Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 11.djvu/393

 THE LITERARY INTERESTS OF CHICAGO. I

HERBERT E. FLEMING University of Chicago

I. THE PIONEER PERIODICALS

" We shall be slow to believe there is not talent enough in the West to maintain a character for a work of this kind." From the Western Magazine, Chicago, October, 1845.

" Present indications seem to show that we did not overrate the literary taste of the West, when we believed the western people able and willing to support a magazine of their own." From the Western Magazine, Chicago. November, 1845.

"'The literary interests of Chicago' they belong, do they not, in that important category where one discovers the historic ' snakes of Ireland ' ? " This whimsical question, put to the col- lector of material for these papers by a distinguished New York publisher, suggests a long-standing estimate of Chicago character. This city, the second in America and the metropolis of the Middle West, has not been noted for traits of aesthetic interest. Ever since the days of its earliest prominence as a small market-town, and through the quick years of phenomenal growth into a great business center and world-mart, the name "Chicago" has been the one above every city name standing for materialism. As a rough characterization, this has been accurate enough. And yet, from common knowledge, everyone knows that there have been in this community some manifestations of the aesthetic interest, including the literary interest.

Just exactly what are the variations of the universal literary interest which arise in such a market-metropolis? That is the question which may well lead to a detailed search for more than the commonly known facts concerning this particular interest. The term " interests " is much in vogue among the leading pro- fessors of general sociology in America, as well as with the sociologists of Europe. Interests may be defined as the concrete,

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