AROUND OUR CAMP FIRE 



Who is making " Recreation." How it is 

 made. What the future holds for our readers. 

 What our old readers say of the change. 



Our Platform 



AST issue we presented to you 

 the policy which is to govern 

 Recreation in the future. We 

 explained to you our platform, 

 — a platform which has since 

 received the commendations of 

 the foremost sportsmen of 

 America, including the gov- 

 ernors of half the states in 

 the Union, and many prominent Federal 

 officials at Washington — a platform of broad, 

 pure and liberal sportsmanship. 



We believe that no publication can attain 

 lasting success or hold its place in the hearts 

 of the American people without being ani- 

 mated by a high moral purpose. With this 

 in view we have, for the last thirty days, been 

 formulating a plan of operation having for 

 its object a definite end. 



We wish to increase the power of Recre- 

 ation, to increase the love its readers have 

 for it, and to make the world happier and 

 brighter through its agency. The details of the 

 plan we will not announce until next month. 

 Meanwhile, we are going to tell you some- 

 thing of the men who are preparing for the 

 work to come. 



Most of you know our Editor, Dan Beard. 

 His name has been familiar to American boys 

 for twenty-five years, and no writer has held a 

 more continued interest to them in the his^ 

 tory of American literature. 



He is the author of the "American Boy's 

 Handy Book," which has just passed the one 

 hundred thousand mark ; the author of "The 

 Out Door Handy Book," "Jack of All Trades," 

 "Moonlight and Six Feet of Romance," 

 all of which were illustrated by him. 



He is no less famous with his brush, having 

 illustrated "A Yankee in King Arthur's 

 Court" and "An American Claimant," by 

 Mark Twain ; "A Journey to Other Worlds," 

 by John Jacob Astor; "The Historical Ser- 

 ies," published by the "American Book Co. ; 

 "Lake-lands of Canada," by Dr. B. A. Wat- 

 son, and other world-famous publications. 



Where He "Belongs" 



Known no less as a scientist and natural- 

 ist, he is a member of the following organi- 

 zations : 



Life Member of the League of American 

 Sportsmen, 



Member of the New York Society of 

 Illustrators, 



Linnaean Society, 



Zoological Society, 



Ornithological Union, 



Academy of Sciences, 



Biological Society of Washington, 



Camp Fire Club, 



Canadian Camp, 



Players' Club, 



Pipe and Pewter Club, and the 



Aldine Association. 

 He is an editor on the staff of the Arena 

 and has been a contributor to the leading 

 periodicals for many years. 



Wherever the clans of the open-air gather, 

 no matter the country, he is welcome, whether 

 as civil engineer, surveyor or farmer; author, 

 artist or editor. 



To him take your troubles, if you have any, 

 or discuss with him your joys, of which we 

 hope you have many. 



About Our Staff 



The students of modern publication meth- 

 ods know that it is first necessary to give to 

 the public something which the public wants, 

 long before the presses begin to be taxed 

 with heavy runs. Appreciating this fact, the 

 management of the publication has attached 

 to its staff, under the supervision of Mr. 

 Beard, a number of the most experienced out- 

 of-door journalists in the country. These 

 men have devoted their lives to the study of 

 magazine-making and no effort or expense 

 will be spared to produce a magazine which 

 will not only be an authority, but will be the 

 sportsman's best and truest friend in the 

 years to come. 



Our "Old Man" 



In the management of every publication, 

 there must be one "old man." He need not 

 necessarily be old in years, but he must be 

 old in experience. He must be the man to 

 whom all look for guidance. Our "old man" 

 of the office is William E. Annis, the pub- 

 lisher. 



Mr. Annis has prepared himself for the 

 position of publisher as thoroughly as a phy- 

 sician or a lawyer studies for his profession. 



As a boy he studied drawing and composi- 

 tion in Mr. Beard's studio until he made pic- 

 tures which were bought and published by 

 the current magazines. 



