Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-22

struggle such as no man is justified
in undertaking." He had no capital
and no means of raising any. Many
advance subscriptions had been re-
ceived and the money spent. No one
had any faith in the ma sazine and
ii could get no credit
Borrowed 5000 More.
Borrowing 5000 from a friend in
Maine. he fought on to keep what
little life the publication had. In the
Winter of 1885 he wrote his second
serial story for the Argosy. 1t was
called 'Afioat in a Great City" He
ground out 5000 words week by
candle light after long days OF strug
gle At the ONCE. When he had fin
ished this he looked back on the
four years OF drudgery that he had
lived through since coming to New
York. AS reward. he found that
his debts amounted to about SIG. 900.
This was Jolt No. 3''-the worst of
all.
HIS serial story. however, had
helped the circulation and money
started TO come in. He increa sed the
size OF the magazine and raised the
price. AS fast as the money arrived
it was used for advertising. In FIVE
months he spent &95 900 and dis
trihuted il 500. 900 sample copies of
the Areosy. 1t was then called
The Golden Arsosy. He had 20 men
on the road east of Nebraska. dis.
trihuting samples. In New York he
had no bookkeeper no editorial force.
no stenographer or no typewriter.
They were Injuries which he could
not afford
AT the close Of this campaign. in
1887. the magazine had attained a
circula ton of us 900 copies and wa (
paving a net income Of 81 500 week.
( He wrote third serial. grinding out
another 5000 words week. 1t was
called The Roy Broker" and added
another 10000 10 the circulation.
Circulation soon Fades.
But something was wrong The
circulation soon began 10 fade. The
trouble seemed To he with juvenile
publica tons. all of which were rap
idly failing. In 1891 he started Nun
sey's Weekly, hoping 10 act IT under
way before the Argosy went com
pletely down. In a few months he
put 800. 900 into the new venture.
and still 1t lost. He changed it 10
Mun.ey's Magazine. at IS cents a
copy. hut II would not sell. BY 1898
! he had two magazines. both losing
money. and was more than $1,000
in debt In attempting 10 lower the
price Of his publications he brought
on trouble with the great news dis
trihuting company upon whom he
was dope ndeni for circulation.
Determining TO go over the head Of
the company. he sent out thousa nds
Of circulars direct to newsdealers all
over the country. telling of his en-
larged magazine at lower price. The
cir he
pany received orders BY the ha sket
fun. They went to Mr.. Munsey with
an olive branch and met his terms.
! The first number of the new Munseys
Magazine reached 10000 copies. Be
! fore il stopped the rapid climb II had
passed the 100000 point.
Was Turning Point.
This marked the beginning Of sue
cess for Frank Munsey. He had heen
willing to give 10 years Of his life for
| A chance TO get started. He had ac-
tually given more than II years-a nd
! owed 500 900 Six months fter Mum
| sey's Magazine blazed the way ihe
| Argosy shook off its Juvenile cloak
| and entered the field for adult pub
! lications. Since that day ii has made
| several fortunes for its owner.
| In addition to the two publications
whose histories are 50 floSPiN bolnu
/ up with his early life. Mr.. Munsey &C
! quired the Scrap Book the Railroad
! Mans Maya zine the All-Story Maya
| zine, the Ocean and others. nd owned
newspapers in New York, Washing
| ton. Boston. Philadelphia and Balti
more. He also had extensive invest
ments in other fields. and never per-
/ mitted his ca pital TO remain idle.
! Mr.. MunSey never married. He
| lived for many years at one Of New
! FORKS fsshiona BILE hotels, and also
| maintained a country estate at Eliza
| BEETHOVEN. \. Y.