Our Amateur Journalists Again.
I have been in the ranks of the amateur journalists about three years. I have made many friends and have gained a great deal of information. My press is a self-inker, and has a chase 3-1/8 x 5-1/8. My whole outfit did not cost over twenty-five dollars. This may not seem much to one unacquainted with the circumstances, but, you see, in the first place my pocket-book was not in a very healthy condition, and my mother a widow, and I had to save up all the stray nickels and dimes in order to raise the amount.
At first it was very difficult for me to set up the type without making pi, but I soon overcame that clumsiness. There are some editors who have plenty of money, and so they hire their paper printed by a professional, and then sneer at those who are less fortunate and call their papers "thumb-nails." According to my way of thinking, there is great credit in printing one's own paper, even if it is not so large and is not always free from errors. But taking it altogether, I am not sorry of my little venture, and hope that brother editors will have no worse experiences than I have had.
Wallace Gibbs.
Publisher The Sunbeam.
Galva, Ill.
The Sunbeam is a most creditable paper, particularly so when one learns, with surprise, as we did, that it is gotten up on a $25 outfit. Sir Wallace ought not to mention his errors in typesetting. One sees wrong letters even in great journals.
Another really creditable paper is The Scribbler, edited by Robert E. James, Jun., 212 North Third Street, Easton, Pa. It is illustrated by Easton amateurs—and well illustrated too.
Less pretentious, but very bright, is The Knight-Errant—an excellent name, by-the-way—edited by Bertram R. White, 616 Lexington Avenue, this city. Sir Bertram is one of the old stand-by knights of our Table, and deserves his success. We say success, because, no matter what the financial outcome may be, it is bound to succeed in teaching its editor a deal of valuable business experience.
The following-named are interested in amateur papers; George W. Buchanan, Searcy, Ark.; Sam Wood, 14 South Washington Street, Wilkesbarre, Pa.; M. S. Newman, 722 East Ninth Street, New York; G. Ellery Crosby, Jun., 15 Beach Street, Hartford, Conn.; D. Arthur Bowman, 4412 Delmar Avenue, St. Louis, Mo.; and Harold C. Day, Harrison, N. Y. They wish to subscribe for some amateur papers. The Arkansas Knight thinks of starting one, and the Missouri Knight wants to form a journalists' corresponding Chapter.
The Albermarle is published by George D. Galloway, Eau Claire, Wis., another old-time Knight of the Table, who has felt the healthy stimulus of our Order, and is now getting out a good journal. He is willing to send samples upon request.