Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-12-31
AN AUGUSTA FRIEND
WRITES OF MUNSEY
AS HE knew HIM

A very interesting letter in the
Boston Herald of Dec. 20. is that of
Edgar Warren, whom few of the
Journal readers may recall as city
editor of that paper back in the
early eighties. His letter refers
chiefly to his relations with Mr..
Munsey and incidents connected with
the latter's career. while here, but
he takes occasion to say of E. C.
Allen, the pioneer in the subscrip-
ton publication business in Augusta,
that he had many imitators and was
a powerful influence in Munsey's
life. He tells us that Mr.. Allen once
told him that what he should have
done was, go to Chicago and estab-
lish great newspaper.
In January, 1880, says Mr.. Warren
/ went to Augusta as local editor
of the Kennebec Journal, and re-
manned there for three years. AL
though that was long time ago, yet
conditions were so strange, the work
so interesting, that many of the
events connected with my stay in the
city are indestructible photographed
upon the films of memory.
Frank A. Munsey was in Augusta
when | went there, the manager of
the Western Union telegraph office.
There are certain places to which a
local editor resorts for news, and the
telegraph office was one. And in
, time became very well acquainted
with the manager.
Munsey at this time was working
for salary of $40 a month, and to
reporter who received only s12 a
week this seemed like a princeIy in
! come. And to a single man $40 a
month in those far-off days was good
pay. Munsey dressed we'll, went into
/ good society, and boarded at the Au-
gusta House, the leading hotel in the
city.
In the winter, during sessions Of
the Legislature, Munsey shared a
large room with three others. His
roommates were Edwin c. Burleigh,
afterwards Governor of Maine and
later representative to Congress;
Leslie c. Cornish, a young lawyer,
who later rose to the high eminence
of chief justice of the Maine SUI
preme court, and John Fogler, assist
ant state treasurer, who afterwards
went to Kansas to go into banking
there, but Is now, I believe, living
in Skowhegan.
So intimate did I become with
Munsey in the course of time that
he frequently talked over his ambi-
tons with me. He was profoundly
dissatisfied with his position. He
was by nature an intense individual
list, and no salaried position could
long content him. He wanted the
adventure. the hazards, the thrill of a
business of his own.
The Youths Companion His Model
AS he sat in his office, and thought
and dreamed in intervals of leisure,
the idea of a paper for young folks
gradually came to his mind, to be
conducted along the lines of the
Youths Companion. The place to
publish such a paper, he thought,
was New York city. The Companion
so covered New England that there
was no room for such a paper as he
planned in this section. New York
was the business capital of the coun-
try, and paper published in the
metropolis would have powerful
appeal.
with otheys, and received but little
found a dynasty than to establish a
successful metropolitan journal" said
Mr.. Blaine. The sharks will eat you
IL you go to New York" prophesied
Howard Owen. The only man who
gave him any encouragement was
Oscar F. Holway, a successful grain
merchant. you will never be salts
fed until you have tried it out" said
Mr.. Holway. There are chances
that you may succeed. If you fail
you can go back to your profession
and be as well off as you are now"
Events proved that Mr.. Holway was
right.
''The Golden Argosy," the name
or the new venture, was suggested
by ID. o. s. Lowell, who at that time
was principal of the Ellsworth high
school. AS teacher of Greek Mr..
Lowell was familiar with the story
OF Jason and his Argonauts who
sailed away in search of the Golden
Fleece, and 1 suppose the combina-
ton suggested the title, which
thought was happy one, although
Munsey came later to object to the
word Golden" as childish. Lowell
was a. contributor to early issues of
the Argosy, and I remember one
verse of a jingle of his intended to
teach children Roman history.
"Romolus founded the city;
Numa Pompilius then
FOUNDED the Roman religion,
Seeking to elevate men,"
Before he started out Jason-like in
search of the Golden Fleece, Munsey
had come into communication with
Edward S. Ellis of Trenton, N. j.,