He became interested in the fact that the American woman was not a newspaper reader.

He tried to find out the psychology of this, and finally reached the conclusion, on looking over the newspapers, that the absence of any distinctive material for women was a factor.

He talked the matter over with several prominent New York editors, who frankly acknowledged that they would like nothing better than to interest women, and make them readers of their papers.
But they were equally frank in confessing that they were ignorant both of what women wanted, and, even if they knew, of where such material was to be had.

Edward at once saw that here was an open field.

It was a productive field, since, as woman was the purchasing power, it would benefit the newspaper enormously in its advertising if it could offer a feminine clientele.
There was a bright letter of New York gossip published in the _New York Star_, called "Bab's Babble." Edward had read it, and saw the possibility of syndicating this item as a woman's letter from New York.
He instinctively realized that women all over the country would read it.