Life — July 15, 1915 — page 10: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

98 A Slight But Necessary Delay “AM I literary?” The man who had just applied for the job as editor of the once great magazine smiled superciliously as he spoke to the owner, “My dear sir,” he went on, “when it comes to turning out real literature I am simply a wonder, I can write the most exquisite little poems—which nobody could guess the meaning of—as fillers to put in at the tail end of ar- ticles. Every short story I write is a masterpiece of originality. My edi- torials show a grasp of world politics that would have made Bismarck gasp. With me as editor you wouldn’t have to employ any other writer at all. Besides, I can solicit advertising, buy type, and I am a master hand at getting big finan- ciers to subscribe for stock, on the ground that if they have an interest in a leading magazine they must of necessity be men of culture. With me at the helm your circulation will treble in six months.” The owner smiled a smile of joyful recognition of great talent. “T believe you are the very man we are looking for,” he said, in a voice freighted with deep emotion, “ When could you come to us?” “Say in three months.” “Three months! Why such a de- lay?” ‘The applicant lowered his voice. “Well, you see, it’s this way,” he explained. “I'm just closing up a little mazagine of my own, and I want to wait until the affair has been for- She: AS 1 SIT AND LOOK UP AT THE STARS, DEAR, I FEEL LIKE AN INFINITESIMAL gotten, otherwise my creditors will be ATOM IN THE BOUNDLESS UNIVERSE almost certain to garnishee my salary.” Gatekeeper and Municipal Expert O remarks the activities of Mr. Frederick Howe, Commissioner of Immigration in New York, as a miscellaneous improver of mankind. When you read of an improvement doing or under discussion hereabduts you are apt to read of Mr. Howe. Luckily, just now the immigration business is slack, and he can spare parts of himself for the uses of miscellaneous uplift. But when we think of him merely as the Ellis Island gatekeeper @): = our thought is not comprehensive enough. He is an expert —" in municipal administration, knows about taxes and mu- mn nicipal ownership, is a Johns Hopkins Ph.D,, has studied in Germany and practiced law and politics in Ohio, A TYPOGRAPHICALLY SPEAKING man whose mind has such contents as Mr. Howe has stored ANTIQUE NO. 525 AND OLD STYLE CHASE in his is bound, of course, to disclose them, comicbooks.com