The sun., 1919-11-02
Former Pre- side mt
of Century" Re-
calls Epoch" "When
Publishing Was a
Beautiful Thing,
Something Like a
Guild" Spea a k S
Hopefully of Future
By M. K. WISEHART.


l. roads pushed over the Rockies
and the author from west of the Mis-
sissippi pushed eastward toward the
metropolis. from the time when pub
fishing was a beautiful thing, some
Thing like guild"-from those times
down to these Is a tale that is told
helightfully by William Webster Ellis
worth, who after thirty-seven years
with the Century Company recently
petired from the presidency.
Nowadays Mr.. Ellsworth is on the
lecture platform and at present he is
performing the chosen task of carry
ing the lesson of the life of Theodore
Roosevelt to the boys in the private
schools of America. Now, when the
occasion is SO opportune, he is driving
home what Roosevelt said regarding
the duties of the children of wealth
b. contrast with the children of poverty
THAT the boy of means owes duties
10 the State which may not be owed at
bll by the boy of the log cabin.
II is especially pleasant to turn back
with Mr.. Ellsworth to the past when
the relations between publisher and
author were cordial and esteemed
when there was a great pride in the
puality of work from the presses.
From questions of to-day Mr.. Ellis
worth turns quickly in the talk that
follows to the affabilities Of yesterday
Ito that period which might be called
the expansionist period in American
literature, speaking of it often with the
pame whimsicality with which he
wrote of it in "a Golden Age of
Authors"
And after all those interesting and
kindly personalities, Mr.. Ellsworth
gives his sense on the mooted question:
Can the art of writing be taught and
what is college education doing for 1t
Ee gives his own and the opinions of
Barrett Wendell, William Lyon Phelps,
Howells, Bennett and others.
This is indeed a serious time for
the magazine" said Mr. Ellsworth
fThe first of October is the time when
people are thinking of subscribing. but
since the strike is on many of the
magazines have had to suspend. How
many people will want to subscribe for
magazine when they can't tell when
they can begin to receive It?
Magazines - a Year.
IL tlt oNilho SutCCcuS II Will Dt d.
most impossible for the higher class of
magazines to sell for 81 year. Will
people be willing to pay more? Yet I
am optimistic. I believe the magazines
will overcome their difficulties though
ell kinds Of costs are going up. 1 don't
think that higher costs are going to
limit the output Of novels in this coun-
try.
Once the printing business was a
Very beautiful thing, a sort Of guild.
There was sentiment and good fellow
ship between employer and employee.
Only the other day I was over in ia
maica to see what Frank E. Hopkins,
who was once of the De Winnie Press
IS doing there in conducting the Mar
ion Press. 1t took me back to old
times. He has two or three men work.
ing for him. He is doing much of the
work himself, very high, skillfM
grade of work, and he was using the
finest hand made paper until recently
!, became impossible to get 1t from
Holland. 1t gave me a keen thrill OF
pleasure to see his presses and shop
his one cylinder press to see him
working the machine. But times have
changed. That's why like to recall
the old days and go over the incidents
snd stories of that time.
ut was in 1873 that I came to New
York and went into the office of Scrfb-
her'S Monthly, later the Century. Ir
that year Bret Harte went to Europe
One Of my first jobs was to dispose ii
Christmas story which Bret Harte
had sent us too late for the Christmas
number, but as he had already ar
ranged for its publication In the
Christmas issue of an English mag
hzine 1t had to be printed in this coun.
try at once.
Il took it to Mr.. Charles Anderson
Dana Of THE SUN. That was the only
time I ever saw Mr.. Dana and I got
very delightful impression of him
from the interview. He agreed to take
the story for $3.50, II the money could
20 to Mrs. Harte, whom Bret Harte
had left in America, and It was SO ar
ranged.
Saw Walt whitman Once.
walt Whitman saw once. 1t was
on Lincoln's Birthday in 1880, when
Whitman came to New York to read
| his lecture on Lincoln at the Madison
square Theatre. That was one of the
e'Osl ulbllIlBulSneO duu1enCeS ever
gathered to honor a literary man, in
Guiding James Russell Lowell, John
HAY. Mark Twain, Stockton. Bunner
eaint-Gaudens. DIR. Eggleston, John
burroughs. Stedman, Glider and many
more. Mr.. Carnegie contributed $3.50
10 pay for his box. All the proceeds
went to Whitman, who had at last
come into his own.
Whitman was at that time a most
satisfying figure of a man. He had a
noble head covered with silvery gray
hair. with beard that was part of It.
S1ls face had a healthy hue, and on
pis nne form was loosely fitting gray
suit with the vest open. He wore
white cuffs turned back over his coat
sleeves and a broad white turnover
collar. He looked the counterpart OF
, an Old Testament prophet.
AS Whitman was lame he sat in a
"9 armchair throughout the lecture
which, though somewhat disjointed
was tenderly, beautifully delivered
Win frequent stops for impromptu In
Expectations There was a suggestion
OF Lincoln himself in the speaker, a
sertain calm, removed air as of one
Mno lived in great spaces and who
tnought noble things. At last when
ne read o Captain. My Captain!' we