The Washington herald., 1917-06-10
One ,Hundredth Birthday of Famous Publishing
House Reveals Magazine History and Amer
ica's Progress in Art and Literature

under his own name, and The Street
Called Straight" and The Lifted Ven
have recently appeared.
Booth TarkIngton's Success.
Booth Harrington, whose recital OF the
Joys and perplexities Of "Mr. Antonio
has just concluded In the Magazine began
with his novel, Cherry: in 1901; Few
years later came his Conquest OF
Canaan" and there recently has appear
ed his swinging story Of The Turmoil
Among writer's OF today Thomas Hardy
stands eminent. Far back In lsB came
serially, in Harper's. The Return Of the
Native;" q few years later came his
'Laodicean;'' and in 1896. under the title
Of Hearts Insurgent." came what was
later named Jude the Obscure" Since
that day many OF his wonderful short
stories have made their appearance in
the pages OF Harper's and not few OF
those remarkable poems which OF late
years have 'riValed his prose work IN
Importance.
1t was inevitable that Walt Whitman
should appear In the Magazine. Long
before the general acclaim which has In
recent years been given 10 his work. Har-
per's gave him fame, while he was alive
. to enjoy IT.: for back in 1874 II gave two
pages to The Prayer Of Columbus" pre-
faced by q Whitman note in fine, grim
prose explaining the tragic setting OF
the verses; also in that year II gave two
pages to his Song, OF the Redwood
Tree" through whose lines one sees
flashing the golden pageant Of California;
and in 1884 came his splendid:
With ,husky-haughty lips. o Sea!
Where day and night I wend
Thy surf-beat shore.
The impulse to write verse Is as an
cient and as broad as all human nature,
and whenever the verse Is real poetry
this Magazine likes to publish IL: Novel
lists such as -Howells. Hardy, and Van
Dyke have written poetry for Harper's.
The First Editor.
Early in 1850 the publication of a
monthly magazine, long under consider
alton by the. four Harpers, was begun
The time was auspicIous, as serial lit
Erature was just rising into prominence
and popular favor.
Such a periodical as the one contem-
plated would of itself require large re-
sources. and 1t would be an additional
Item, and an important one, in their d.
verse and constantly -incIeasing business.
The firm, however, concluded to under
take the venture, and Harper's Maya
zine was started June. 1850, with Henry
J. Raymond as managing editor. Fletch-
er Harper was. however, the real editor.
Henry NJ Alden, the present editor,
has said that the Magazine was no aCc;-
dental emergence in the literary world;
It came in the natural evolution of the
Harpers' publishing business. Fletcher
Harper once said: IF We were asked
why We first started a monthly maga-
zine We would have to say frankly that
it was as a tender to our business, though
1t has grown into something quite be-
yond. that"
The fact that for several months 1t
was wholly eclectic. containing the
cream Of foreign periodical literature.
and that the Illustrations Of the first
number consisted only OF three portraits
Of contemporary historians-Alison, Ma
caulay and Prescott-shows how far re-
moved from the vision OF its promoters
was the field OF Its future accomplish
ment. The first and dominant note. Of