The affairs of the United Magazines Corporation, so far as the
advertising, commercial and manufacturing ends at least were concerned,
were not in such an unfortunate condition by any means as to preclude
their being quickly restored by tact, good business judgment and hard
work. Since the accession to power of Florence White in the commercial
and financial ends, things in that quarter at least had slowly begun to
take a turn for the better. Although he had no judgment whatsoever as to
what constituted a timely article, an important book or a saleable art
feature, he had that peculiar intuition for right methods of
manufacture, right buying and right selling of stock, right handling of
labor from the cost and efficiency point of view, which made him a power
to be reckoned with. He knew a good manufacturing man to employ at
sight. He knew where books could be sold and how. He knew how to buy
paper in large quantities and at the cheapest rates, and how to print
and manufacture at a cost which was as low as could possibly be figured.
All waste was eliminated. He used his machines to their utmost capacity,
via a series of schedules which saved an immense amount of waste and
demanded the least possible help. He was constantly having trouble with
the labor unions on this score, for they objected to a policy which cut
out duplication of effort and so eliminated their men. He was an iron
master, however, coarse, brutal, foul when dealing with them, and they
feared and respected him.
In the advertising end of the business things had been going rather
badly, for the reason that the magazines for which this department was
supposed to get business had not been doing so well editorially. They
were out of touch with the times to a certain extent--not in advance of
the feelings and emotions of the period, and so the public was beginning
to be inclined to look elsewhere for its mental pabulum. They had had
great circulation and great prestige. That was when they were younger,
and the original publishers and editors in their prime. Since then days
of weariness, indifference and confusion had ensued. Only with the
accession of Colfax to power had hope begun to return. As has been said,
he was looking for strong men in every quarter of this field, but in
particular he was looking for one man who would tell him how to govern
them after he had them. Who was to dream out the things which would
interest the public in each particular magazine proposition? Who was to
draw great and successful authors to the book end of the house? Who was
to inspire the men who were directing the various departments with the
spirit which would bring public interest and success? Eugene might be
the man eventually he hoped, but how soon? He was anxious to hurry his
progress now that he had him.
It was not long after Eugene was seated in his advertising managerial
chair that he saw how things lay. His men, when he gathered them in
conference, complained that they were fighting against falling
circulations.
"You can talk all you want, Mr. Witla," said one of his men gloomily,
"but circulation and circulation only is the answer. They have to keep
up the magazines here. All these manufacturers know when they get
results. We go out and get new business all the time, but we don't keep
it. We can't keep it. The magazines don't bring results. What are you
going to do about that?"
"I'll tell you what we are going to do," replied Eugene calmly, "we're
going to key up the magazines. I understand that a number of changes are
coming in that direction. They are doing better already. The
manufacturing department, for one thing, is in splendid shape. I know
that. In a short time the editorial departments will be. I want you
people to put up, at this time, the best fight you know how under the
conditions as they are. I'm not going to make any changes here if I can
help it. I'm going to show you how it can be done--each one separately.
I want you to believe that we have the greatest organization in the
world, and it can be made to sweep everything before it. Take a look at
Mr. Colfax. Do you think he is ever going to fail? We may, but he
won't."
The men liked Eugene's manner and confidence. They liked his faith in
them, and it was not more than ten days before he had won their
confidence completely. He took home to the hotel where he and Angela
were stopping temporarily all the magazines, and examined them
carefully. He took home a number of the latest books issued, and asked
Angela to read them. He tried to think just what it was each magazine
should represent, and who and where was the man who would give to each
its proper life and vigor. At once, for the adventure magazine, he
thought of a man whom he had met years before who had since been making
a good deal of a success editing a Sunday newspaper magazine supplement,
Jack Bezenah. He had started out to be a radical writer, but had tamed
down and become a most efficient newspaper man. Eugene had met him
several times in the last few years and each time had been impressed by
the force and subtlety of his judgment of life. Once he had said to him,
"Jack, you ought to be editing a magazine of your own."
"I will be, I will be," returned that worthy. Now as he looked at this
particular proposition Bezenah stuck in his mind as the man who should
be employed. He had seen the present editor, but he seemed to have no
force at all.
The weekly needed a man like Townsend Miller--where would he find him?
The present man's ideas were interesting but not sufficiently general in
their appeal. Eugene went about among the various editors looking at
them, ostensibly making their acquaintance, but he was not satisfied
with any one of them.
He waited to see that his own department was not needing any vast effort
on his part before he said to Colfax one day:
"Things are not right with your editorial department. I've looked into
my particular job to see that there is nothing so radically behindhand
there but what it can be remedied, but your magazines are not right. I
wish, aside from salary proposition entirely, that you would let me
begin to make a few changes. You haven't the right sort of people
upstairs. I'll try not to move too fast, but you couldn't be worse off
than you are now in some instances."
