THE DUTCH BOY WHO BECAME A GREAT EDITOR.
When the ocean liner, _The Queen_, docked at New York on September
20, 1870, she discharged among her passengers a Dutch family named
Bok. Mr. Bok, the father, had once been in fairly good
circumstances, but unwise investments had left him quite poor, so he
and his wife decided to leave Holland, and with their two boys,
William and Edward, start over again in the United States.
The younger boy, Edward, was not quite seven years of age. Within a
few days of landing he and his brother were sent to a public school
in Brooklyn. It seemed a hard beginning, for neither of the boys
knew one word of English. They did not know what the other boys were
talking about, nor could they make themselves understood. In their
helplessness they did not have the sympathy of each other's company
for they were graded according to age, and so were parted during
school hours. As soon as school was dismissed the boys were each the
centre of a group of tormentors, who seemed to enjoy teasing the
little fellows who could neither speak, nor understand, a word of
English. Edward was nick-named "Dutchy" and there was scarcely any
form of cruelty which the other boys did not inflict upon him.
One day Edward was goaded into fury and turned on the ringleader
among his tormentors. Much to the surprise of the big bully, and to
the boys, Edward gave him a sound thrashing, and from that day on, he
had the respect, at least, of his schoolmates. He learned the
language quickly, and although he spoke with a Dutch accent, he
adapted himself to the ways of the new country and gained confidence.
Edward's father did not find it easy to make good. He was between
forty and fifty years of age and everything was new and strange. He
could not find work for quite a long time and the strain began to
tell upon his wife's health. Edward and his brother were quick to
see how the heavy burdens were weighing upon their mother, so they
decided to relieve her by rising early in the mornings; building the
fire, preparing the breakfast, and washing the dishes, before they
went to school. After school they gave up their play and swept and
scrubbed, and helped their mother to prepare the evening meal, and
wash the dishes afterwards.
One morning the boys woke up to find that there was no kindling wood
or coal wherewith to build the fire, so they decided to go out each
evening to gather coal which had been carelessly spilled when coal
was being delivered. A good deal of wood was also lying about the
streets which they were glad to get. The mother remonstrated with
the boys, but Edward said: "It is all right, Mother; this is America,
where one can do anything if it is honest. So long as we don't steal
why shouldn't we get it?"
Money was badly needed in that home and Edward looked around to see
if he could not earn something. One day he was standing looking
longingly into the window of a baker's shop. The baker had just put
a tray of tempting buns, tarts, and pies, in the window and he came
out to look at them.
"They look pretty good, don't they?" he said, noticing the wistful
look on Edward's face.
"They look all right," answered the little Dutch boy, "but they would
look a whole lot better if you had your window cleaned."
"That is true," said the baker, "perhaps you will clean it."
So Edward got his first job. He cleaned that window every Tuesday
and Friday afternoon, for which he received _fifty cents a week_.
One day the baker was busy and Edward waited on a customer. When the
baker saw how aptly he did it, he suggested that Edward help him on
certain days after school and on Saturday afternoons. The salary was
to be one dollar and fifty cents a week. Edward eagerly consented
and hurried home to tell his parents about his rare good fortune. On
Saturday mornings he took a delivery route for a newspaper, for which
he received one dollar; thus he brought his weekly earnings up to
two-fifty.
One evening Edward was invited to a party in Brooklyn. The thought
occurred to him that the hostess would probably like to see an
account of the party in the newspaper, so he wrote an account of it,
giving the name of every boy and girl present, and sent it to the
_Brooklyn Eagle_. The editor of the newspaper was so pleased with
the idea that he offered to give Edward three dollars a column for
such news. From that time Edward sought eagerly to find out where
parties were being held in order to keep the editor supplied with
news and to earn some much-needed money. It pleased people who had
attended parties to see their names in print, and, of course, it
increased the circulation of the paper. Edward was not yet thirteen,
but he was attending school, working in a bake-shop after hours,
serving a paper route on Saturday mornings, and acting as reporter
for a newspaper.
One evening Edward learned that an office boy was wanted in the
office of the Western Union Telegraph Company. The salary was six
dollars and twenty-five cents a week. Edward secured the position,
and so, at the early age of thirteen, he left school to make his way
in the world. His mother was keenly disappointed at his having to
leave school so early, but owing to the straitened circumstances of
the home, she gave her consent.
Edward early developed habits of thrift. He never lost a chance of
making five cents, and when he got it he did not spend it foolishly.
He never used a street-car if he could walk. Thus, he was able to
buy books to improve his education, and to make up for the serious
handicap of having left school so early in life.
About this time he began to collect autographs. He wrote to
President Garfield, Lord Tennyson, Whittier, General Sherman, Geo. W.
Childs, and a great many other notables, and secured their
autographs, and in several instances received friendly little
letters. One day a newspaper reporter saw these letters and within a
few days a long article appeared in the New York _Tribune_, giving a
full account of the little Dutch boy who had secured such a
remarkable collection of autographs and letters. Editors of several
leading newspapers and magazines wrote to Edward and encouraged him
to get into personal touch with as many distinguished people as he
could, and to write brief accounts of his experiences. Thus
encouraged, Edward sought and obtained interviews with President
Garfield, General Grant, General Sherman, President Hayes, Mrs.
