the americanization of edward bok-第14节

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d　in　mind。

It　was　not　long　before　Mr。　Cary　made　good　his　word；　and　told　Edward　that　his　friend　Henry　Holt；　the　publisher；　would　like　to　give　him　a　trial。

The　day　before　he　was　to　leave　the　Western　Union　Telegraph　Company　the　fact　of　his　resignation　became　known　to　Mr。　Gould。　The　financier　told　the　boy　there　was　no　reason　for　his　leaving；　and　that　he　would　personally　see　to　it　that　a　substantial　increase　was　made　in　his　salary。　Edward　explained　that　the　salary；　while　of　importance　to　him；　did　not　influence　him　so　much　as　securing　a　position　in　a　business　in　which　he　felt　he　would　be　happier。

〃And　what　business　is　that？〃　asked　the　financier。

〃The　publishing　of　books；〃　replied　the　boy。

〃You　are　making　a　great　mistake；〃　answered　the　little　man；　fixing　his　keen　gray　eyes　on　the　boy。　〃Books　are　a　luxury。　The　public　spends　its　largest　money　on　necessities：　on　what　it　can't　do　without。　It　must　telegraph；　it　need　not　read。　It　can　read　in　libraries。　A　promising　boy　such　as　you　are；　with　his　life　before　him；　should　choose　the　right　sort　of　business；　not　the　wrong　one。〃

But；　as　facts　proved；　the　〃little　wizard　of　Wall　Street〃　was　wrong　in　his　prediction；　Edward　Bok　was　not　choosing　the　wrong　business。

Years　afterward　when　Edward　was　cruising　up　the　Hudson　with　a　yachting　party　one　Saturday　afternoon；　the　sight　of　Jay　Gould's　mansion；　upon　approaching　Irvington；　awakened　the　desire　of　the　women　on　board　to　see　his　wonderful　orchid　collection。　Edward　explained　his　previous　association　with　the　financier　and　offered　to　recall　himself　to　him；　if　the　party　wished　to　take　the　chance　of　recognition。　A　note　was　written　to　Mr。　Gould；　and　sent　ashore；　and　the　answer　came　back　that　they　were　welcome　to　visit　the　orchid　houses。　Jay　Gould；　in　person；　received　the　party；　and；　placing　it　under　the　personal　conduct　of　his　gardener；　turned　to　Edward　and；　indicating　a　bench；　said：　〃Come　and　sit　down　here　with　me。〃

〃Well；〃　said　the　financier；　who　was　in　his　domestic　mood；　quite　different　from　his　Wall　Street　aspect；　〃I　see　in　the　papers　that　you　seem　to　be　making　your　way　in　the　publishing　business。〃

Edward　expressed　surprise　that　the　Wall　Street　magnate　had　followed　his　work。

〃I　have　because　I　always　felt　you　had　it　in　you　to　make　a　successful　man。　But　not　in　that　business；〃　he　added　quickly。　〃You　were　born　for　the　Street。　You　would　have　made　a　great　success　there；　and　that　is　what　I　had　in　mind　for　you。　In　the　publishing　business　you　will　go　just　so　far；　in　the　Street　you　could　have　gone　as　far　as　you　liked。　There　is　room　there；　there　is　none　in　the　publishing　business。　It's　not　too　late　now；　for　that　matter；〃　continued　the　〃little　wizard；〃　fastening　his　steel　eyes　on　the　lad　beside　him！

And　Edward　Bok　has　often　speculated　whither　Jay　Gould　might　have　led　him。　To　many　a　young　man；　a　suggestion　from　such　a　source　would　have　seemed　the　one　to　heed　and　follow。　But　Edward　Bok's　instinct　never　failed　him。　He　felt　that　his　path　lay　far　apart　from　that　of　Jay　Gouldand　the　farther　the　better！

In　1882　Edward；　with　a　feeling　of　distinct　relief；　left　the　employ　of　the　Western　Union　Telegraph　Company　and　associated　himself　with　the　publishing　business　in　which　he　had　correctly　divined　that　his　future　lay。

His　chief　regret　on　leaving　his　position　was　in　severing　the　close　relations；　almost　as　of　father　and　son；　between　Mr。　Cary　and　himself。　When　Edward　was　left　alone；　with　the　passing　away　of　his　father；　Clarence　Cary　had　put　his　sheltering　arm　around　the　lonely　boy；　and　with　the　tremendous　encouragement　of　the　phrase　that　the　boy　never　forgot；　〃I　think　you　have　it　in　you；　Edward；　to　make　a　successful　man；〃　he　took　him　under　his　wing。　It　was　a　turning…point　in　Edward　Bok's　life；　as　he　felt　at　the　time　and　as　he　saw　more　clearly　afterward。

He　remained　in　touch　with　his　friend；　however；　keeping　him　advised　of　his　progress　in　everything　he　did；　not　only　at　that　time；　but　all　through　his　later　years。　And　it　was　given　to　Edward　to　feel　the　deep　satisfaction　of　having　Mr。　Cary　say；　before　he　passed　away；　that　the　boy　had　more　than　justified　the　confidence　reposed　in　him。　Mr。　Cary　lived　to　see　him　well　on　his　way；　until；　indeed；　Edward　had　had　the　proud　happiness　of　introducing　to　his　benefactor　the　son　who　bore　his　name；　Cary　William　Bok。



