The Story of the House of Cassell
seemed less likely than that the day would ever return when no newspaper could be got for less than a penny.
In 1874 the House started the Live Stock Journal as a paper for breeders and keepers of farm stock, etc., including poultry. For the first three years the editor was Lewis Wright, who had been added to the editorial staff at the Yard in 1871 to write a book on poultry. Under his vigorous control the paper was a decided success; but the animation which he threw into controversial questions led the firm to desire a "safer" editor, and he made way for John Hamer, the Publishing Manager, but maintained a connexion with the paper as a much valued contributor. The arrangement worked satisfactorily, and the paper continued to prosper, but it was felt that so specialized a publication could not be run to the fullest advantage by a general publishing house, and in 1883 it was disposed of.
The Boy's Newspaper was started in 1880 in the faith that boys could be interested in public affairs. There were, of course, stories of adventure and school life, and ample space was found for athletics and school news, as well as for informing articles on general subjects likely to be interesting to boys; but a genuine attempt was made to supply information and guidance concerning the events of the day. George Weatherly was in control, while the "outside" editor was Thomas Archer, a singularly lovable littérateur who had kept much of the spontaneity and freshness of boyhood. As a courageous attempt to break quite new ground the experiment was an exceptionally interesting one. The hopes built on it, however, were not realized. The first number was published on September 15, 1880; the number for May 4, 1881, contained the announcement that the paper had been sold, and no great while afterwards it ceased to be.
While the Boy's Newspaper was running, a more ambitious scheme was being elaborated. In the late 'seventies the land question in Ireland had led to violent social convulsions, and the agitation in that country had
154
