At the turn of the 20th century short stories were preferred form of entertainment in United States. This was a boom time for magazine publishing, Owen, part to the developments in the offset printing technology, as well as the postal act of 1879, which had granted magazines, discounted mailing rates, publication, such as the ladies home journal the Saturday evening post and the Atlanta tour, all of which publish short stories sold more than half 1 million copies per issue. The authors of these stories were well known at the time and often well paid select the best evidence to support the statement in the late 1800s law made it easier for magazine companies to do business.

The postal act of 1879, which granted magazines discounted mailing rates, allowed magazine companies to reach a wider audience and increase their circulation.