VIII。　Starting　a　Newspaper　Syndicate

Edward　felt　that　his　daytime　hours；　spent　in　a　publishing　atmosphere　as　stenographer　with　Henry　Holt　and　Company；　were　more　in　line　with　his　editorial　duties　during　the　evenings。　The　Brooklyn　Magazine　was　now　earning　a　comfortable　income　for　its　two　young　proprietors；　and　their　backers　were　entirely　satisfied　with　the　way　it　was　being　conducted。　In　fact；　one　of　these　backers；　Mr。　Rufus　T。　Bush；　associated　with　the　Standard　Oil　Company；　who　became　especially　interested；　thought　he　saw　in　the　success　of　the　two　boys　a　possible　opening　for　one　of　his　sons；　who　was　shortly　to　be　graduated　from　college。　He　talked　to　the　publisher　and　editor　about　the　idea；　but　the　boys　showed　by　their　books　that　while　there　was　a　reasonable　income　for　them；　not　wholly　dependent　on　the　magazine；　there　was　no　room　for　a　third。

Mr。　Bush　now　suggested　that　he　buy　the　magazine　for　his　son；　alter　its　name；　enlarge　its　scope；　and　make　of　it　a　national　periodical。　Arrangements　were　concluded；　those　who　had　financially　backed　the　venture　were　fully　paid；　and　the　two　boys　received　a　satisfactory　amount　for　their　work　in　building　up　the　magazine。　Mr。　Bush　asked　Edward　to　suggest　a　name　for　the　new　periodical；　and　in　the　following　month　of　May；　1887；　The　Brooklyn　Magazine　became　The　American　Magazine；　with　its　publication　office　in　New　York。　But；　though　a　great　deal　of　money　was　spent　on　the　new　magazine；　it　did　not　succeed。　Mr。　Bush　sold　his　interest　in　the　periodical；　which；　once　more　changing　its　name；　became　The　Cosmopolitan　Magazine。　Since　then　it　has　passed　through　the　hands　of　several　owners；　but　the　name　has　remained　the　same。　Before　Mr。　Bush　sold　The　American　Magazine　he　had　urged　Edward　to　come　back　to　it　as　its　editor；　with　promise　of　financial　support；　but　the　young　man　felt　instinctively　that　his　return　would　not　be　wise。　The　magazine　had　been　The　Cosmopolitan　only　a　short　time　when　the　new　owners；　Mr。　Paul　J。　Slicht　and　Mr。　E。　D。　Walker；　also　solicited　the　previous　editor　to　accept　reappointment。　But　Edward；　feeling　that　his　baby　had　been　rechristened　too　often　for　him　to　father　it　again；　declined　the　proposition。　He　had　not　heard　the　last　of　it；　however；　for；　by　a　curious　coincidence；　its　subsequent　owner；　entirely　ignorant　of　Edward's　previous　association　with　the　magazine；　invited　him　to　connect　himself　with　it。　Thus　three　times　could　Edward　Bok　have　returned　to　the　magazine　for　whose　creation　he　was　responsible。

Edward　was　now　without　editorial　cares；　but　he　had　already；　even　before　disposing　of　the　magazine；　embarked　on　another　line　of　endeavor。　In　sending　to　a　number　of　newspapers　the　advance　sheets　of　a　particularly　striking　〃feature〃　in　one　of　his　numbers　of　The　Brooklyn　Magazine；　it　occurred　to　him　that　he　was　furnishing　a　good　deal　of　valuable　material　to　these　papers　without　cost。　It　is　true　his　magazine　was　receiving　the　advertising　value　of　editorial　comment；　but　the　boy　wondered　whether　the　newspapers　would　not　be　willing　to　pay　for　the　privilege　of　simultaneous　publication。　An　inquiry　or　two　proved　that　they　would。　Thus　Edward　stumbled　upon　the　〃syndicate〃　plan　of　furnishing　the　same　article　to　a　group　of　newspapers；　one　in　each　city；　for　simultaneous　publication。　He　looked　over　the　ground；　and　found　that　while　his　idea　was　not　a　new　one；　since　two　〃syndicate〃　agencies　already　existed；　the　field　was　by　no　means　fully　covered；　and　that　the　success　of　a　third　agency　would　depend　entirely　upon　its　ability　to　furnish　the　newspapers　with　material　equally　good　or　better　than　they　received　from　the　others。　After　following　the　material　furnished　by　these　agencies　for　two　or　three　weeks；　Edward　decided　that　there　was　plenty　of　room　for　his　new　ideas。

He　discussed　the　matter　with　his　former　magazine　partner；　Colver；　and　suggested　that　if　they　could　induce　Mr。　Beecher　to　write　a　weekly　comment　on　current　events　for　the　newspapers　it　would　make　an　auspicious　beginning。　They　decided　to　talk　it　over　with　the　famous　preacher。　For　to　be　a　〃Plymouth　boy〃that　is；　to　go　to　the　Plymouth　Church　Sunday…school　and　to　attend　church　therewas　to　know　personally　and　become　devoted　to　Henry　Ward　Beecher。　And　the　two　were　synonymous。　There　was　no　distance　between　Mr。　Beecher　and　his　〃Plymouth　boys。〃　Each　understood　the　other。　The　tie　was　that　of　absolute　comradeship。

〃I　don't　believe　in　it；　boys；〃　said　Mr。　Beecher　when　Edward　and　his　friend　broached　the　syndicate　letter　to　him。　〃No　one　yet　ever　made　a　cent　out　of　my　supposed　literary　work。〃

All　the　more　reason；　was　the　argument；　why　some　one　should。

Mr。　Beecher　smiled！　How　well　he　knew　the　youthful　enthusiasm　that　rushes　in；　etc。

〃Well；　all　right；　boys！　I　like　your　pluck；〃　he　finally　said。　〃I'll　help　you　if　I　can。〃

The　boys　agreed　to　pay　Mr。　Beecher　a　weekly　sum　of　two　hundred　and　fifty　dollarswhich　he　knew　was　considerable　for　them。

When　the　first　article　had　been　written　they　took　him　their　first　check。　He　looked　at　it