Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 11.djvu/804

 788 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

announced that they would "strive to do their work in their own way, aping no fashion of any other region." Declaring that "original literature is original literature," and that "the fleeting, capricious thoughts of a creator lie betewen him and the Great Creator," Mr. McGovern made the following signed statement concerning the contributions literary men might send him : "I will not edit their copy. This pledge I kept sacred in The Cur- rent; it will not be more difficult to make it more sacred in maturer years." Although asking for "a pleasant godspeed for Western Literature," Mr. McGovern voiced the larger outlook, calling attention to the fact that the Fair was not Chicago's, but the world's, and declaring that the journal was to have dignity and "to perfect a proper subjective."

Literary material of more interest from the ideas in the subject-matter than from form of presentation was the result of this policy. An excellent little poem on some theme suggested by thoughts of Christopher Columbus appeared in nearly every number. For instance, "A Mother's Song in Spain, A. D. 1493," was contributed by William S. Lord, an Evanston business man who has done some writing and independent publishing from time to time. E. Hough, Ernest McGaffey, and Charles Eugene Banks were among those who wrote Columbus verses for the Illustrated World's Fair. Opie Read, of whom Mr. McGovern is an intimate friend, contributed a sketch entitled "Old Billy at the World's Fair." The literary ministers, David Swing, Robert Mclntyre, and W. T. Meloy, wrote many essays for the journal, and Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll supplied an article captioned "The Effect of the World's Fair on Human Progress." A total of ninety-nine contributors was listed. While many were Chicago men, not a few in the list were residents of other places in America, and some, including Alphonse Daudet, of distant countries. In all the contributions and editorials the western element was illuminated with league-like leaps of the imagination, showing appreciation of historic perspective.

A general world's magazine was expected to be the out- growth of 1 1 all icon's Illustrated World's Fair. In the Decem-