The Esperantist, Vol. 1, No. 2
The Esperantist, Vol. 1, No. 2 is the December 1903 issue of a monthly gazette published by the Esperanto Club in London to promote the international auxiliary language created by Doktoro Zamenhof. This second number opens with the editor's warm thanks to readers and his frank response to their suggestions for improving the young journal: he addresses complaints about the green cover, the hard-to-read undivided pages, and calls for more English-language help, promising to gloss and translate unfamiliar words. Alongside original pieces such as "Itala Somero," the issue mixes editorial reflection, poetry, correspondence, advertisements, and a directory of Esperantists worldwide eager to exchange letters, postcards, and ideas.
Its enduring interest lies in capturing a grassroots movement in formation, balancing idealism with practicality. Contributors debate whether Esperanto should be a language of poetry and romance or a plain "bread-and-butter" tongue for commerce and daily life. The periodical embodies early hopes for international understanding, mutual correspondence across nations, and a community bound not by nationality but by a shared linguistic vision, making it a vivid historical document of the language's hopeful, formative years.
How it begins
N.B.—It is earnestly hoped that gentlemen who are willing to form local groups will communicate with the Hon. Sec., Esperanto Club, who will do all in his power to assist them in the work. The Remington THE UNIVERSAL TYPEWRITER. Just think of it! THE INTERNATIONAL MACHINE. Unbound by ties of nationality: The common bond of union of all civilised peoples. The Remington can be supplied fitted for Esperanto. THE REMINGTON TYPEWRITER COMPANY, 100, Gracechurch St., London, E.C. La Remington LA UNIVERSALA SKRIBMAŜINO. Pripensu je tio! LA INTERNACIA MAŜINO. Tute liberiĝita de naciaj ligiloj: La Komuna unuigilo por ĉiuj civilizitaj popoloj. La Remington estos liverita kun Esperantaj presliteroj. LA REMINGTON TYPEWRITER KOMPANIO, 100, Gracechurch St., Londono, E.C. A NEW WORK You should have to perfect your knowledge of Esperanto is the just-published Esperanta Sintakso laŭ verkoj de Doktoro Zamenhof kaj aliaj aŭtoroj. Verkita de PAUL FRUICTIER. NUR EN ESPERANTO. From THE ESPERANTO CLUB, 1/6 Post Free. We beg to remind our Readers not to omit to translate the letters enclosed in the Text Book, and to send the translations to us with four penny stamps. The Adresaro —a list of Esperantists—will then be sent, by means of which one can correspond all over the world in Esperanto. Adresareto de Personoj kiuj deziras Korespondadi en Esperanto. Doktoro G. BASUTTIL, Misida, Malta. Interŝanĝos poŝtsignojn. Rev. H. T. W. BUTLER, St.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain.