the americanization of edward bok-第51部分

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l　confrere　〃dressed　up〃　the　titles　of　what　might　otherwise　have　looked　like　commonplace　articles。

〃I　know；〃　said　Bok　to　the　elder　editor；　〃it　smacks　a　little　of　the　sensational；　Mr。　Dana；　but　the　purpose　I　have　in　mind　of　showing　the　young　people　of　to…day　that　some　great　things　happened　before　they　came　on　the　stage　seems　to　me　to　make　it　worth　while。〃

Mr。　Dana　agreed　with　this　view；　supplemented　every　effort　of　the　Philadelphia　editor　in　several　subsequent　talks；　and　in　1897　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　began　one　of　the　most　popular　series　it　ever　published。　It　was　called　〃Great　Personal　Events；〃　and　the　picturesque　titles　explained　them。　He　first　pictured　the　enthusiastic　evening　〃When　Jenny　Lind　Sang　in　Castle　Garden；〃　and；　as　Bok　added　to　pique　curiosity；　〃when　people　paid　20　to　sit　in　rowboats　to　hear　the　Swedish　nightingale。〃

This　was　followed　by　an　account　of　the　astonishing　episode　〃When　Henry　Ward　Beecher　Sold　Slaves　in　Plymouth　Pulpit〃；　the　picturesque　journey　〃When　Louis　Kossuth　Rode　Up　Broadway〃；　the　triumphant　tour　〃When　General　Grant　Went　Round　the　World〃；　the　forgotten　story　of　〃When　an　Actress　Was　the　Lady　of　the　White　House〃；　the　sensational　striking　of　the　gold　vein　in　1849；　〃When　Mackay　Struck　the　Great　Bonanza〃；　the　hitherto　little…known　instance　〃When　Louis　Philippe　Taught　School　in　Philadelphia〃；　and　even　the　lesser…known　fact　of　the　residence　of　the　brother　of　Napoleon　Bonaparte　in　America；　〃When　the　King　of　Spain　Lived　on　the　Banks　of　the　Schuylkill〃；　while　the　story　of　〃When　John　Wesley　Preached　in　Georgia〃　surprised　nearly　every　Methodist；　as　so　few　had　known　that　the　founder　of　their　church　had　ever　visited　America。　Each　month　picturesque　event　followed　graphic　happening；　and　never　was　unwritten　history　more　readily　read　by　the　young；　or　the　memories　of　the　older　folk　more　catered　to　than　in　this　series　which　won　new　friends　for　the　magazine　on　every　hand。



XXI。　A　Signal　Piece　of　Constructive　Work

The　influence　of　his　grandfather　and　the　injunction　of　his　grandmother　to　her　sons　that　each　〃should　make　the　world　a　better　or　a　more　beautiful　place　to　live　in〃　now　began　to　be　manifest　in　the　grandson。　Edward　Bok　was　unconscious　that　it　was　this　influence。　What　directly　led　him　to　the　signal　piece　of　construction　in　which　he　engaged　was　the　wretched　architecture　of　small　houses。　As　he　travelled　through　the　United　States　he　was　appalled　by　it。　Where　the　houses　were　not　positively　ugly；　they　were；　to　him；　repellently　ornate。　Money　was　wasted　on　useless　turrets；　filigree　work；　or　machine…made　ornamentation。　Bok　found　out　that　these　small　householders　never　employed　an　architect；　but　that　the　houses　were　put　up　by　builders　from　their　own　plans。

Bok　felt　a　keen　desire　to　take　hold　of　the　small　American　house　and　make　it　architecturally　better。　He　foresaw；　however；　that　the　subject　would　finally　include　small　gardening　and　interior　decoration。　He　feared　that　the　subject　would　become　too　large　for　the　magazine；　which　was　already　feeling　the　pressure　of　the　material　which　he　was　securing。　He　suggested；　therefore；　to　Mr。　Curtis　that　they　purchase　a　little　magazine　published　in　Buffalo；　N。　Y。；　called　Country　Life；　and　develop　it　into　a　first…class　periodical　devoted　to　the　general　subject　of　a　better　American　architecture；　gardening；　and　interior　decoration；　with　special　application　to　the　small　house。　The　magazine　was　purchased；　and　while　Bok　was　collecting　his　material　for　a　number　of　issues　ahead；　he　edited　and　issued；　for　copyright　purposes；　a　four…page　magazine。

An　opportunity　now　came　to　Mr。　Curtis　to　purchase　The　Saturday　Evening　Post；　a　Philadelphia　weekly　of　honored　prestige；　founded　by　Benjamin　Franklin。　It　was　apparent　at　once　that　the　company　could　not　embark　upon　the　development　of　two　magazines　at　the　same　time；　and　as　a　larger　field　was　seen　for　The　Saturday　Evening　Post；　it　was　decided　to　leave　Country　Life　in　abeyance　for　the　present。

Mr。　Frank　Doubleday；　having　left　the　Scribners　and　started　a　publishing…house　of　his　own；　asked　Bok　to　transfer　to　him　the　copyright　and　good　will　of　Country　Lifeseeing　that　there　was　little　chance　for　The　Curtis　Publishing　Company　to　undertake　its　publication。　Mr。　Curtis　was　willing；　but　he　knew　that　Bok　had　set　his　heart　on　the　new　magazine　and　left　it　for　him　to　decide。　The　editor　realized；　as　the　Doubleday　Company　could　take　up　the　magazine　at　once；　the　unfairness　of　holding　indefinitely　the　field　against　them　by　the　publication　of　a　mere　copyright　periodical。　And　so；　with　a　feeling　as　if　he　were　giving　up　his　child　to　another　father；　Bok　arranged　that　The　Curtis　Publishing　Company　should　transfer　to　the　Doubleday；　Page　Company　all　rights　to　the　title　and　periodical　of　which　the　present　beautiful　publication　Country　Life　is　the　outgrowth。

Bok　now　turned　to　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　as　his　medium　for　making　the　small…house　architecture　of　America　better。　He　realized　the　limitation　of　space；　but　decided　to　do　the　best　he　could　under　the　circumstances。　He　believed　he　might　serve　thousands　of　his　readers　if　he　could　make　it　possible　for　them　to　secure；　at　moderate　cost；　plans　for　well…designed　houses　by　the　leading　domestic　architects　in　the　country。　He　consulted　a　number　of　architects；　only　to　find　them　unalterably　opposed　to　the　idea。　They　disliked　the　publicity　of　magazine　presentation；　prices　differed　too　much　in　various　parts　of　the　country；　and　they　did　not　care　to　risk　the　criticism　of　their　contemporaries。　It　was　〃cheapening〃　their　profession！

Bok　saw　that　he　should　have　to　blaze　the　way　and　demonstrate　the　futility　of　these　arguments。　At　last　he　persuaded　one　architect　to　co…operate　with　him；　and　in　1895　began　the　publication　of　a　series　of　houses　which　could　be　built；　approximately；　for　from　one　thousand　five　hundred　dollars　to　five　thousand　dollars。　The　idea　attracted　attention　at　once；　and　the　architect…author　was　swamped　with　letters　and　inquiries　regarding　his　plans。

This　proved　Bok's　instinct　to　be　correct　as　to　the　public　willingness　to　accept　such　designs；　upon　this　proof　he　succeeded　in　winning　over　two　additional　architects　to　make　plans。　He　offered　his　readers　full　building　specifications　and　plans　to　scale　of　the　houses　with　estimates　from　four　builders　in　different　parts　of　the　United　States　for　five　dollars　a　set。　The　plans　and　specifications　were　so　complete　in　every　detail　that　any　builder　could　build　the　house　from　them。

A　storm　of　criticism　now　arose　from　architects　and　builders　all　over　the　country；　the　architects　claiming　that　Bok　was　taking　〃the　bread　out　of　their　mouths〃　by　the　sale　of　plans；　and　local　builders　vigorously　questioned　the　accuracy　of　the　estimates。　But　Bok　knew　he　was　right　and　persevered。

Slowly　but　surely　he　won　the　approval　of　the　leading　architects；　who　saw　that　he　was　appealing　to　a　class　of　house…builders　who　could　not　afford　to　pay　an　architect's　fee；　and　that；　with　his　wide　circulation；　he　might　become　an　influence　for　better　architecture　through　these　small　houses。　The　sets　of　plans　and　specifications　sold　by　the　thousands。　It　was　not　long　before　the　magazine　was　able　to　present　small…house　plans　by　the　foremost　architects　of　the　country；　whose　services　the　average　householder　c