"I know it!" said Colfax. "I know it! What do you suggest?"
"Simply better men, that's all," replied Eugene. "Better men with newer
ideas. It may cost you a little more money at present, but it will bring
you more back in the long run."
"You're right! You're right!" insisted Colfax enthusiastically. "I've
been waiting for someone whose judgment I thought was worth two whoops
to come and tell me that for a long time. So far as I'm concerned you
can take charge right now! The salary that I promised you goes with it.
I want to tell you something, though! I want to tell you something!
You're going in there now with full authority, but don't you fall or
stub your toe or get sick or make any mistakes. If you do, God help you!
if you do, I'll eat you alive! I'm a good employer, Witla. I'll pay any
price for good men, within reason, but if I think I'm being done, or
made a fool of, or a man is making a mistake, then there's no mercy in
me--not a single bit. I'm a plain, everyday blank, blank, blank" (and he
used a term so foul that it would not bear repetition in print), "and
that's all there is to me. Now we understand each other."
Eugene looked at the man in astonishment. There was a hard, cold gleam
in his blue eyes which he had seen there before. His presence was
electric--his look demoniac.
"I've had a remark somewhat of that nature made to me before," commented
Eugene. He was thinking of Summerfield's "the coal shute for yours." He
had hardly expected to hear so cold and definite a proposition laid down
so soon after his entry upon his new duties, but here it was, and he had
to face it. He was sorry for the moment that he had ever left Kalvin.
"I'm not at all afraid of responsibility," replied Eugene grimly. "I'm
not going to fall down or stub my toe or make any mistakes if I can help
it. And if I do I won't complain to you."
"Well, I'm only telling you," said Colfax, smiling and good-natured
again. The cold light was gone. "And I mean it in the best way in the
world. I'll back you up with all power and authority, but if you fail,
God help you; I can't."
He went back to his desk and Eugene went upstairs. He felt as though the
red cap of a cardinal had been put upon his head, and at the same time
an axe suspended over him. He would have to think carefully of what he
was doing from now on. He would have to go slow, but he would have to
go. All power had been given him--all authority. He could go upstairs
now and discharge everybody in the place. Colfax would back him up, but
he would have to replace them. And that quickly and effectively. It was
a trying hour, notable but grim.
His first move was to send for Bezenah. He had not seen him for some
time, but his stationery which he now had headed "The United Magazines
Corporation," and in one corner "Office of the Managing Publisher,"
brought him fast enough. It was a daring thing to do in a way thus to
style himself managing publisher, when so many able men were concerned
in the work, but this fact did not disturb him. He was bound and
determined to begin, and this stationery--the mere engraving of it--was
as good a way as any of serving notice that he was in the saddle. The
news flew like wild fire about the building, for there were many in his
office, even his private stenographer, to carry the news. All the
editors and assistants wondered what it could mean, but they asked no
questions, except among themselves. No general announcement had been
made. On the same stationery he sent for Adolph Morgenbau, who had
exhibited marked skill at Summerfield's as his assistant, and who had
since become art editor of _The Sphere_, a magazine of rising
importance. He thought that Morgenbau might now be fitted to handle the
art work under him, and he was not mistaken. Morgenbau had developed
into a man of considerable force and intelligence, and was only too glad
to be connected with Eugene again. He also talked with various
advertising men, artists and writers as to just who were the most live
editorial men in the field at that time, and these he wrote to, asking
if they would come to see him. One by one they came, for the fact that
he had come to New York to take charge not only of the advertising but
the editorial ends of the United Magazines Corporation spread rapidly
over the city. All those interested in art, writing, editing and
advertising heard of it. Those who had known something of him in the
past could scarcely believe their ears. Where did he get the skill?
Eugene stated to Colfax that he deemed it advisable that a general
announcement be made to the staff that he was in charge. "I have been
looking about," he said, "and I think I know what I want to do."
The various editors, art directors, advertising men and book workers
were called to the main office and Colfax announced that he wished to
make a statement which affected all those present. "Mr. Witla here will
be in charge of all the publishing ends of this business from now on. I
am withdrawing from any say in the matter, for I am satisfied that I do
not know as much about it as he does. I want you all to look to him for
advice and counsel just as you have to me in the past. Mr. White will
continue in charge of the manufacturing and distributing end of the
business. Mr. White and Mr. Witla will work together. That's all I have
to say."
The company departed, and once more Eugene returned to his office. He
decided at once to find an advertising man who could work under him and
run that branch of the business as well as he would. He spent some time
looking for this man, and finally found him working for the Hays-Rickert
Company, a man whom he had known something of in the past as an
exceptional worker. He was a strong, forceful individual of thirty-two,
Carter Hayes by name, who was very anxious to succeed in his chosen
work, and who saw a great opportunity here. He did not like Eugene so
very well--he thought that he was over-estimated--but he decided to work
for him. The latter put him in at ten thousand a year and then turned
his attention to his new duties completely.
