the americanization of edward bok-第12节

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rd　looked　at　the　programme　in　his　hands。　It　was　a　large　eleven…by…nine　sheet；　four　pages；　badly　printed；　with　nothing　in　it　save　the　cast；　a　few　advertisements；　and　an　announcement　of　some　coming　attraction。　The　boy　mechanically　folded　the　programme；　turned　it　long　side　up　and　wondered　whether　a　programme　of　this　smaller　size；　easier　to　handle；　with　an　attractive　cover　and　some　reading…matter；　would　not　be　profitable。

When　he　reached　home　he　made　up　an　eight…page　〃dummy；〃　pasted　an　attractive　picture　on　the　cover；　indicated　the　material　to　go　inside；　and　the　next　morning　showed　it　to　the　manager　of　the　theatre。　The　programme　as　issued　was　an　item　of　considerable　expense　to　the　management；　Edward　offered　to　supply　his　new　programme　without　cost；　provided　he　was　given　the　exclusive　right；　and　the　manager　at　once　accepted　the　offer。　Edward　then　sought　a　friend；　Frederic　L。　Colver；　who　had　a　larger　experience　in　publishing　and　advertising；　with　whom　he　formed　a　partnership。　Deciding　that　immediately　upon　the　issuance　of　their　first　programme　the　idea　was　likely　to　be　taken　up　by　the　other　theatres；　Edward　proceeded　to　secure　the　exclusive　rights　to　them　all。　The　two　young　publishers　solicited　their　advertisements　on　the　way　to　and　from　business　mornings　and　evenings；　and　shortly　the　first　smaller…sized　theatre　programme；　now　in　use　in　all　theatres；　appeared。　The　venture　was　successful　from　the　start；　returning　a　comfortable　profit　each　week。　Such　advertisements　as　they　could　not　secure　for　cash　they　accepted　in　trade；　and　this　latter　arrangement　assisted　materially　in　maintaining　the　households　of　the　two　publishers。

Edward's　partner　now　introduced　him　into　a　debating　society　called　The　Philomathean　Society；　made　up　of　young　men　connected　with　Plymouth　Church；　of　which　Henry　Ward　Beecher　was　pastor。　The　debates　took　the　form　of　a　miniature　congress；　each　member　representing　a　State；　and　it　is　a　curious　coincidence　that　Edward　drew；　by　lot；　the　representation　of　the　Commonwealth　of　Pennsylvania。　The　members　took　these　debates　very　seriously；　no　subject　was　too　large　for　them　to　discuss。　Edward　became　intensely　interested　in　the　society's　doings；　and　it　was　not　long　before　he　was　elected　president。

The　society　derived　its　revenue　from　the　dues　of　its　members　and　from　an　annual　concert　given　under　its　auspices　in　Plymouth　Church。　When　the　time　for　the　concert　under　Edward's　presidency　came　around；　he　decided　that　the　occasion　should　be　unique　so　as　to　insure　a　crowded　house。　He　induced　Mr。　Beecher　to　preside；　he　got　General　Grant's　promise　to　come　and　speak；　he　secured　the　gratuitous　services　of　Emma　C。　Thursby；　Annie　Louise　Cary；　Clara　Louise　Kellogg；　and　Evelyn　Lyon　Hegeman；　all　of　the　first　rank　of　concert…singers　of　that　day；　with　the　result　that　the　church　could　not　accommodate　the　crowd　which　naturally　was　attracted　by　such　a　programme。

It　now　entered　into　the　minds　of　the　two　young　theatre…programme　publishers　to　extend　their　publishing　interests　by　issuing　an　〃organ〃　for　their　society；　and　the　first　issue　of　The　Philomathean　Review　duly　appeared　with　Mr。　Colver　as　its　publisher　and　Edward　Bok　as　editor。　Edward　had　now　an　opportunity　to　try　his　wings　in　an　editorial　capacity。　The　periodical　was；　of　course；　essentially　an　organ　of　the　society；　but　gradually　it　took　on　a　more　general　character；　so　that　its　circulation　might　extend　over　a　larger　portion　of　Brooklyn。　With　this　extension　came　a　further　broadening　of　its　contents；　which　now　began　to　take　on　a　literary　character；　and　it　was　not　long　before　its　two　projectors　realized　that　the　periodical　had　outgrown　its　name。　It　was　decidedlate　in　1884to　change　the　name　to　The　Brooklyn　Magazine。

There　was　a　periodical　called　The　Plymouth　Pulpit；　which　presented　verbatim　reports　of　the　sermons　of　Mr。　Beecher；　and　Edward　got　the　idea　of　absorbing　the　Pulpit　in　the　Magazine。　But　that　required　more　capital　than　he　and　his　partner　could　command。　They　consulted　Mr。　Beecher；　who；　attracted　by　the　enterprise　of　the　two　boys；　sent　them　with　letters　of　introduction　to　a　few　of　his　most　influential　parishioners；　with　the　result　that　the　pair　soon　had　a　sufficient　financial　backing　by　some　of　the　leading　men　of　Brooklyn；　like　A。　A。　Low；　H。　B。　Claflin；　Rufus　T。　Bush；　Henry　W。　Slocum；　Seth　Low；　Rossiter　W。　Raymond；　Horatio　C。　King；　and　others。

