakened mind wanted. He gave it. Pros
I,,I,a
Tit Bits" grew till II had a circulation
Of SOC. 600. In 1889 he Joined with Stead
in founding 1.-The Review of Reviews" Two
years later came The Strand" with its
picture on every page a Newnes innova-
ton that produced a sensation and caused
that magazine likewise 10 spring at once
full grown into the field of light literature
Astor bought THE Pail Mall Gazette
That left the Liberals without an evening
organ. Sir George at once saw another
opportunity. He took over the old Pail
Nails" Liberal staff and bought THE
Westminster Gazette" In 1885 he estab-
ushed the firm Of Sir George Newnes. Ltd.
with q capital Of $4,000 O0O. His list of
publications increased MANIFOLD, fnclud-
ing The Grand Magazine" Country
Life" Scholars Own THE Captain"
The Wide World Magazine" "The Gar
den The Sunday Strand ''Fry's Maga-
zine 1.-The Ladies' Field ''Woman's Life
and Others as well as a series of six
penny novels.
Newnes owed his success largely TO
keen advertising sense. His was the
buried treasure story scheme. announc-
ing that a tube containing 500 sOvereignS
had been buried in a secret place, the clew
to which was contained in a Strand"
story All England bought The Strand
ard sought the treasure. When a mob
began digging up Trafalgar Square the
police interfered and put stop to the
scheme. but only after II had fulfilled the
publishers purpose. He sent Borchgrevink
on q hunt for the South Pole. He planned
to challenge for the Americas Cup, but
finally withdrew in favor Of Sir Thomas
Upton. He was the giver Of an interna-
tional chess trophy.
Though too busy to be a social aspirant.
Sir George was always popular Yachting
was his chief SPORT. His $500 600 turbiner,
the Albion, is one of the best of her class.
Golf and chess also took much of his leisure
time He was a member of the Devonshre
and National Liberal Clubs. On three diff
ferent occasions he visited this country.
and Thomas A. Edison spoke Of him as the
handsomest man that ever entered his
workVnOm.
Sir George was actively interested in
public affairs. He was a magistrate for
Devonshire and represented Cambridgeshire
in Parliament as a Liberal from 1885 10
1895 In the latter year he was created 4
baronet. In 1900 he was returned to Par
lament from Swansea. this time by the
Radicals.
Sir Georges son, Frank II. Newnes, will
succeed him as manager Of his publishing
interests and Of his vast rubber planta-
tlons on the Amazon head waters