The Daily Alaska empire., 1930-02-14
TIMES HAVE CHANGED.

Probably nothing illustrates more clearly the marked change in the literary tastes and viewpoint of life in general between the present and century ago than the suspension of the Youths Compan- ion and the circumstance that its disappearance caused scarcely ripple. In fact it was not gen. eraly noted. It long ago ceased to be an import ant factor notwithstanding that it published at Boston for nearly three years more than cen tury and for two three generations easily occu- pied first place among American publications for the young It died of old age and it's demise is just being discovered.
 It was in 1927 that Nathaniel Willis, publisher of the Botson Record conceived the idea of a paper solely for young people, and that because there were so many contributions for the chil- drens corner in the Record that they could not otherwise be printed He announced that 1t would have a definitely religious tone, and the promise was faithfully fulfilled It striking commentary on the type of reading in existence for young and old 100 years ago that children should have been attracted by the stodgy material first presented by the paper, and further striking commentary of the type of religious thought then felt to be suitable for children. What disastrous mistake to present religion which ought to be source of cheerfulness and quiet confidence as a dull dreadful thingl But in tens of thousands of homes there was alternative, and few if any of such homes ever thought to question the suitability of OPASoSAANoNAfNS N~~ spiritual.
 For example an early number contained an article on the Death of Child Six Years Old' there was a conversation with philosophic In- dian there paragraph on a Chld's Duty to its Parents, hints education, two columns of poetry for which the sheafs responsible, items on godly parents, filled out with quotations from Proverbs. But it filled real need in that day for there was nothing else, and it was prob ably permitted Sunday reading.
 Years later personality took hold, Daniel Sharp Ford, who too, full of beneficial ideas for improving the moral tone of the young, but he was also a shrewd business man who preceived that the times changing, and he proceeded to put little human interest into the paper. Ffc- ton began to appear highly moral fiction of course. but yet fiction. Writers discovered who had a real knack of writing for boys, and girls too, for girls like so called boys tales less than their brothers.
 Premiums were offered for subscriptions the list of which reads like the forerunner of the catalogue of mail order house. The list furnished really thrilling reading and inspired thousands of girls and boys to become canvassers for subscriptions to the paper in the hopes of securing one the other of the handsome prizes Circulation increased rapidly and enabled the magazine to pay hand somey for contributions from famous authors, a feature which again helped to place it among the really important periodicals of it's hey day Not only articles from native authors, statesmen and men of affairs, but the paper could boast of such tributors as Alphonse Daudet, Rudyard Kiplng, Wilkie Collins, hardly known to this generation, but the author of interesting tales, Gladstone and Huxely. At time. Gluyas Williams of the most successful of contemporary humorus artists was on the staff and Ellery sedgwick for a time the editor.
 The Youths Companion played large part in it's day in the education and mental, and moral training of Americans. There few middle aged Americans who do not cherish memories of precious hours spent with it.