The editorial and publishing world was entirely new to Eugene from the
executive side. He did not understand it as well as he did the art and
advertising worlds, and because it was in a way comparatively new and
strange to him he made a number of initial mistakes. His first was in
concluding that all the men about him were more or less weak and
inefficient, principally because the magazines were weak, when, as a
matter of fact, there were a number of excellent men whom conditions had
repressed, and who were only waiting for some slight recognition to be
of great value. In the next place, he was not clear as to the exact
policies to be followed in the case of each publication, and he was not
inclined to listen humbly to those who could tell him. His best plan
would have been to have gone exceedingly slow, watching the men who were
in charge, getting their theories and supplementing their efforts with
genial suggestions. Instead he decided on sweeping changes and not long
after he had been in charge he began to make them. Marchwood, the editor
of the _Review_, was removed, as was Gailer of the _Weekly_. The
editorship of the _Adventure Story Magazine_ was given to Bezenah.
In any organization of this kind, however, great improvements cannot be
effected in a moment, and weeks and months must elapse before any
noticeable change can be shown. Instead of throwing the burden of
responsibility on each of his assistants and leaving it there, making
occasional criticisms, Eugene undertook to work with each and all of
them, endeavoring to direct the policy intimately in each particular
case. It was not easy, and to him at times it was confusing. He had a
great deal to learn. Still he did have helpful ideas in a score of
directions daily and these told. The magazines were improved. The first
issues which were affected by his judgment and those of his men were
inspected closely by Colfax and White. The latter was particularly
anxious to see what improvement had been made, and while he could not
judge well himself, he had the means of getting opinions. Nearly all
these were favorable, much to his disappointment, for he hoped to find
things to criticize.
Colfax, who had been watching Eugene's determined air, the energy with
which he went about his work and the manner in which he freely accepted
responsibility, came to admire him even more than he had before. He
liked him socially--his companionship after business hours--and began to
invite him up to the house to dinner. Unlike Kalvin, on most of these
occasions he did not take Angela into consideration, for having met her
he was not so very much impressed with her. She was nice, but not of the
same coruscating quality as her husband. Mrs. Colfax expressed a
derogatory opinion, and this also made it difficult. He sincerely wished
that Eugene were single.
Time passed. As Eugene worked more and more with the various
propositions which this situation involved, he became more and more at
his ease. Those who have ever held an executive position of any
importance know how easy it is, given a certain degree of talent, to
attract men and women of ability and force according to that talent.
Like seeks like and those who are looking for advancement in their world
according to their talents naturally drift to those who are more highly
placed and who are much like themselves. Advertising men, artists,
circulation men, editors, book critics, authors and all those who were
sufficiently in his vein to understand or appreciate him sought him out,
and by degrees he was compelled to learn to refer all applicants to the
heads of departments. He was compelled to learn to rely to a certain
degree on his men, and having learned this he was inclined to go to the
other extreme and rely too much. In the case of Carter Hayes, in the
advertising department, he was particularly impressed with the man's
efficiency, and rested on him heavily for all the details of that work,
merely inspecting his programs of procedure and advising him in
difficult situations. The latter appreciated this, for he was egotistic
to the roots, but it did not develop a sense of loyalty in him. He saw
in Eugene a man who had risen by some fluke of fortune, and who was
really not an advertising man at heart. He hoped some day that
circumstances would bring it about that he could be advertising manager
in fact, dealing directly with Colfax and White, whom, because of their
greater financial interest in the business, he considered Eugene's
superiors, and whom he proposed to court. There were others in the other
departments who felt the same way.
The one great difficulty with Eugene was that he had no great power of
commanding the loyalty of his assistants. He had the power of inspiring
them--of giving them ideas which would be helpful to themselves--but
these they used, as a rule, merely to further their own interests, to
cause them to advance to a point where they deemed themselves beyond
him. Because in his manner he was not hard, distant, bitter, he was
considered, as a rule, rather easy. The men whom he employed, and he had
talent for picking men of very exceptional ability, sometimes much
greater than his own in their particular specialties, looked upon him
not so much as a superior after a time, as someone who was in their path
and to whose shoes they might properly aspire. He seemed so good natured
about the whole work--so easy going. Now and then he took the trouble to
tell a man that he was getting too officious, but in the main he did not
care much. Things were going smoothly, the magazines were improving, the
advertising and circulation departments were showing marked gains, and
altogether his life seemed to have blossomed out into comparative
perfection. There were storms and daily difficulties, but they were not
serious. Colfax advised with him genially when he was in doubt, and
White pretended a friendship which he did not feel.