The　young　publishers　could　now　go　on。　Understanding　that　Mr。　Beecher's　sermons　might　give　a　partial　and　denominational　tone　to　the　magazine；　Edward　arranged　to　publish　also　in　its　pages　verbatim　reports　of　the　sermons　of　the　Reverend　T。　De　Witt　Talmage；　whose　reputation　was　then　at　its　zenith。　The　young　editor　now　realized　that　he　had　a　rather　heavy　cargo　of　sermons　to　carry　each　month；　accordingly；　in　order　that　his　magazine　might　not　appear　to　be　exclusively　religious；　he　determined　that　its　literary　contents　should　be　of　a　high　order　and　equal　in　interest　to　the　sermons。　But　this　called　for　additional　capital；　and　the　capital　furnished　was　not　for　that　purpose。

It　is　here　that　Edward's　autographic　acquaintances　stood　him　in　good　stead。　He　went　in　turn　to　each　noted　person　he　had　met；　explained　his　plight　and　stated　his　ambitions；　with　the　result　that　very　soon　the　magazine　and　the　public　were　surprised　at　the　distinction　of　the　contributors　to　The　Brooklyn　Magazine。　Each　number　contained　a　noteworthy　list　of　them；　and　when　an　article　by　the　President　of　the　United　States；　then　Rutherford　B。　Hayes；　opened　one　of　the　numbers；　the　public　was　astonished；　since　up　to　that　time　the　unwritten　rule　that　a　President's　writings　were　confined　to　official　pronouncements　had　scarcely　been　broken。　William　Dean　Howells；　General　Grant；　General　Sherman；　Phillips　Brooks；　General　Sheridan；　Canon　Farrar；　Cardinal　Gibbons；　Marion　Harland；　Margaret　Sangsterthe　most　prominent　men　and　women　of　the　day；　some　of　whom　had　never　written　for　magazinesbegan　to　appear　in　the　young　editor's　contents。　Editors　wondered　how　the　publishers　could　afford　it；　whereas；　in　fact；　not　a　single　name　represented　an　honorarium。　Each　contributor　had　come　gratuitously　to　the　aid　of　the　editor。

At　first；　the　circulation　of　the　magazine　permitted　the　boys　to　wrap　the　copies　themselves；　and　then　they；　with　two　other　boys；　would　carry　as　huge　bundles　as　they　could　lift；　put　them　late　at　night　on　the　front　platform　of　the　street…cars；　and　take　them　to　the　postoffice。　Thus　the　boys　absolutely　knew　the　growth　of　their　circulation　by　the　weight　of　their　bundles　and　the　number　of　their　front…platform　trips　each　month。　Soon　a　baker's　hand…cart　was　leased　for　an　evening；　and　that　was　added　to　the　capacity　of　the　front　platforms。　Then　one　eventful　month　it　was　seen　that　a　horse…truck　would　have　to　be　employed。　Within　three　weeks；　a　double　horse…truck　was　necessary；　and　three　trips　had　to　be　made。

By　this　time　Edward　Bok　had　become　so　intensely　interested　in　the　editorial　problem；　and　his　partner　in　the　periodical　publishing　part；　that　they　decided　to　sell　out　their　theatre…programme　interests　and　devote　themselves　to　the　magazine　and　its　rapidly　increasing　circulation。　All　of　Edward's　editorial　work　had　naturally　to　be　done　outside　of　his　business　hours；　in　other　words；　in　the　evenings　and　on　Sundays；　and　the　young　editor　found　himself　fully　occupied。　He　now　revived　the　old　idea　of　selecting　a　subject　and　having　ten　or　twenty　writers　express　their　views　on　it。　It　was　the　old　symposium　idea；　but　it　had　not　been　presented　in　American　journalism　for　a　number　of　years。　He　conceived　the　topic　〃Should　America　Have　a　Westminster　Abbey？〃　and　induced　some　twenty　of　the　foremost　men　and　women　of　the　day　to　discuss　it。　When　the　discussion　was　presented　in　the　magazine；　the　form　being　new　and　the　theme　novel；　Edward　was　careful　to　send　advance　sheets　to　the　newspapers；　which　treated　it　at　length　in　reviews　and　editorials；　with　marked　effect　upon　the　circulation　of　the　magazine。

All　this　time；　while　Edward　Bok　was　an　editor　in　his　evenings　he　was；　during　the　day；　a　stenographer　and　clerk　of　the　Western　Union　Telegraph　Company。　The　two　occupations　were　hardly　compatible；　but　each　meant　a　source　of　revenue　to　the　boy；　and　he　felt　he　must　hold　on　to　both。

After　his　father　passed　away；　the　position　of　the　boy's　desknext　to　the　empty　desk　of　his　fatherwas　a　cause　of　constant　depression　to　him。　This　was　understood　by　the　attorney　for　the　company；　Mr。　Clarence　Cary；　who　sought　the　head　of　Edward's　department；　with　the　result　that　Edward　was　transferred　to　Mr。　Cary's　department　as　the　attorney's　private　stenographer。

Edward　had　been　much　attracted　to　Mr。　Cary；　and　the　attorney　believed　in　the　boy；　and　decided　to　show　his　interest　by　pushing　him　along。　He　had　heard　of　the　dual　role　which　Edward　was　playing；　he　bought　a　copy　of　the　magazine；　and　was　interested。　Edward　now　worked　with　new　zest　for　his　employer　and　friend；　while　in　every　free　moment　he　read　law；　feeling　that；　as　almost　all　his　forbears　had　been　lawyers；　he　might　perhaps　be　destined　for　the　bar。　This　acquaintance　with　the　fundamental　basis　of　law；　cursory　as　it　was；　became　like　a　gospel　to　Edward　Bok。　In　later　years；　he　was　taught　its　value　by　repeated　experience　in　his　contact　with　corporate　laws；　contracts；　property　leases；　and　other　matters；　and