Lorimer for Curtis

As usual last summer the gorgeous yacht Lyndonia dominated the crowded little harbor at Camden, Me. But for the first season in many years the yacht's owner, aging, ailing Publisher Cyrus Hermann Kotzschmar Curtis, did not dominate the Camden social scene. He remained at home, out of sight. Steam was kept up for 24 hours a day; but the Lyndonia and her crew of 38 made only occasional trips to Portland, Publisher Curtis' birthplace, so that he might go to the dentist. Maine folk and summering Philadelphia socialites alike spoke kindly of "poor old Mr. Curtis."

Comparatively inactive in Curtis Publishing Co., snowy-bearded Publisher Curtis, 82, became more quiescent following the death of his wife last May (TIME, June 6). He, too, suffers from a heart ailment. Although he did take himself to Joseph Early Widener's "millionaire dinner" last month (TIME, Oct. 24) he spends most of his time aboard the Lyndonia, much of his shore time at the Downtown Club, which he helped to found, in his own Philadelphia Public Ledger building. Such small time as Publisher Curtis has for business, he gives to the Curtis-Martin newspapers (Ledgers, Inquirer, New York Evening Post) of which his stepdaughter's husband, dapper John Charles Martin is active chief.

It was not surprising when aged Mr. Curtis resigned last week as president of Curtis Publishing Co. (Satevepost, Ladies' Home Journal, Country Gentleman), accepted the board chairmanship. So unsurprised was Philadelphia by the news that no newspaper there mentioned it--not even Curtis' own--except the tabloid Daily News, which he once tried to put out of business.

Son-in-Law Martin, whose life is insured for $6,500,000, is "crown prince" of the publishing family, but there was no surprise in Publisher Curtis' choice of his successor, Editor George Horace Lorimer of the Satevepost. Son-in-Law Martin has plenty to do running the newspapers. Many years ago Mr. Curtis turned the management of all three magazines over to Editor Lorimer. Neither man was present in the oak-paneled board room overlooking Independence Square last week when the resignation and election were effected. The directors issued a statement that "Mr. Curtis . . . wishes to be relieved of the cares and details of active management and believes that the younger generation should assume them."

"Younger Generation" Lorimer was 64 last month but he still has the bristle and bustle that he had in 1897 when, aged 29, he read that Mr. Curtis of Maine had acquired the Post, a 16-page sheet of 1,800 circulation. Lorimer, a Boston newshawk, lately stenographer in the office of Chicago Packer Philip Danforth Armour,* telegraphed Mr. Curtis for an appointment, after ten minutes' conversation had a job on the Post.

Soon afterward Publisher Curtis became dissatisfied with the Post's first editor, William George Jordan. He put Lorimer in charge until the right man could be found, then sailed for Europe. Promptly Lorimer posted his own name at the magazine's masthead. Mr. Curtis cabled an order to remove it. Lorimer refused. By the time the publisher could get home to fire him, Lorimer had proved he was the man for the job.

In those days it was not difficult for Editor Lorimer to read every word of every manuscript before it went into print. Today it is a considerable task, but Editor Lorimer performs it religiously. Like all other Curtis employes he punches a time clock promptly at 9 a. m. Personally genial, he is a thoroughgoing worker, a hard bargainer. Throughout the Curtis plant he is known as "The Boss."

Familiar to the point of triteness is the story--well told by his famed son-in-law, the late Edward William Bok--of Cyrus Curtis' rise from Portland newsboy to publishing tycoon; the story of his "first publishing venture" at the age of 12--selling three newspapers for 9-c- to get money for July 4 fireworks; his founding of one tiny weekly paper after another until 1879 when, in Philadelphia, he established the Tribune & Farmer. His first wife, Louise Knapp, criticized the quality of the women's articles in the paper, undertook the work herself, created a women's supplement which in 1883 became the Ladies' Home Journal, with Mrs. Curtis as editor. In 1911 Country Gentleman was added to the string.

Last year Curtis Publishing Co. earned $12,000,000 (a drop of $7,000,000 from 1930), of which about $10,000,000 was netted by Satevepost. Circulation of all three magazines is higher than ever,* but advertising revenue has fallen off sharply. Last fortnight the company announced a loss for the third quarter of 79-c- per share of its common stock. Last week Variety revealed that for the first time, the advertising income of National Broadcasting Co. ("Satevepost of the air") exceeds that of the Post. For the first nine months of the year NBC grossed $20,486,000, the Post, $18,865,000.

From Room 100

One afternoon a few weeks ago two Chicago newspaper publishers closeted themselves in the swank Chicago Club's celebrated Room No. 100, a club-within-a-club whose members include Bankers Melvin Alvah Traylor, James Reader Leavell, Charles Foster Glore. The two publishers were competitors in the evening field, Col. William Franklin ("Frank") Knox of the Daily News and youthful Knowlton Lyman ("Snake") Ames Jr. of the Post. Last week their Room 100 chat materialized in the sale of the ultra-conservative Post to the energetic News. After 43 years, the Post ceased to be.

The Post, which has not made money for the last 30 years, was picked up by Publisher Ames at auction for $132,000 in February 1931. (Only other bidder was Hearst's evening American which wanted the Post's Associated Press franchise.) Publisher Ames was financed by a $500,000 loan from Samuel Insull's Public Service Trust, a subsidiary of Insull Utility Investments. When the Insull properties passed into receivership Publisher Ames paid off the note at 12-c- on the dollar.

How much money the News paid to Publisher Ames last week was not revealed. But, with the exception of Post employes thrown out of work, all affected by the deal were well pleased. The Post had 48,000 circulation when "Snake" Ames acquired it. Its advertising lineage for the month previous was 365,000. By last September circulation had shrunk to 37,000, lineage to 125,000. More than half the personnel was union labor whose salaries could not be cut more than 10%. Moreover, the costly A. P. franchise had to be maintained.

Meanwhile the Daily News circulation had slipped from 426,000 two years ago to 400,000. Advertisers were clamoring for rate reductions. By annexing 26,000 high-class, unduplicated circulation contained in the Post's 37,000, the News could retrieve its position of January 1931.

There were other satisfying incidents. The News, which already had an A. P. franchise, sold the Post's membership to Hearst's evening American. It sold the lease on the Post building on North La Salle Street to "Snake's" Brother John Dawes Ames who publishes the Journal of Commerce in a ramshackle plant on East Grand Avenue. Also it was supposed that Brother John's paper would inherit the Post's legal advertising business which the News does not want as the rate is low.

Finally, "Snake" Ames got a good-salaried job as assistant to Publisher Knox. Said Colonel Knox: "I'll give him plenty of jobs. He's a damned smart young fellow."

*From his observation of P. D. Armour's letters to his son, Jonathan Ogden. Lorimer later wrote his famed Letters of a Self-Made Merchant to His Son.

*Satevepost (2,941,543), Ladies' Home Journal (2,697,336), Country Gentleman (1,738,833).

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