The Americanization of Edward Bok

He noted, early in its progress, the gathering strength of the drift toward woman suffrage, and realized that the American woman was not prepared, in…

"Not at all, my boy," returned Mr. Blaine. "Memorizing is simply association. You associate a fact or an incident with a name and you remember the…

"Excuse me a moment," returned Mr. Blaine, and when he came back to the room, he said: "Now let's talk over this interesting proposition that the…

The two discussed the matter and completed arrangements whereby Mr. Blaine was to undertake the work. Toward the latter end of the talk, Bok had…

And with this knightly courtesy, Mr. Blaine shook hands with Bok, who was never again to see him, nor was the contract ever to be fulfilled. For…

Again Bok turned to the President, and explained to him that, for some reason or other, the way seemed to point to him to write the articles himself.…

During Bok's negotiations with President Harrison in connection with his series of articles, he was called to the White House for a conference. It…

Bok couldn't prove that the cigars were bad, naturally. So smoke that cigar he did, to the bitter end, and it was bitter! In fifteen minutes his head…

Bok offered fifteen thousand dollars for the twelve articles--a goodly price in those days--and he saw that the idea and the terms attracted the…

Some time after Bok had sent the check to Mrs. Gladstone, he received a letter from Mr. Gladstone expressing the opinion that his wife must have…

Bok saw with this disposition that, as he had hoped, the avenue of favorable approach to Mr. Gladstone had been kept open. The next summer Bok…

Here again, however, as in the case of Mr. Blaine, the contract was never fulfilled, for Mr. Gladstone passed away before he could free his mind…

The material that the editor was publishing and the authors that he was laying under contribution began to have marked effect upon the circulation of…

Mr. Curtis's single proprietorship of the magazine had been changed into a corporation called The Curtis Publishing Company, with a capital of five…

The magazine had by no means an easy road to travel financially. The doubling of the subscription price to one dollar per year had materially checked…

What attracted Bok immensely to Mr. Curtis's methods was their perfect simplicity and directness. He believed absolutely in the final outcome of…

It has been said that Mr. Curtis banished patent-medicine advertisements from his magazine only when he could afford to do so. That is not true, as a…

With all respect to American publishers, there are very few who could have done this--or indeed, would do it to-day, under similar…

Bok now saw advertising done on a large scale by a man who believed in plenty of white space surrounding the announcement in the advertisement. He…

Bok's experience in advertisement writing was now to stand him in excellent stead. He wrote all the advertisements and from that day to the day of…

Mr. Curtis believed that the editor should write the advertisements of a magazine's articles. "You are the one who knows them, what is in them and…

Edward Bok was always interested in the manner in which personality was expressed in letters. For this reason he adopted, as a boy, the method of…

"I hope I shall not offend you; I shall certainly say nothing with the intention to offend you. I must explain myself, however, and I will do it as…

"For several quite plain and simple reasons, an 'interview' must, as a rule, be an absurdity. And chiefly for this reason: it is an attempt to use…

"'If he had dared to say that thing in my presence,' said Alfred, taking a mock heroic attitude, and casting an arch glance upon the company,…

"So painfully aware is the novelist that naked talk in print conveys no meaning, that he loads, and often overloads, almost every utterance of his…

"If you wish to print anything, print this letter; it may have some value, for it may explain to a reader here and there why it is that in interviews…

"I had no knowledge of what amount of money there might be in Chambersburg. I knew that it was a town of some twelve thousand inhabitants. The town…

"I would have been fully justified by the laws of retaliation in war in burning the town without giving the inhabitants the opportunity of…

"I regret my inability to give an opinion. The theory of the Confederate Government, like that of the United States, was to separate the sword from…

"The requests for my autograph have of late become so burdensome that I am obliged either to refuse all or to make some sort of limitation. Every…

"I propose, therefore, to give my name hereafter only to such askers as can furnish me proof by intelligent comment upon it that they have read…

Rudyard Kipling is another whose letters fairly vibrate with personality; few men can write more interestingly, or, incidentally, considering his…

"A noble dish is that scrapple, but don't eat three slices and go to work straight on top of 'em. That's the way to dyspepsia!

"There is a huge book (I've forgotten the name, but the Smithsonian will know)," he wrote back, "about the Swastika (pronounced Swas-ti-ka to rhyme…

"I shall always keep your letter, for I shall want my children and grandchildren to see it after I am gone. I feel just as you do about the Canal. It…

"She was a strong Presbyterian to the end, but she loved my Ellen, and the love was mutual. All my children have inherited their mother's faith,…

"But I am sure that you know that the God who created the minnow, and who has moulded the rose and carnation, given each its sweet fragrance, will…

Sailing again for England, he sought and secured the acquaintance of Rudyard Kipling, whose alert mind was at once keenly interested in what Bok…

At that time, Frances E. Willard had brought her agitation for temperance prominently before the public, and Bok had promised to aid her by…

From Kipling's house Bok went to Tunbridge Wells to visit Mary Anderson, the one-time popular American actress, who had married Antonio de Navarro…

"Well, come along," he said. "We'll beard the lion in his den, as you say, and see what happens. You know, of course, that it is the Reverend Charles…

But as it happened upon this special occasion when Bok was introduced to him in his chambers in Tom Quad, Mr. Dodgson did not "want to be" delightful…

"You are quite in error, Mr. Bok," was the Dodgson comment. "You are not speaking to the person you think you are addressing."

For an answer the tutor rose, went into another room, and returned with a book which he handed to Bok. "This is my book," he said simply. It was…

Dodgson made no comment. The face was absolutely without expression save a kindly compassion intended to convey to the editor that he was making a…

"I can't help expressing my disappointment, Mr. Dodgson, in my quest in behalf of the thousands of American children who love you and who would so…

The mention of children and their love for him momentarily had its effect. For an instant a different light came into the eyes, and Bok instinctively…

"I am sorry," he finally said at the parting at the door, "that you should be disappointed, for the sake of the children as well as for your own sake…

And as the trio walked to the station, the don said: "That is his attitude toward all, even toward me. He is not 'Lewis Carroll' to any one; is…

This mollified the faithful secretary, but the word instantly came back that Miss Nightingale was not receiving any one that day. Bok wrote her a…

Bok had with such remarkable uniformity secured whatever he sought, that these experiences were new to him. Frankly, they puzzled him. He was not…

In his next quest he found himself again opposed by his London friends. Unable to secure a new Alice in Wonderland for his child readers, he…

Bok inwardly decided that two failures in two days were sufficient, and he made up his mind that there should not be a third. He took a bus for the…

"But, pardon me, has not Miss Greenaway returned? Is not that she?" asked Bok, as he indicated a figure just coming down the stairs. And as the…

Still, negotiate it he must and he did! And after luncheon in the garden, with the cat in his lap, Miss Greenaway perceptibly thawed out, and when…

The next opposition to Bok's plans arose from the soreness generated by the absence of copyright laws between the United States and Great Britain and…

"Very well, Sir Arthur," suggested Bok; "with your consent, I will rectify both the inaccuracy and the injustice. Write out a correct version of 'The…

The argument weighed somewhat with the author, however, for he then changed the conversation, and pointed out how he had been robbed by American…

The mutual friend explained the new copyright conditions and declared that Bok intended to treat the author honorably. But Dumas was not to be…