Abraham Lincoln, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Longfellow, Phillips Brooks,
Emerson, and many others. In every case the boy's eagerness to
learn, and courteous conduct made a favourable impression and he was
received with uniform kindness.
When Edward was eighteen his father died and the small amount of
insurance he left barely covered the funeral expenses. Hence the two
boys faced the problem of supporting their mother on their meagre
income. The boys there and then determined to make their mother
comfortable.
At this time he was a member of Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, where the
great Henry Ward Beecher was pastor. The Young People's Society of
the Church decided to publish a magazine and Edward was asked to
become editor. He made a decided success of this task and before
long a good deal of attention was directed to the magazine. Edward
published sermons by Dr. Beecher, Dr. Talmage and others, and besides
he got a number of prominent people to write for it. Readers were
amazed when they opened its pages to find articles signed by the
greatest people in the country. At first, the circulation of this
little publication, which was named _The Brooklyn Magazine_, was
small, and Edward and another boy wrapped up all the copies
themselves and took them to the post office. As the circulation
increased the bundles were too heavy to be carried, and a baker's
cart had to be used. Before long a double-horse truck was necessary,
and three trips had to be made. All this time Edward was working for
the Western Union Telegraph Company in the day time and doing his
editorial work in the evenings. In 1882--when, he was nineteen--he
gave up his position and devoted his whole time to editing and
publishing the magazine, which was now known as _The American
Magazine_, and had become an important publication.
In 1884, before Edward had reached his twenty-first birthday, he was
offered a position with the well-known book publishers, Charles
Scribner and Sons, which he accepted. The salary was eighteen
dollars a week, which in those days was considered a good salary for
one so young. He astonished every one by his energy and enterprise.
There wasn't a lazy bone in his body. He had an ever-willingness to
work which made his success a certainty. When he got out into the
world he was astonished to find how many of his young, friends
believed that the only way to get on was through favouritism. That
was not his experience. He found that if a young man were willing to
work, and to do his very best, the way to success was wide, and it
was not overpeopled. He was amazed to find how many young men there
were who were not doing their best, or anything like it. They were
constantly watching the clock, and afraid lest they should work one
minute more than they were being paid for. When luncheon time came,
Edward listened to the conversation around him and he was surprised
to note that scarcely any youth ever gave a thought to anything
except wages and outside interests.
Edward's idea of work was different. He resolved to do his very best
and to do it every hour of the day. He did all that was expected of
him and a little more. When others played, he worked, convinced that
his play-time would come later. He met with many difficulties, but
he overcame them with a smile. He liked fun and play just as much as
any other fellow, but he felt that he ought not to take his
employers' time for these things, and he felt that owing to the
circumstances in his own home, it was up to him to make good.
In 1889, while he was still a young man--twenty-six years of age--he
accepted the position of editor of the _Ladies' Home Journal_ and
moved to Philadelphia. When he took over this magazine it had a
circulation of over 400,000, and so was already very well known.
Under his able editorship it became one of the most influential
magazines in America--and for that matter in the world. Edward Bok
remained as editor for thirty years, and, under his direction, and
largely owing to his great skill and hard work, the circulation grew
until, when he resigned in 1919, the circulation was over _two
million_.
Edward Bok was sitting one evening chatting with Theodore Roosevelt,
who was at that time President of the United States. The President
said, "Bok, I envy you your power with the public."
Edward Bok replied, "That is a strange remark from a President of the
United States."
"You may think so," Roosevelt said, "but what you write is read by
thousands when their day's work is over, and the mind is at rest.
You have it on me: I envy you your power with the public." This
illustrates, at least, what a tremendous influence the little Dutch
boy had become in the nation, and in the world.
As editor of the _Ladies' Home Journal_, Edward Bok did a great many
things which helped to make him one of the most prominent and useful
citizens of the United States. He gave prizes to those who succeeded
in securing new subscribers. Remembering his own lack of opportunity
to secure an education, he hit upon the simple plan of giving free
scholarships as premiums to the most successful canvassers. This
plan grew so that nearly all the leading colleges were included, and
by 1919 no less than one thousand four hundred and fifty-three free
scholarships had been awarded. By this plan it was made possible for
many to obtain an education who later filled conspicuous places in
the business and professional world.
Edward Bok was twice asked to become American Ambassador to Holland,
the land of his birth. It would certainly have seemed a wonderful
thing if he could have returned in such a high position to the land
he left as a poor boy, but he did not see his way clear to accept the
post. He enjoyed the confidence and close friendship of such men as
President Cleveland and President Roosevelt. In fact there was
hardly an outstanding man in the United States with whom Edward Bok
did not come into contact.
In 1918, he was invited by the British Government to join a party of
thirteen American editors who were to visit Great Britain and France.
On this trip he met many of the most distinguished military men and
statesmen of the Allied nations. His visit to the battlefields made
a great impression upon him and he was deeply moved at the courage of
the Allied soldiers.
Edward Bok resigned from the editorship of the _Ladies' Home Journal_
in 1919. He has since turned his attention to many things, for which
his previously busy life left little room. He has been the recipient
of many degrees from the great American Universities, and today, he
who came to America's shores unable to speak one word of English, is
recognized as a citizen of whom America may well be proud.